AdCom Releases Recommendations for Monday's Special Town Meeting

Ahead of Monday’s Special Town Meeting at Foxboro High School, the town’s Advisory Committee has taken positions on each of the warrant’s seven articles.

Of the 13 articles on the warrant, AdCom will recommend full approval on five, disapproval on one, the funding for plans for a new Town Hall, and approval for items one and three in article one but disapprove item two in article one.

Below is a summary of AdCom’s recommendations for Special Town Meeting, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Foxborough High School on Monday, Nov. 4

To view the Special Town Meeting warrant, click here.

ARTICLE VOTE SUMMARY

Article 1: Budge Adjustment

Item 1: This cost reflects a $28,000 bill from the Norfolk Country Agricultural High School. It is a bill based on the number of students from the town attending the school during the school year. The town is obligated to pay this bill.

The Advisory Committee unanimously voted for approval of this article. 

Item 2: This costs reflects the salary ($84,808) to be paid to a new Town Manager for the first six months of 2014 -- half a year’s pay. The Advisory Committee has voted in favor of an appropriation for this line item, but at an amount less than that proposed in the original warrant.

The Advisory Committee voted 2-5-1 for disapproval of item two.

The committee did vote 7-0-1 to reconsider this line item at an amended amount of $77,000, which would reflect an annual salary of $154,000. However, unless the salary amount is lowered, the disapproval vote stands on item #2

Article 2: Unpaid Bills from Prior Year

The purpose of this article is to see if the town will vote to pay two bills from the previous fiscal year. The first is for a retroactive pay adjustment ($1,126.40) for the Acting Town Manager. The second bill ($22,450) is for a post-closure landfill monitoring service. It has been confirmed that both of these services were performed as required. The reason for the request is that municipal finance laws do not allow for the current fiscal year budget to pay bills from a prior fiscal year.

The Advisory Committee unanimously voted for the approval of item 2 and 7-1 for approval of item 2.

Item 3: Department of Public Words Administrative Offices

The purpose of this article is to see if the town will transfer from available funds $600,000 for the construction of a modular building and appurtenances to house the Foxboro DPW staff at 70 Elm Street and to initially fund said appropriation with $536,791 from Water Enterprise Retained Earning. The General Fund will contribute $213,335 over a five year period to cover its share of the building cost, associated with the Highway and Tree and Pard administrative staff. 

The General Fund reimbursement to the Water Enterprise Fund will be though an annual credit on the allocated general overhead costs to the Water Enterprise Fund in the following amounts: $64,000 in FY 2015, $53,000 in FY 2016, $43,000 in FY 2017, $32,000 in FY 2018; and $21,335 in FY 2019

The Advisory Committee unanimously voted for the approval of this article but DPW Director Roger Hill requested a hold for the item as the bids for construction came in too high.

Article 4: Town Hall Plans

The purpose of this article is to see if the town will vote to transfer from available funds $550,999 to pay the cost of hiring engineers and architects, and/or consultants for the purpose of preparing design plans and specifications, to include contract/big documents of probable site work, demolition and construction relating thereto of Town Hall.

The advisory committee voted 4-4 on this article with a disapproval recommendation.

Article 5: Sewer Service Area

The purpose of this article is to see if the town will vote to adopt a sewer service area and to authorize the Town of Foxboro Water and Sewer Commissioners to adopt rules and regulations for amending the sewer service area annually by vote of Town Meeting. The sewer service area would be defined as those properties currently hooked into the town’s sewer system and a specific geographical area surrounding the town common and not currently on sewer as identified by the Planning Board and included in the Master Plan.

The Advisory Committee unanimously voted for the approval of this article. 

Article 6: Grant Reimbursement

The purpose of this article is to see if the town will vote to accept a grant from the state in the amount of $232,000 and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to administer if received.

The grant would allow the town to improve the Payson Road Recreation Facility and would include handicap accessible paths, paved driveways, the creation of two fields, and enhancements to the current playground. A condition of the grant is for the town to provide $168,000 towards the project.  These funds are already available and came from donations of moneys from developers of the State Hospital Redevelopment projecting in compliance with their permits from the town.

The Advisory Committee unanimously voted for the approval of this article. 

Article 7: Amend Zoning By-laws 

The purpose of this article is to see if the town will vote to amend the Foxboro zoning by-laws to allow for dead-end roads in excess of 800 feet and shared driveways both via a special permit process.

The Advisory Committee unanimously voted for the approval of this article.