Budget, Petition Articles Top Monday's Harwich Town Meeting

HARWICH – One of the first items anticipated to draw debate in Monday night’s 53-article annual town meeting will be the town’s operating budget, which seeks $45,732,209, an 8.1 percent increase. The article is likely to draw more discussion based on the motion rather than the dollars being sought.

A number of petition articles are also expected to draw extensive debate.

The finance committee voted to put forward a motion seeking to reduce the overtime request in the fire department budget by $75,000, moving those funds into the finance committee’s reserve account. The transfer would increase the reserve fund from $50,000 to $125,000.

The finance committee’s rationale for the overtime change is to provide the committee with a better understanding of how the town spends its money. It further helps the town’s bottom line when the state Department of Revenue assesses municipal finance and when bond rating assessments are conducted, according to finance committee member Dana DeCosta.

Finance Committee Chair Peter Hughes said the committee is not questioning the fire department’s management of funds, adding that the money would be encumbered for the department when it is needed.

But the select board disagreed with the proposed action by the finance committee. Select Board member Michael MacAskill asked when it became the finance committee job to make such decisions, questioning where the charter enumerates that authority.

Select Board Chair Julie Kavanagh said the money cannot be allotted exclusively from the reserve fund to the fire department; rather, the reserve fund is meant for emergencies. Kavanagh said Moderator Michael Ford, who has served in that capacity for more than 40 years, has said he has never seen anything similar before.

“It’s not a savings account and it’s not to be earmarked,” Finance Director Kathleen Barrette told the finance committee. “You are going against the spirit of the law.”

While the proposed motion by the finance committee will not change the bottom line of the operating budget, Kavanagh called on the committee to revisit its decision.

The select board and finance committee have differing opinions on several other articles, particularly petitioned articles. The select board voted not to support two articles seeking special legislation to allow the town to adopt a pesticide reduction bylaw and a bylaw to regulate the application of fertilizers. Both articles received support from the finance committee on 4-3 votes.

Pesticide application is now under the control of the state Department of Agricultural Resources. Approval of the article would direct the select board to seek special legislation authorizing the town to adopt a local pesticide reduction bylaw.

“My biggest concern is health, my health and your health,” said petition sponsor Patrick Otton. “I hope the petitions can address our health and the health of the environment. With the blue economy, people sit in cars for as much as six hours to come use our ponds and the waters of Cape Cod.”

The proposal seeks to prohibit fertilizer use in the town except for commercial agricultural and residential use of organic products with low nitrogen and phosphorus for growing fruits and vegetables.

Otton also sponsored a petitioned article seeking a non-binding voter resolution on locating a public swimming pool in town. The community center has the plumbing available to accommodate such a facility, he said, adding that there has been interest in a regional pool from organizations in surrounding communities. Chatham voters will act on a similar non-binding resolution at its town meeting May 13.

“Where, when and how much it will cost are all questions that will be answered if it is approved,” Otton said. “There will be a study.”

A fourth petition submitted by Otton seeks to establish a tree preservation bylaw. The proposal does not prohibit a property owner from removing any tree, protected or not, from their property; however, if a protected tree is proposed for removal it will require either a payment into a tree bylaw revenue account or replacement with a suitable species.

Otton has said the bylaw seeks to prevent developers from clear-cutting large swaths of property. Neither the select board or finance committee support the proposal. The prepared motion is to indefinitely postpone the article.

The capital plan could draw debate, with the finance committee planning to restore funding for Brooks Academy restoration work and two other projects. After town officials removed the $1,160,000 Brooks Academy project, $2.5 million for the golf department irrigation system and $1.5 million for department of public works road maintenance, the finance committee voted to restore the funding to the plan (see separate story, page 1).

While the Monomoy Regional School District budget, pegged at $29,876,982, has the support of the select board and finance committee, a second MRSD article seeking $2.5 million for exterior siding and trim on the middle school in Chatham drew comment in the select board’s pre-town meeting on April 24.

Resident Gary Conroy wanted to know the status of discussions with Chatham about the the school district funding formula. Select Board Chair Julie Kavanagh agreed there needs to be a discussion because the present formula is not sustainable.

Harwich’s share of the $2.5 million middle school request is based on the 76.8 percent to 23.2 percent ratio set by current foundation enrollment. Both town’s will act on an article and a debt exclusion vote for the middle school work. Conroy recommended the board send a message to Chatham that Harwich is not satisfied with the agreement by indefinitely postponing a decision on the funding request.

Select Board member Michael MacAskill advised against such a step. Harwich wants to go into discussions on the regional agreement showing “good faith,” he said.

There are several articles seeking more than $100,000 in Community Preservation Act funds, including $500,000 for the affordable housing trust; $400,000 for the Bank Street fire house renovation; $250,000 for the Cold Brook trailhead public access project; $150,000 for the Red River Valley land and water protection project; $110,000 for the Senior Memorial Softball Field fencing; $100,000 for the Monomoy Regional High School press box; and $100,000 for the North Woods water supply protection project.

Voters will also be asked to fund a sewer assistance grant program through a $100,000 transfer of funds from the wastewater enterprise fund. The money will fund a grant program to provide financial assistance to income eligible homeowners to connect to the town’s sewer system, and to decommission their existing septic systems.

The annual town meeting begins at 7 p.m. May 6 at the community center on Oak Street.