By Melanie Petrucci, Contributing Writer
Northborough – At the Feb. 27 Northborough Board of Selectmen meeting, Town Administrator John Coderre presented a draft summary of the anticipated warrant articles for the Monday, April 24 Annual Town Meeting. The proposed draft contains 54 articles.
The first set of Articles, one through 20, involves budgets and revolving funds which are standard.
The next set involves the Capital Budget, Articles 21through 33, and include 13 capital improvement articles. Coderre assured the board that these are all routine equipment replacements and building improvements.
Coderre drew the Board’s attention to Article 27 which funds DPW Roadway Improvement Maintenance adhering to the town’s policy of continued investment in its roadways. He also reported that based on available funds the Procter School Pitched Roof Replacement will be funded in 2018 one year earlier than scheduled.
Approximately $1.47 million in capital investment for projects will be funded on a “pay as you go” basis with no additional taxes to be raised. Coderre informed the board, “This is a direct result of our free cash policy ….and based on a very good and true six year capital improvement plan.”
Article 51 allows for a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana. This will allow Northborough to, according to Coderre, “take a thoughtful approach and set the pause button and have some additional time on this issue, due to the ambiguity regarding state regulations.”