PHILLIPSTON – A special Town Meeting was held in Phillipston Memorial School auditorium recently to discuss various articles, including revision to language of an article passed at the annual Town Meeting and funding for a new heating system for the Town Hall Annex.
According to Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Flynn, 48 voters attended the special Town Meeting. He said residents asked informed questions regarding the articles.
“People had questions about the replacement of the heating system and the lift for the highway department — they were all good questions,” said Flynn.
The town voted on two articles that discussed language revision to a General Bylaw and an article that was passed from the previous annual Town Meeting concerning the purchase of a brush truck.
Voters approved to appropriate $15,000 for the design, purchase and installation of an HVAC system in the Town Hall Annex.
The town also approved to appropriate and transfer $36,800 from the Capital Investment Fund to purchase a vehicle lift system for the town’s highway department.
Those at the meeting also voted in favor of authorizing the Selectboard to accept a gift of land on State Road. Flynn said the land is one acre that was donated to the town from a resident.
The town voted to appropriate $10,000 from the Historic Preservation Reserve Fund and $75,000 from the Community Preservation Budgeted Reserve, totaling $85,000, to match a grant for accessibility improvements to the Town Hall from the Community Development Block Grant Program.
Voters did not approve an article to appropriate funds to replace the Town Hall steps. Flynn said the town does plan to fix the steps, but will use funding from the town’s regular building maintenance account to do so.
This was the first meeting residents were able to use the town’s new assisted listening devices, said Flynn.