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SPENCER – Special Town Meeting on November 7 quickly addressed warrant articles on November 6. Action included `non-binding’ votes on two citizen petition items about funding for firefighters and the Spencer Rescue Squad as well as passage of a bylaw to fine violators of the transfer station’s rules and regulations.
Because of the September passing of moderator William R. Shemeth III, Mary Braney acted as temporary moderator for the meeting.
Selectman Ralph Hicks presented the Meritorious Public Service Award to the late moderator, paying tribute to his town service as moderator and on boards including selectmen, parks and recreation, finance committee, school committee and more.
Accepting the award on his behalf were Shemeth’s mother Carol, his sister Carrie Ferreira and her husband Jason.
Ferreira addressed Town Meeting members, noting that her brother lived for the town, to help people and serve his community.
“I hope everyone in town does a little bit for (this) community because he did so much,” Ferreira said.
A moment of silence was held.
Bylaw establishes fines
Prompting some discussion was a proposed new bylaw regarding the disposal of solid waste at the transfer station.
The bylaw states that all disposals must be received by a transfer station attendant and no solid waste, recyclables or compost may be placed, dumped, or abandoned. Further, these items must be bagged in town pay-as-you-throw bags.
Significantly, it established a fee schedule for violations starting at $50 for the first offense and incrementally increasing to $200 by the fourth offense. For the fifth offense and beyond, there is a loss of privileges at the transfer station and unauthorized access may constitute trespass. That would be subject to a police department review.
U & F Superintendent Peter Boria said the bylaw would give him and transfer station employees the “teeth,” to enforce the rules and regulations.
Boria said the bylaw would help him address what is not being done correctly by some of the users and put the enforcement in his department rather than with the Board of Health, as was done previously.
Hicks noted that employees at the transfer station have been sworn at and threatened by violators.
“It is to the point that it is not their job to be abused by errant citizens,” Hicks said.
When police are called, they can take information but not take further action without a bylaw, the selectman said.
“No state law says a person can’t dump without a sticker or (town) bag,” Hicks added, urging passage of the bylaw.
The vote was 99-10.
Citizens’ petition considered
Also, resident Ryan Morton and approximately 300 citizens put forth a petition to set a special election for Proposition 2 ½ override votes: one for $150,000 to fund the Spencer Rescue Squad contract and the other for $368,390 to pay for four firefighters, once their grant-funding runs out.
Morton explained these requests were separated out and different from this past spring’s failed override requests. Those ballot questions also sought funds for the school, police and highway departments.
Morton said he focused on maintaining the town services currently in place.
Town Administrator Jeff Bridges said the Board of Selectmen is the only entity that can call for a special election and therefore, these articles would be “non-binding” in nature.
Selectmen originally set a special election on December 9. But at its meeting that followed, the board cancelled that decision based on timing and the expense of having a special election.
There was some confusion among Town Meeting members as to what their votes would mean.
Bridges said selectman may or may not decide to set a special election in the future once more budget information is known.
He answered a question clarifying that another Town Meeting vote and ballot question vote would have to ultimately be approved to fund those requests.
The votes were 82-29 for firefighters and 77-34 for Spencer Rescue Squad.
Among the other articles approved:
- $4,207.84 for a new security system for the fire department;
- $9,000 for a new heating and cooling mini split unit for the fire department computer room;
- $11,560 to purchase a heating and cooling mini split unit for the police department office of the chief and lieutenant.
- A transfer of land to the Board of Selectmen at 17 Lake Street/42 Highland Street to enter a lease for town-owned property for a permanent cellular tower at the former Lake Street School.
- Permission was given for the town to sell the land at the former Pleasant Street School site.
