Station, budget big on warrant

The warrant for the May 5 Town Meeting holds 40 articles, including a big one, article No. 7, which seeks approval for a $66,494,000 town fiscal 2009 budget.

PDF: Read the entire warrant.

About $32,488,000 of that figure would be school funding, said Finance Director Pam Dukeman. If the budget passes, the typical tax bill will rise to the state limit of 2 1/2 percent. For the average home assessed at $566,000, she said, the tax bill will be $6,818, an increase of $170.

Many of the remaining articles revolve around the potential construction of Westwood Station, said Town Administrator Michael Jaillet.

Westwood Station is a $1.5 billion, 4.5 million-square-foot retail, residential, hotel and office complex proposed for the old industrial park off University.

Article 6 asks for a fund to be created for the municipal costs associated with Westwood Station, Jaillet said. The article would allow the town to place $2.9 million in building fees and permits into an account to pay for staffing and equipment to handle permitting and inspection of the project.

Articles 8 and 9 regard a promised $1.7 million payment from Westwood Station, included in an agreement between the town and the developer. Jaillet said this agreement has been signed. "We know that is going to happen," Jaillet said.

Of the $1.7 million, $450,000 would be applied to the school and municipal capital budgets, and $75,000 will be locked into the town's stabilization fund, currently containing $960,000, if article No. 8 is approved.

Another $75,000 would be placed in the town's capital stabilization fund if article 9 is approved - the first deposit to be made to that account since it was established at Town Meeting in 2006. Drawing money from either account will require future Town Meeting approval.

Article 10 asks voters to approve spending $757,000 for town capital purchases, including $45,000 for the library, $110,000 for police vehicles, $135,000 for a town software upgrade, $70,000 for squad truck pumps for the Fire Department and $92,000 for the first of three payments on a Three Yard Loader for the DPW.

The article also asks for permission to spend $75,000 for the first of two payments on a heavy duty dump truck, sander and plow, $26,000 for a vehicle service truck, $98,000 for a backhoe, $55,000 for a one-ton dump truck and plow and $50,000 for a heavy dump truck and plow. The last five items, totaling $304,000, would be paid for using the promised $1.7 million payment from Westwood Station builder Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, Jaillet said.

Article 12 asks voters to approve capital spending for the schools, including $185,000 for technology, $7,000 for furniture and equipment, $59,300 for repairs and maintenance, $76,000 for copiers and $78,400 for the first of three payments on modular classrooms at Hanlon School.

The article also asks for permission to use $110,000 from CC&F's promised $1.7 million to expand the middle school, Jaillet said.

Article 11 asks voters to approve using $484,000 from sewer use fees for a $300,000 vacuum truck, a new $80,000 generator, $25,000 electrical control upgrade, $44,000 for pump replacements and $35,000 for new oil tanks for the sewer department, Jailett said.

Article 13 would give Romanow, a cardboard container manufacturer at 346 University Ave., a Tax Incentive Financing (TIF) Agreement - a tax break. The break will discount 10 percent of the taxes assessed in the first year following the construction of a 67,000-square-foot addition to their manufacturing plant - about $3,600, Jaillet said, for the next 20 years. TIF Agreements give companies small exemptions in taxes to attract more businesses into a town, Jaillet said.

Article 14 asks voters to allow the town to accept $400,000 in state Chapter 90 funds for road repairs.

Article 15 asks voters for permission to create a stabilization fund to accept the following pays in mitigation of Westwood Station's impact on the town: $4 million for the School Department, $1.5 million for the public safety account and $1 million for the operating budget. The article authorizes the town to take the money, Jaillet said, but a separate article at a future Town Meeting will be required to spend it.

Article 16 asks Town Meeting to approve taking $4 million from CC&F to pay for a public safety building inside Westwood Station. Equipment will account for $300,000 of that sum, Jailett said, while the rest will go toward design and construction.

Articles 15 and 16 are "theoretically signed," Jailett said, and hinge only on the filing of permits for the construction of Westwood Station. Jaillet said there is an element of risk associated with any construction project, and if something stops Westwood Station from being built, these articles will not be funded.

Article 17 would accept $1 million from CC&F for traffic improvements on Canton Street and the surrounding neighborhood. This Jaillet said, is an element of the Planning Board's special permit issued to CC&F.

 Article 18 asks voters to decide if a single beer and wine license should be granted to a food-service establishment of more than 100,000 square feet. Jaillet said the article came to the warrant because Wegmans, a large grocery store chain, is considering opening a location in Westwood Station, but their decision hinges on whether or not alcohol could be sold at the store if they were located in town.(See related story.)

Article 19 seeks Westwood's taking of CC&F land by public domain for road construction for Westwood Station - three proposed roads need an expanded right of way for construction, Jaillet said.

Article 20 asks for $4.5 million to allow the town to start planning for and raising funds to build modular classrooms at Thurston Middle School in 2010. Thurston Middle School has seen a significant increase in population, Jaillet said, and this article would help the town prepare for the anticipated increase in students.

Article 21 would increase the current 75-person limit on the number of seniors who can participate in the Senior Property Tax Work-Off program to 100 people.

Article 22 would require all eligible former employees to enroll in Medicare. Currently, town employees who retire still receive health care benefits, Jailette said. The benefits would be the same, he explained, and the federal government would foot the difference in cost.

Article 23 would establish a stabilization fund to pay for future employee health care costs, Jaillet said. As yet, the town has no plan for funding the account.

Article 24 would affirm the duties of the Communications and Technology Advisory Board.

Article 25 would allow fast food restaurants in Westwood Station to have a door to the street. Right now town law only allows fast food restaurants in the interior of the station, in a food court style.

Article 26 would broaden the definition of 40B zoning in order to bring in affordable housing to Westwood Station.

Article 27 would allow more off premise signs for stores within Westwood Station. The signs would primarily be directional in nature, Jaillet said.

Article 28 would state a senior residential development can not be built on a lot less than 5 acres in size.

Article 29 would set a fence height limit of eight feet.

Article 30 would set a limit of one commercial vehicle allowed to be parked at a single residence.

Article 32 states that if a residence is demolished voluntarily or by natural catastrophe, it can be rebuilt on the same footprint within a year of the demolition.

Article 36 would adopt the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act - a funding tool to preserve open spaces and historic sites as well as create affordable housing and recreational facilities. The article would impose a 1.5 percent surcharge on real estate, with the first $100,000 of value exempted. Property owned and occupied by low-income residents and low-to-median income senior citizens would also be exempted. The funds from the surcharge would be administered by the town's Community Preservation Committee, which would be established if the act is approved at Town Meeting and during the next election.

Article 37 would exempt two people, Richard Condon of Mendon and Kazimierz R. Piorkowski of Millis, from the maximum age restriction for firefighters and police officer, which is 32. Jaillet said the rationale behind that limit is that a firefighter or police officer must start work at 31 to be eligible for full retirement benefits at the mandatory retirement age of 65. However, he said, these two firefighters are already employed at other towns. Also, he said, exempting these two firefighters would allow the town to interview two candidates who come pre-trained and certified for the job. Jaillet noted that the exemption only puts these firefighters on a list of candidates, and does not give them any special consideration beyond that.

Staff writer Rob Borkowski contributed to this report. To reach Borkowski, call 781-433-8353 or e-mail Westwood@cnc.com. To contact Keith Ferguson, call 508-668-0243, ext. 14 or e-mail Keith@walpoletimes.com.