Article to Repair Old Murdock Misses Two Thirds Vote by 4 Percent at Monday's ATM
Articles Related to Unaccepted Roads Spark Lengthy Debates
A request that the Town approve funding for the first two phases of three recommended phases of repairs to the 136-year-old Old Murdock Senior Center failed by four percentage points when the Article did not receive the two-thirds (66 percent) majority vote required to pass.
171 Winchendon voters checked in at Murdock Middle-High School for a controversial in-person Annual Town Meeting on Monday, September 28. 19 non-voters with a stake in various articles also attended. Annual Town Meeting usually takes place in early May, with the town's fiscal year beginning on July 1. Concerns about COVID and state restrictions on gatherings caused a delay this year, and the town submitted one-twelfth monthly budgets to the state until the official FY2021 budget could be approved by voters.
Chairs were placed at six-foot intervals in the gymnasium and masks were required for entry. Masks and hand sanitizer were available at the main door. Voters were asked whether they had a fever or had recently traveled to any location with a high rate of COVID infections before they were admitted. A projection screen had been set up in the gym for presentations. The meeting achieved quorum and was called to order by Town Moderator Coral Grout on time at 7:00 p.m.
Most of the 29 Warrant articles (two on the Special Town Meeting and 27 on the Annual Town Meeting Warrants) passed easily without discussion. (For an overview of the Warrant articles, see the Courier summary, "Town Meeting Warrant Articles Overview"). All articles on the Annual Town Meeting Warrant passed except Article 14.
Finance Committee Chair Thomas Kane Jr. began his presentation of the Finance Committee's report by explaining that this year, with the impact of the pandemic, they focused on where the town's revenues come from, rather than how the town is spending money. The largest source of the town's revenue, 46.5 percent, comes from state aid. The next largest source of revenue, 43.2 percent, is property taxes, with local receipts (license fees, excise taxes, and so on) providing 9.1 percent. The state is facing a revenue shortfall of roughly $6 billion due to the economic impact of COVID-19. State aid is almost level-funded this year, but that isn't sustainable if the pandemic continues. Local receipts and property taxes are both lower than last year. Altogether, the town anticipates 1.2 percent less revenue in FY2021 than last year. The town's budget has been reduced by a corresponding 1.19 precent from FY2020.
While the town currently expects a fairly healthy balance in the Free Cash, Stabilization and Reserve Funds, it also needs to anticipate higher financial needs in future years due to the ongoing pandemic and its economic impact.
Following this explanation, the town budget, Winchendon Public Schools budget and Monty Tech budget all passed with almost no questions or debate. Voter Tina Santos rose to ask about an item in the town budget giving $10,000 to the Clark Memorial YMCA. The Board of Selectmen explained that this fee is paid annually to the Clark to keep the field open for Medivac flights should they be required.
Article 14 requested $3,762,000 to be appropriated and funded through a debt exclusion (borrowing) and Proposition 2-1/2 override for repairs to the Old Murdock Senior Center building.
Voter Richard Lucier raised a question about the amount in the Warrant and the motion, which was higher than the amounts given in the Tighe and Bond engineering report for Phases 1 and 2 of the recommended repairs. The motion was consequently withdrawn and a new motion was made for the amount of $3,510,000, in accordance with the report.
Mr. Lucier then asked if the town had exhausted all possible means of funding the repairs. He asked if the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation had been approached about applying community development funds to the Senior Center repairs. Board of Selectmen Chair Mike Barbaro responded that the town did talk to Robinson Broadhurst, and Robinson Broadhurst wanted to use the community development funds for "something new" and not repairs.
Ms. Santos rose to comment that she felt this was a "bad time" for this expenditure. "I think we have other priorities in town, we have a lot of town buildings that really need our attention. Our firefighters, our last Town Meeting we talked about a fire station. We have a lack of women's quarters, which is against the law, we had a woman breast-feeding in a closet, but we have concern about giving a quarter million, close to a quarter million, towards a senior center," Ms. Santos said. "Our seniors can get services no matter what...but we also have EMTs, firefighters and such that work under very poor circumstances.
"Our DPW building, that has been leaking for how long?" Ms. Santos continued. "We have a lot of priorities in town, and that's a lot of money to be spending." Ms. Santos stated that we'd love to repair the Old Murdock clock tower "but I don't think the clock tower has anything to do with the senior services continuing. I think we need to look for grants" and other funding sources.
Responding to a comment from voter Karen Veilleux that the increase in taxes would be a twenty-year commitment, Mr. Barbaro read a list of the amount taxes would increase for homes of various assessed values, beginning with $68 per year for a home assessed at $200,000. He pointed out that with inflation, the estimated construction cost would go up $180,000 for each year repairs were delayed.
Somewhat burying the lede, Mr. Barbaro went on, "Also, the town entered into an agreement in the 90s with the state of Massachusetts, to repair and keep the heat on in this building. The state has the right to come in and demand that we fix it. We're working to avoid all that." This was the only mention of the permanent Preservation Restriction on the Old Murdock building that was made by any speaker.
