Thursday, May 17, 2012
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
MILLION DOLLAR SCHOOL FEASIBILITY STUDY PASSED: School Committee member Deborah Sovinee was beaming as members left Stoughton High May 16 from Town Meeting Night Four, with the article for a Feasibility Study for Stoughton High School passing by an overwhelming margin. Sovinee had really taken the lead on trying to do something about the deteriorating condition of Stoughton High School. After the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) had put Stoughton High on "Warning Notice" status due, in part, to the many deficiencies in the physical plant, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marguerite Rizzi, and the School Committee were determined to renovate or replace the high school. It's a VERY long road until the day when a new …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
THOUGHTS ABOUT A NEW HIGH SCHOOL: Article 66 is asking for Town Meeting to borrow up to $1 million for a feasibility study to look at the potential renovation or replacement of SHS. There's no doubt that high school needs a radical repair job or total replacement. It seems that the myriad of problems - many involving the health of teachers, staff and students - is beyond a simple repair job. It is estimated that it could cost 15-20 million dollars for repairs to the building. But, there are SO many problems - particularly the mold, mildew, asbestos, and water problems - that would really require that portions of the building would need to be torn down. And, like repairing an old car, it might run, but it would not be the most modern …
Article 66 is asking for Town Meeting to borrow up to $1 million for a feasibility study for a potential renovation or replacement of SHS. Almost 57% of the feasibility study's cost is reimbursable. Take a look at a photo tour of SHS in the media gallery.
The Stoughton School Department will ask Town Meeting members to fund a feasibility study for a potential renovation or replacement of Stoughton High School, a required step by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in any school building project. The schools are anticipating the cost of the study to be as much as $1 million, although it can end up costing less. The town will be reimbursed for the cost of this study at a rate of 56.6 percent. The presentation on the feasibility study that will be made at Town Meeting is posted in the media gallery as a PDF. A feasibility study, according to the School Department's presentation, will help: Statements of Interest (SOI) were filed with the MSBA for both SHS and the South …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
TOWN MEETING SPENDS OVER 72 MILLION DOLLARS: Town Meeting approved a $72,469,307 municipal and school budget on Monday, May 14, the third session of Town Meeting (this does not include nearly $15 million in enterprise accounts). Some $400,000 of anticipated spending was saved due to negotiations with town and school employees in regards to health insurance. Although it is still early in the Town Meeting process, it would appear that over two million dollars will be added to the town's Stabilization Fund. This will help solidify the town's future bond rating. Monday night's meeting opened with the myriad of DPW budgets, including the highway department, snow removal, street lighting, parks and trees, and sanitation, a total of 3.1 million…
The Stoughton Public Schools received an increase of 4.91 percent for FY13, which allows the schools to maintain a "level service budget."
Town Meeting members approved a near $39 million dollar Education budget at Session 3 of Stoughton's Annual Town Meeting, Monday night, May 14 at the Stoughton High auditorium. Of the $38,739,244, just north of $37.7 million ($37,701,774) will be going to the Stoughton Public Schools. The remaining funds go to Southeastern Regional (1,017,470) and Norfolk Agricultural ($20,000). The $37.7 million for the Stoughton Public Schools is what the School Committee approved back in December. This represents an increase of $1,766,120 or 4.91% from the final FY12 budget that was approved at last year's Town Meeting. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marguerite Rizzi called it a “level service budget,” striving to maintain the services currently offered …
Monday, May 14, 2012
A look at where Stoughton stands in terms of debt.
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Monday, May 14
A slideshow presentation by Finance Committee member and Precinct 2 Town Meeting Member Rick Hill is posted in the media gallery above. It details where Stoughton stands in terms of debt and how the town's debt will impact future borrowing. Hill made this presentation at both session 1 and session 2 of this year's Annual Town Meeting. As of January 1, 2012, the town has $34,230,496 of debt, and $21,506,095 of potential additional debt liability. This potential additional debt liability figure includes about $14,000,000 for the renovation of the Stoughton Public Library, half of which will be reimbursed. Other portions of the potential additional debt liability can also be reimbursed.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Stoughton is now on the waiting list to receive state funding for a planned library expansion project that would nearly double the size of the current facility which opened in 1969.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, May 11
The following is a press release from the Stoughton Public Library: At its May 3, 2012 Board Meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) approved the addition of the Stoughton Public Library construction project to the Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Waiting List. “Because we know first-hand the difference libraries make in the lives of all our residents, we are pleased to add [Stoughton] to our Waiting List,” said MBLC Chair Katherine Dibble. Stoughton Public Library Planning & Building Committee has worked diligently since 2007 when they received a Library Planning & Design Grant. “We’ve worked together to develop a project that the residents of Stoughton can be proud of and we are honored to be …
Currently, Phase I, a voluntary ban, has been initiated.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, May 11
While the amount of rainfall has increased as of late, after a winter and spring with little precipitation, the Town of Stoughton is preparing for the possibility of a long, hot summer, and with it, the possibility of a drought. As a result, Selectmen on May 1 unanimously voted to approve a Drought Management Plan, initiating Phase 1, which is a “voluntary watering ban," asking residents to minimize the use of outdoor water. The Stoughton Department of Public Works released the Drought Management Plan in full. It is posted below. Again, only Phase I, a voluntary ban, is in effect. Town of Stoughton Drought Management Plan The Town of Stoughton derives approximately seventy percent of the towns drinking water from six gravel packed wells …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
IN SEARCH OF THE HOLY GRAIL: 128 Town Meeting members convened Wednesday night, May 9, at Stoughton High School's Auditorium. It began with an honor to Dr. Roberta Camacho (for over 25 years on the Redevelopment Authority.) Newest SRA member and new Chairman Carlos Vargas read a proclamation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Then, the TM body dove headfirst into the FY 2013 budget. The most contentious moments concerned the Planning Board and Police budgets. A motion was made by Interim Town Manager Joseph D. Feaster, Jr., on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, to request adding $75,000 to the Planning Board budget to help pay for the Town's Master Plan. $50,000 was included in the 2012 budget for it, and Town Planner Noreen…
Town Meeting approved increases to the Police and Fire budgets to help restore positions lost to budget cuts in previous years.
Town Meeting members gave a boost to the staffing levels of both the Stoughton Police and Fire Departments Wednesday evening, May 9 at the second session of Stoughton's Annual Town Meeting. The second session tackled 29 of 44 budget items, including Police and Fire. After a lengthy discussion, Town Meeting approved the Police Department's budget for FY2013, which is just north of $4.8 million ($4,863,783), approximately $250,000 more than the department received in FY12. Included in the FY13 police budget: funding for three additional patrolmen, two resource officers and a deputy police chief. The article to establish the position of deputy police chief was approved Monday night at the opening session of Town Meeting. However, Town Meeting…
Scott M
5:05 pm on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Seriously, at some point you HAVE to invest in the town. When is the time right? When every building has collapsed from years of neglect? We might as well get it done now, it's never going to get cheaper. more ›