By Bonnie Adams, Government Editor
Shrewsbury – Town Meeting members will convene at the Oak Street Middle School Tuesday, Oct. 30, for a Special Town Meeting (STM).
There are 14 articles on the warrant up for discussion, including a request to approve rescinding a $600,000 bond authorization to fund design work for the new Sherwood Middle School project. According to documentation from Town Manager Daniel Morgado, the bond authorization was established at the direction of the Massachusetts School Building Committee to fund costs associated with design work for the new school, but the authorization was never used.
Also pertaining to that project is a request to reduce the fiscal year 2013 debt services budget by $53,000. This amount was to service the Sherwood Middle School bond that was not issued, according to Morgado, and therefore should not be levied.
$50,000 will be requested to be transferred from a library building repairs account containing $250,000 to an account for design work for a new library.
Morgado noted that the Board of Library Trustees currently has $50,000 to conduct design and study work; the additional $50,000 is to ensure they have adequate funds to do that study in case the first $50,000 is not sufficient.
The trustees were recently notified that the town has been approved for a Provisional Grant Award of $7.96 million for a new library by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). Per the agreement, the grant will be subject to approval and funding from the town. The trustees will have until June 30, 2013, to secure that funding and sign a contract with the MBLC.
Also on the STM warrant will be a request for $400,000 for water system improvements. According to Morgado, a portion of the funding for this work is from water revenue that has been paid into the General Fund and the balance is from the Water System Improvements Account.
The Finance Committee will hold a public hearing Thursday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. in the Selectmen's Room in the Shrewsbury Municipal Office Building to discuss the articles on the warrant. The public is invited to attend and offer comments.