Asked why the Selectmen and FinCom members who had not recommended the article had voted nay, Mr. Kane, Selectman Barbara Anderson and Selectman Amy Salter stated that they felt the town needed to take a long view with large capital expenses and that it was a bad time to ask voters to take on a major commitment.
Selectman Rick Ward, who had voted to recommend the article, said that he hoped everyone had read the draft Master Plan posted by the Master Planning Committee. He pointed out that Winchendon has an aging population and the services offered by the Senior Center will only become more important to the town as time passes. "40.7 percent of all the households in town have at least one resident over the age of 60," Mr. Ward stated.
A motion was made from the floor to amend the article to only fund repairs to the roof, with no dollar amount specified. As Mr. Barbaro and Mr. Ward were explaining that doing the roof repairs alone would not solve the immediate problems, such as falling bricks, Ms. Santos rose without being recognized to demand, "what about the DPW roof? Are we going to be concerned about that for how many years?" Disregarding Moderator Grout's admonitions, Ms. Santos raised her voice, asking the Selectmen "How about the DPW roof? Can that be fixed? How long did that take?" as at least one of the Winchendon Police officers present to keep the peace moved closer to the microphone. Mr. Barbaro told Ms. Santos that the DPW roof repair "has been funded." Ms. Santos returned to her seat. The motion was withdrawn.
Moderator Grout called the question. Because the article dealt with a capital expenditure, a two-thirds majority (66 percent) was required to pass. The vote was 62 percent in favor, 38 percent against. The article failed.
Article 15 asked voters to approve $106,125 to pave the unaccepted section of Mellen Road and survey the metes and bounds so that the road can be accepted at a future Town Meeting. This article also evoked a long discussion which reiterated points repeated several times at multiple Board of Selectmen meetings (and reported by the Courier). Numerous residents of Mellen Road rose to describe the history of the problem and the state of the road. The article passed, 82 percent to 17 percent.
The next article to elicit any comment or debate was Article 22, which asked voters to approve accepting Bayberry Circle and Pinewood Drive as town ways.
Mr. Lucier rose to ask if developer Robert Van Dyke had left anything unfinished, or if the roads were complete. The Board of Selectmen stated that the roads were complete.
Voter Wayne Crespo rose to state that a 480-foot section of Bayberry Circle was not finished, but was unpaved and in poor condition. He asked if the motion could be amended to reflect that the town was not accepting the unfinished portion, because as made the motion was to accept "the whole thing." Selectman Audrey LaBrie stated that the developer had come before the Board and amended his plan to exclude that section because a utility pole was obstructing the road.
Voter Ms. Jean-Pierre, a resident of Bayberry Circle, rose to describe the hazards of the road, saying that drivers use the unpaved portion as a shortcut and go through at high speed, and that puddles freeze over in the winter and make the road treacherous for children meeting school buses there. She stated that she didn't want to be liable for any injuries, since her property is next to the unfinished section.
Town Planning Director Tracy Murphy explained that as soon as the road is accepted, that section will be graded and maintained. The unpaved section will be gated off and will only be an emergency exit from the road. Ms. Jean-Pierre suggested that some kind of speed bump be installed to prevent drivers from speeding through.
Ms. Santos rose to ask, "Is there any way that we can stop that man from developing? Because it seems like there are so many problems with so many of these developments and such." Voter Fran Murphy rose to comment that it had taken sixteen years for these roads to be accepted, "is this normal?" He asked who would have been liable for any accidents on the roads.
Ms. Murphy said that the town has no responsibility for accidents on unaccepted roads. Winchendon put a moratorium on building after this development was permitted, then the markets crashed. The project received several extensions, then Mr. Van Dyke passed away. His widow has been working with the town to finish the project.
The article passed 94 percent in favor, 6 percent opposed.
Article 27, the Citizen's Petition to proclaim the unaccepted portion of Mellen Road as a town way by prescription, evoked a thirty-five minute debate, punctuated with frequent applause, which largely reiterated arguments that had been repeated in several previous Board of Selectmen meetings (and reported by the Courier) without the citizens and the Town Boards coming to any agreement. The residents of Mellen Road, and other voters, agreed that the road should be accepted as a town way. The Board of Selectmen and Town Counsel continued to state that, with the approval of Article 15, Mellen Road would be paved and accepted as a town way at next spring's Annual Town Meeting.
School Committee member Karen Kast rose to ask whether the vote on the petition was binding or whether the town could simply ignore it. She argued that the town should accept the road and "stop putting money into fighting the people of this town." Mellen Road resident David Watkins expressed doubt that the road will be accepted in the spring if Article 27 was not approved.
Ms. LaBrie stated that the Board of Selectmen cannot guarantee that any road will be accepted, because that's up to the voters at Town Meeting.
Ms. Santos rose to say, "it sounds as though that a lot of people buying homes are getting information that their home is on a public road, an accepted road. So perhaps the DPW or Town Manager needs to say, the realtors in town get a list of all the accepted and unaccepted roads, so they can go through their database or their listings and update it and correct it, so this does not happen."
Moderator Grout called the question. The article passed, 86 percent in favor, 14 percent opposed.
Town Meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m.
