Sewer proposal defeated in Acton

June 28, 2009

Town Meeting rejected a proposal last week that would have provided sewer service to 127 homes in a West Acton neighborhood. It would have allowed the town to borrow funds for the project. Neighborhood residents also would have been required to help pay for the extension. The vote was 191 in favor, 162 opposed. However the article needed to pass by a two-thirds majority. Selectmen chairwoman Paulina Knibbe said the vote was split among residents in the neighborhood. She said some residents opposed the project because they have working septic tanks and no need for a sewer system. If the project went forward, all residents in the neighborhood would have been charged about $16,660 for the ability to hook up to the system along with additional charges later, ranging from $7,500 to $9,000. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

SELECTMEN’S SCHEDULE - Under a summer schedule, the Board of Selectmen will meet next on July 14 and Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. Weekly meetings will be resumed after Labor Day. Anyone with an issue to be reviewed by selectmen should contact Town Administrator Shaun A. Suhoski at 978-772-8210. - Davis Bushnell

TOWN RESULTS IN SURVEY - Results from the National Citizens Survey that the Board of Selectmen earlier this year agreed to have been released and are posted on the town’s website at www.town.bedford.ma.us. Administered by the National Research Center Inc. in Boulder, Colo., the purpose of the survey was to measure satisfaction with municipal services and quality of life as it relates to town government. Approximately 630 households completed surveys and generally showed a high level of satisfaction with town services. On a scale of 0 to 100, the average overall rating was 77. Specific areas that the survey addressed included community design, economic and environmental sustainability, public safety, and recreation. - Nancy Shohet West

DOG LICENSE DEADLINE - Residents have until July 1 to register their dogs with the town and avoid a $25 late registration fee, according to Board of Selectmen secretary Peggy Sardell. The registration deadline was March 3, but residents who missed that deadline will face only a $5 fine if they register by July 1. The registration fee is $11 for an unneutered animal, and $7 otherwise. Owners must provide their dog’s name, breed, color, age, and a valid rabies certificate.

- Keith Cheveralls

STUDENT SURVEY - A new survey at Florence Sawyer School asks for student input into a variety of issues about the school, including educational quality and school busing. Comprising 13 questions, the survey can be accessed and filled out at the school’s website, www.sawyer.nrsd.net/index.php.

- Matt Gunderson

THREE COMMITTEES TO BE FILLED - The Board of Selectmen is expected to make appointments to three new committees at its meeting tomorrow night to address pressing issues in town. One committee will look at the town’s deer population and ways of controlling it; a second committee will look at the existing social services in town and any need for new services; and a third will look at the structure of the police chief’s position. The committee on the police chief’s job comes with Police Chief Richard Vance retiring in February. Town Administrator Selina Shaw said the committee will look at whether the town should keep the position full time and consider looking at regionalization. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

TAHANTO PROJECT WINS AWARDS - Tahanto Regional Middle High School’s Kristen Sauer and Meghan Cashin garnered second place for their experiment “Solid Ground’’ at the Worcester County Middle School Science and Engineering Fair, May 4 at the Worcester Polytech Insitute. The two students also won an honorable mention among 250 other students across the state at the State Middle School Science and Engineering Fair June 6.

- Matt Gunderson

SCHOOL UNION WOULD SAVE LESS - Results of a study on the financial implications of a controversial proposal to form a superintendency union between the Carlisle and Concord school systems showed that the cost savings would be significantly less than the School Committee originally believed. According to a public presentation earlier this month, savings would likely be in the range of $200,000 to $250,000, rather than the $800,000 projected. The superintendency union would merge designated positions between the two towns, including superintendent, business manager, and director of student support services. The idea was proposed to help prevent teaching positions from being eliminated. The School Committee will reconsider the proposal in light of the new findings at its August meeting. - Nancy Shohet West

SELECTMEN’S GOALS - The Board of Selectmen recently set its goals and objectives for the fiscal year that starts July 1. According to Selectmen chairman Stanly Black, the board outlined three goals and several objectives under each. The goals include: maintaining the community’s financial stability and well-being; promoting near-term and long-range planning to maintain and enhance the town’s unique character; and focusing on the selectmen’s role as the key policy-making board through effective organization, governance, and communication. Under financial stability, objectives include developing a budget that avoids an override while maintaining core services and reducing dependence on property tax by identifying additional revenue sources and increasing financial support from the nonprofit entities in town. - Jennifer Fenn Lefferts

RESIGNATIONS LEAVING VACANT POSITIONS - Town Accountant Roberta Dean will officially resign July 15, prompting officials to open a job search for her replacement. In addition, local officials are looking for a replacement for Lisa O’Connell, the secretary to the Zoning Board of Appeals, who also resigned. Applications, resumes, and letters of interest can be sent to the Dunstable Board of Selectmen.

