PETERSHAM – The only suspense at Monday’s annual town meeting in Petersham was whether enough people would show up to constitute the quorum of voters necessary to dispense with the business at hand. A brief one-article special town meeting, to be followed by the annual conclave, was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the town hall auditorium. However, it wasn’t until nearly 8:10 p.m. that the 94th voter required by the town charter to move ahead with the meetings walked through the door and registered. Prior to then, town officials and others could be seen on cell phones calling friends and associates in an attempt to cajole them into attending.
Once the quorum was met, voters easily approved the single article on the special town meeting warrant: an article seeking $18,400 to eliminate a deficit in the town’s 2019 snow and ice account.
Once the annual town meeting got underway, voters, with very little debate, approved an overall FY20 operating budget of just over $3.8 million. Of that amount, approximately $1.4 million is dedicated to the municipal budget, with the remainder going to education.
The town’s assessment as its share of the Mahar Regional School District budget jumped more than 15 percent, rising from $768,000 in FY19 to nearly $886,000 for the fiscal year starting July 1.
The cost of operating the Petersham Center School, however, saw an increase of less than one percent; the $1,519,00 total representing an increase of just over $10,000. The town’s Montachusett Vocational Technical School District assessment actually plummeted nearly 64 percent, from $40,500 this year to slightly less than $15,000 in FY20.
Voters also decided to move ahead with a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion to fund the purchase of a $280,000 pumper truck for the fire department. One-hundred-thousand dollars of that amount would be funded through transfers from the town’s stabilization fund and several other municipal accounts, with the remaining $180,000 to be borrowed, if approved by voters at a special election.
Fire Chief Dana Robinson explained the new truck would replace a piece of equipment that is nearly 40 years old. Information supplied at the meeting indicated the water tank on the old pumper had been repaired twice and, since it is made of steel, would likely require additional patching. Other problems with the vehicle also necessitated its replacement, said Robinson, adding that he is somewhat attached to the old truck and would “hate to see it go. But it’s worn out and we really need a new pumper to serve the town.”
The vote to move ahead with the debt exclusion was unanimous.
It was also voted without dissent to fund the purchase of a new police cruiser, at the cost of just over $48,000.
Police Chief Dana Cooley said the new vehicle, a special service vehicle (SSV) pickup, would replace a 2010 Ford Crown Victoria that has reached 133,000 miles. The new cruiser will be a Chevrolet Police Silverado. When asked why a cruiser couldn’t be used beyond that amount of mileage, Cooley explained that while there are 133,000 miles on the odometer, the engine is run constantly while doing traffic enforcement, even though the cruiser may be stationary. That, he said, adds to the wear and tear on the vehicle.
Voters also approved the payment of a total of just over $60,000 on the debt incurred by the town to complete work on a town-wide broadband internet network; $47,000 in principal and interest on the note for asbestos removal at the Nichewaug Inn and Academy buildings, and; $9,500 to purchase new body armor for the police department.
Also passed, with but a smattering of hands raised in opposition, was a resolution declaring Petersham a Pollinator Friendly Community. The resolution, while only advisory in nature, urges residents to plant and conserve native species of flowering plants, shrubs, and trees that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, and to eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides in controlling harmful insects.