Shutesbury conducts annual business, celebrates anniversary at Town Meeting

Shutesbury conducts annual business, celebrates anniversary at Town Meeting
By Daily Hampshire Gazette
Created 05/09/2011 - 4:00am

SHUTESBURY - Voters at Saturday's Town Meeting approved all 22 articles on the warrant without debate, including the town's FY 2012 $5.6 million budget.

"I think this has to be one of the most congenial town meetings I have been to in the last 20 years," said resident Graeme Sephton. Of the 22 articles on the warrant 21 received unanimous approval.

The only article not approved unanimously was a resolution that voiced town support for an end to violence, conflict and Pentagon overspending. Still, the resolution had overwhelming support receiving only two nay votes out of an estimated 150.

"So much of public dialogue is about what we can't afford and how we have to cut back, yet the military budget just keeps creeping up," said Sephton. "If any other area of government was so inefficient and loose in how they spent money it wouldn't be allowed."

Meanwhile, the meeting marked the town's 250th anniversary, and the 200th anniversary of the library. In recognition, over 25 community members suited up in historic garb for the Town Meeting, many representing historical figures who once lived in Shutesbury. People wore powdered wigs, tri-corner hats, long dresses and bonnets, seated among other residents as the annual Town Meeting proceeded.

State Sen. Stanley Rosenberg and State Rep. Stephen Kulik presented the town with resolutions of the Massachusetts House and Senate marking the anniversaries.

"We are very pleased to be here and to help celebrate, said Kulik.

Rosenberg presented Select Board Chairwoman Elaine Puleo with a framed copy of the original legislative document of the incorporation of the town of Shutesbury.

"We congratulate you all on building a warm, wonderful community that celebrates the spirit of volunteerism and makes everyone welcome," Rosenberg said.

Down to business

Finance Committee Chairman Patrick Callahan said the FY 2012 town budget saw an increase of only 1.5 percent, and called it "a very tight budget," pointing out that the elementary school budget was at a zero percent increase this year.

"We have been able to keep our budget down during this terrible recession that we are going through and we have also been keeping our reserves as healthy as we can make them," he said

Town Administrator Rebecca Torres said a move to establish a capital stabilization fund by transferring $100,000 from the stabilization fund to a new capital stabilization fund, was important for longterm planning.

"We will likely have a number of large capital expenses coming down the road," Torres said.

"This is something that the finance committee supports," Callahan said. "It is an attempt to plan ahead so we don't get slammed in the future with something unexpected. We think that this is a good move."

Voters also approved spending $60,000 on a one-ton pick up with a plow for the highway department to replace a 1996 Ford F350, according to Tim Hunting of the Highway Department.

"By some miracle it got us through the winter but we are losing the battle with rust," said Hunting.

"We didn't support this last year for financial reasons. I think that this year we can handle it okay and that it would be a good addition to the highway department," said Selectman Al Springer.

Callahan congratulated Hunter on dealing with the inordinate amount of the plowing that had to be done this year.

"Tim's crew did a great job this winter. Last year the finance committee spoke against this purchase because we couldn't afford it, this year however we are very happy to support it."

Voters also gave the green light to allocating $15,000 of Community Preservation funds to repair parts of the West Schoolhouse, the town's only one room schoolhouse.

Conservation Commission Chairman Donald Fletcher said the work will involve repairing and replacing rotted sills and replacing some of the foundation stones.

"Without this money from the CPA we would not be able to do projects like this," said Fletcher.
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