By K.B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Grafton – During its Jan. 5 meeting, the Grafton Board of Selectmen approved the warrant for the Monday, Feb. 8 Special Town Meeting (STM).
The purpose of the STM is to create an aggregate electrical supply authority. Recently two competing plans were presented to the town Planning Board. One of the two proposals was through the Solarize Mass Program from the Direct Energy Solar Company. The second was from a team from Good Energy Company (GE). Both spoke of being able to considerably lower the cost of electricity for Grafton residents and businesses.
In other business, the board accepted a number of resignations and then made several appointments, including Dr. Melanie Marketon as the Tufts representative to the Grafton Local Emergency Planning Committee and Blackstone Valley Regional Emergency Planning Commission, replacing Dr. Ryan Schlimgen. Richard Schultze was appointed to the vacant seat on the Open Community Preservation Committee. Dave Crouse and Brian Szczurko were appointed to the Town Boundary Delineation Board, which every five years, has to re-measure town boundaries.
The board discussed the use of Chapter 90, which was enacted in 1973 to entitle municipalities to reimbursement of documented expenditures under the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 90, Section 34, Clause 2(a) on approved projects. The funds provided from transportation bond issues authorizes such capital improvement projects for highway construction, preservation and improvement projects that create or extend the life of capital facilities.
Dennis Flynn stated that he has some concerns with the increasing number of commuters who are using the local side roads in the northern part of the town to avoid driving through the center of town. Residents who live along these roads, he asserted, are ever more concerned with heavy, speeding traffic. Selectman Brook Padgett replied that this was not a concern as side streets would not be involved in large-scale improvements, to which Selectman Craig Dauphinais agreed. Flynn ended the discussion by requesting that he would want the process to ensure that townspeople know what improvements are planned. This was approved by unanimous vote.