ATHOL — The lone citizens petition at the Annual Athol Town Meeting Monday night, looking to rescind the plastic bag reduction bylaw, did not pass.
There was extensive discussion around the issue from both sides. Some voters expressed concerns around not having the opportunity to decide between plastic and paper bags while shopping, while others said bringing reusable bags to stores is an easy alternative.
The bylaw was approved by town voters during last year’s Annual Town Meeting. Ten signatures were required to place an article on the warrant. There were 18 registered voters out of the 21 signatures on the petition to rescind the bylaw.
During the meeting, 31 articles were addressed by the registered voters of Athol.
The town approved two warrant articles focused on Fiscal Year 2019 school funding: $4,485,122 for the Athol-Royalston Regional School District and $34,420 for the Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School Districts.
Athol voters approved to rescind Article 55 of the 1916 Annual Town Meeting to include full-time officers of the Athol Police Department in the civil service law. During the fall 2017 meeting voters approved the release of the department’s part-time officers from civil service requirements.
“Civil service 100 years ago had a really valid place, at this point in time it doesn’t work for small towns like ours in Massachusetts. It really ties the hands of our department hiring good local people and having some say over who we are hiring at the police department.. at this point it is a cost prohibitive problem that we have been stuck with,” said Selectboard member Rebecca Bialecki.
Town voters approved to appropriate $109,000 to finance accessibility improvements to the 100 Main St. building as well as the senior center, projects recommended by the Capital Improvement Committee. Around $64,ooo will be used for the 100 Main St. building improvements while $45,000 will be allocated for the senior center improvements.
Voters approved to set the salaries of several elected officers and appointed positions of various town boards, including: moderator, $200; chairman of the selectmen, $1,652; selectmen, $1,377; chairman of Board of Assessors, $1,652; assessors, $1,377; constable, none; Board of Health chairman, $1,652; Board of Health members, $1,377; Library trustees, none; School Committee members, none.
The reauthorization of $142,500 for the following revolving funds for certain Town departments was approved by town voters as well: plumbing inspection, $20,000; recycling, $20,000; gas inspections, $2,500; waste facility debt, $60,000; trench permit, $5,000; vaccinations, $25,000; recreation, $10,000. A revolving fund request of $100,000 for police detail was also approved Monday night.
In order to demolish or secure unsafe structures around town, as well as to remove debris and other materials for the public’s health and safety, voters approved to appropriate $50,000 to do so.
Voters decided to take no action on an article that would have transferred available funds to the Capital Stabilization Fund, but approved a sum of $56,936 from free cash to be transferred to the town’s Stabilization Fund. Kenneth Duffy, chairman of the Finance and Warrant Advisory Commitee, said the current Stabilization Fund is at $778,713.
“It is an emergency funding source for the town if we get in a jam — something we need to get to quick,” he said.
Duffy said the town has been increasing the account steadily for the past five years in hopes to meet their goal of getting the account up to $1 million.