COLRAIN — Residents will vote on 32 articles, including two citizen’s petitions and a $1.88 million fiscal year 2024 operating budget, at Tuesday’s Annual Town Meeting.

The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Offices, 55 Main Road.

Citizen’s petitions

Residents will vote on a non-binding resolution concerning whether the town should start clearing snow on the sidewalks spanning from Colrain Central School to the Post Office, including the east side of Jacksonville Road.

Residents have complained about inadequate snow removal, especially on the bridge near the school, at Selectboard meetings for the past two winters, according to Selectboard member Thom Griffin. Emily Thurber, who was elected to the board last month, co-authored the petition with former Selectboard member Joe Kurland.

In the past, Colrain has had few sidewalks lining the street. This summer, however, Colrain will undergo a repaving project that will add sidewalks around the town center, increasing the need for snow removal in winter.

If passed at Town Meeting, the petition will head to the Selectboard to decide next steps. Griffin said he’s already spoken with Highway Superintendent Steve Daby about clearing additional sidewalks.

“He said we can manage it,” Griffin said.

The Finance Committee voted unanimously to not recommend this article. Douglas MacLeay, Finance Committee chair, explained he feels this petition is out of the purview of Town Meeting voters. Griffin said the town will start plowing regardless of whether this article is passed, pending legal issues of sidewalk ownership.

The other citizen’s petition, submitted by Kurland and Jonathan Lagreze, proposes changing the official posting site for meetings to the town website. The official posting site is currently a bulletin board at the Town Offices.

“It is time to join the more than 60% of towns in the commonwealth that adopted their official posting sites as the town website,” Lagreze said.

The Finance Committee also did not recommend approving this article. MacLeay argued that some residents do not have computers, and most of the agendas get posted online already without the website being the official location.

Budget

Residents will also consider passing the nearly $1.88 million town operating budget for fiscal year 2024 and combined $2.65 million budgets for the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, Franklin County Technical School and their transportation costs. If approved, the town operating budget will increase by $84,151, or 4.7%, over the current year’s figures.

Town Administrator Kevin Fox said the only large jump in costs comes from the office expense line item, which went from $29,376 to $40,770, due to increased costs for cyber liability insurance.

Two of the five members of the Finance Committee did not recommend approving the Mohawk Trail Regional School District budget and one member abstained from recommending the school district’s transportation budget.

“They are 62% of our budget. That is a real strain on our taxes with no end in sight,” MacLeay said. “That is why some of the members have a problem with it.”

MacLeay said to start alleviating taxpayers, the state needs to increase rural school aid and better reimburse the districts for their transportation expenses.

Other articles

Voters will also consider three articles brought forward by the Mohawk Trail Regional School District that seek to amend the regional agreement to revise the funding formula for town assessments. Should the town assessment formula change, it would better align with the state’s funding formula by factoring in School Choice students and residents who opt to attend a charter school. However, to pass, the amendments need to be accepted by all district member towns; the changes have already been rejected by several. The Finance Committee does not recommend approving these articles.

Additionally, voters will be asked to purchase a new Highway Department tractor/mower for $190,000. Fox described the current mower, which was bought used in 2016, as “worn out.”

Griswold Memorial Library also hopes to conduct an engineering study on its grounds that would consider the feasibility of increasing parking, implementing improved drainage and building a gazebo. The library asks Town Meeting voters to approve $35,000 for the study.

The full 32-article warrant can be viewed at bit.ly/3P3s3P6.

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.

]]>