- Matt Gunderson

HEALTH EMERGENCIES - The Groton Board of Health has developed a plan to vaccinate the entire population of the town within 48 hours in event of an infectious disease outbreak, according to the town website. The vaccinations would occur at a specially designated area, known as the “Emergency Dispensing Site.’’ Hundreds of volunteers, both medical and non-medical, are being sought to make the widespread vaccination plan effective. Residents can sign up online at www.WorcesterRegionalMRC.org or by calling the Board of Health office at 978-448-1120.

- Matt Gunderson

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERS - John Sullivan, a software engineer, recently was appointed to a one-year term on the Finance Committee, filling a vacancy created when Theresa Mead resigned last fall. Reappointed to three-year terms on the committee were Marie Sobalvarro, a consultant, and Steven Colwell, a financial planner. Collyn Bradley, a capital analyst, was reappointed as an associate member for one year. The committee has another opening for an associate member. Town Moderator Robert Eubank made the appointments. - Davis Bushnell

WATER USE RESTRICTIONS - The town’s summertime water-use restrictions go into effect Wednesday. The mandatory conservation rules, based in part on state Department of Environmental Protection guidelines, prohibit outdoor water use between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for residents in odd-numbered houses, and on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for residents at even-numbered addresses. Anthony Marques, director of public works for Hudson, said the restrictions are not the result of capacity problems within the town water system, but a way of preparing residents for state Water Management Act rules that go into effect for Hudson in 2010. Hudson enacted similar restrictions last year, although in that case the summer rules were based on supply limitations, Marques said. The restrictions remain in place until Sept. 30. Property owners found in violation of the water-use rules could be fined up to $100 per citation. For more information, contact the Department of Public Works at 978-562-9333. - James O’Brien

PER DIEM FIREFIGHTERS FINISH ACADEMY - Four Lincoln per-diem firefighters were among 43 graduates this term at the State Fire Academy in Stow. Caleb Hagerty, William MacDonald, Michael Matros, and Michael Wholey graduated from the class, which makes the entire Lincoln firefighting staff, including all eight per-diem firefighters, completely state-trained. The State Fire Academy is free for all towns and municipalities in Massachusetts, but it is usually reserved for full-time career firefighters. With the number of new hires down because of the economy, the state opened this smaller class to on-call and per-diem responders. - John Guilfoil

ZONING DISTRICT SURVEY - Earlier this month, the Planning Board held a public forum to discuss a zoning overlay district for the Town Common area and adjoining properties. A representative from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council gave a presentation on how an overlay district might work, and participants were given a survey and asked to indicate their support for potential uses and their placement, including office parks, retail/commercial areas, entertainment, hotel, residential, and protected farmland. Interested townspeople who did not attend the meeting are invited to fill out the same survey at the town website: www.littletonma.org. The survey must be returned to the Planning Board office in Town Hall uly 21. - Nancy Shohet West

ORDINANCES AND OTHER THINGS - In a pair of unanimous votes, Marlborough City Council approved ordinances relating to marijuana use in public and the upkeep of abandoned and foreclosed properties. The marijuana ordinance allows city police to fine individuals $300 for using marijuana in public. The foreclosure measure imposes a $300 fine on a property owner who fails to register an abandoned or foreclosed house with the city or who fails to maintain such properties on a monthly basis. The fate of the ordinance is now up to Mayor Nancy Stevens in what is typically a 10-day process, said Karen Boule, the council secretary. City Council last week also learned that Standard and Poor’s, an independent provider of credit ratings, upgraded the city’s bond rating, a measurement of the security of city-issued bonds, to AA+, one step below the company’s highest mark. Thomas J. Abel, city treasurer and comptroller, reported in a June 17 letter to City Council that the upgrade acknowledges “favorable economic indicators’’ in Marlborough, including stable tax collection, financial reserves, and a strong commercial/retail base. “To obtain an upgrade in this economic climate is truly a remarkable achievement,’’ Abel wrote. Council President Arthur Vigeant said the news of the rating increase was a “great boost when you don’t have good news too often,’’given the current economic downturn, but noted the realities of a recent budget process in which 25 school system positions, two firefighters, two police officers, and four Department of Public Works positions were lost to the city. The cuts came as a combination of outright cuts, attrition, and internal department realignments. “Hopefully, we have only one more tough year,’’ Vigeant said. “And then we start to pull out of this mess the nation is in.’’ - James O’Brien

CONTROLLING WATER USE - On Wednesday, the Department of Public Works institutes its first town-wide water ban since 2001. “The main thing that triggers this water ban is that we’ve had to shut down one of our well fields semi-permanently,’’ said Jerry Flood, acting superintendent of public works. The closed well suffers an iron-based water discoloration problem that Flood said requires excessive treatment. “The move to restrict water is in light of its closure,’’ said Flood. “We don’t want to have a problem in the middle of July.’’ Under the restrictions, houses with odd-numbered addresses may use outdoor water on odd-numbered calendar days. Even-numbered houses are allowed outdoor water use on even-numbered calendar days. The restrictions remain in effect until Sept. 30, Flood said. Violations of the mandatory-use restrictions could result in fines starting at $100, following a first-offense warning, and increasing to up to $300 for repeat offenders. For more information, contact the Department of Public Works at 978-897-1017. - James O’Brien

SUMMER READING - The library will kick off its summer “Starship Adventure’’ reading program on June 29 with an event titled “A Constellation of Stories and Songs’’ that will feature stories and songs by storytellers Davis Bates and Roger Tincknell. The summer reading program actually begins June 22 and runs through August 8, according to children’s librarian Pat Link. The program aims to help children maintain their reading skills over the summer, Link said, and is sponsored by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. The June 29 kick-off event will take place at 7 p.m. at the Proctor School. - Keith Cheveralls

OVERRIDE COST - A $647,000 Proposition 2 1/2 override on tap for tomorrow at the polls will increase a tax bill by $52 per $100,000 of tax valuation, according to the town website. The tax increase from the override vote would keep open the library, senior center, and community center. For a home valued at $400,000, that translates to a $208 spike for the annual tax bill. For a home valued at $300,000, the override would mean a $156 jump in the annual tax bill. - Matt Gunderson

AT LAST - The Shirley Public Access Corporation will finally have its own television studio in the fall - inside the middle school. Luis Carreras, executive director of Shirley Public Access television, said that middle school students will also use the studio to produce a daily newscast that will be broadcast in the morning. There will also be an after-school TV program. Carreras said he hopes to organize monthly round- table debates on important local issues with members of local newspapers in the new studio. The TV station will move into their studio in September, after school opens, Carreras said. To learn more about Shirley Public Access Corporation, tune in to channel 8 or go to www.shirleytv.org. - Julie Masis

NEW ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT - A former Framingham middle school principal arrives in Shrewsbury Wednesday as the town’s new assistant superintendent. “I’m definitely going to immerse myself in the schools and classrooms, to initially develop an understanding of the culture,’’ of the Shrewsbury district, said Jay Cummings, the new assistant. Cummings said he views his role in Shrewsbury as a “kind of ambassador around curriculum and learning.’’ Joseph Sawyer was recently promoted to superintendent from assistant school superintendent to replace retiring Superintendent Anthony Bent. Cummings, 38, of Grafton, worked in the Framingham Public Schools for 10 years, most recently as principal at the Walsh Middle School for the past six years. Cummings was chosen from about 40 applicants earlier this month. Sawyer was selected in March from a group of three finalists. A 12-year veteran in the Shrewsbury system, Sawyer said that his initial focus would be addressing how to maximize resources and streamline expenses within Shrewsbury schools during a time of economic downturn.

-James O’Brien

OPEN SPACE PLAN - Stow officials have recently updated the town’s 1997 open space and recreation plan, a document that sets town goals over the next five years. The plan is used as a framework to guide local boards in protecting the town’s open space and natural resources. The plan needs to be updated every five years to secure self-help grant funding from the state. - Matt Gunderson

SENIOR CENTER BARBEQUE - The Sudbury Senior Center will host an outdoor event to kick off summer with a barbecue and treats on July 8 at 2 p.m., rain or shine. The barbeque will feature chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, dinner rolls, and watermelon. Afterward, an ice cream truck will arrive, courtesy of Christopher Heights in Marlborough, with free ice cream for everyone. Finally, things will settle down with musical guests the “Senior Class’’ barbershop quartet. The event is $5 with a limit of 55 participants, and reservations are required by Thursday. To make a reservation, call the senior center at 978-443-3055. - John Guilfoil

COMMITTEE URGES KEEPING SEPTAGE FACILITY OPEN - Members of the Surface Water Quality Committee appeared before selectmen June 15 to urge that the Joint Wayland-Sudbury Septage Facility be upgraded and remain open. The committee fears that closing the facility will result in raising septage fees for residents in both towns. Selectmen have been discussing decommissioning the facility for months.

- John Guilfoil

TOWN VOLUNTEER VACANCIES - Several vacancies on town committees are open to volunteers, including one position each on the Conservation Commission, the Historical Commission, the Open Space Preservation Committee, and the Youth Commission. Terms of each position vary between one and three years, and the time commitment each position demands varies according to the meeting schedule of each committee, according to the selectmen’s office. Residents interested in a position must send a letter to the Board of Selectmen, which has the authority to appoint committee members.

- Keith Cheveralls