March 10, 2021 by Carol Britton Meyer
The selectmen addressed a full agenda last night, including supporting a public safety facility warrant article asking Town Meeting to approve the appropriation of $1.57 million to pay the expenses for design, architectural, engineering, owner’s project manager, and other professional services for the proposed building.
"I'm comfortable with supporting this article knowing that this and the Foster School project are moving forward on parallel paths," Selectman William Ramsey said.
Selectmen Chair Mary Power mentioned that Foster School was closed yesterday due to boiler issues. "We don't want our children attending school [under conditions such as these], and at the same time, our fire and police officers deserve equally respectable work environments," she said.
Potential funding for construction bid documents and obtaining construction bids would be subject to another Town Meeting vote in 2022, when voters will also be asked to approve funding for its share of the Foster School project.
Town Administrator Tom Mayo explained the proposed funding for this part of the project -- $1.2 million from the sale of the formerly town-owned Hersey House a number of years ago and $350,000 from the town's rainy-day fund.
Former Selectman Paul Healey, who sits on the public safety building committee, said if Town Meeting approves the funding, the committee will work with project architect, Kaestle Boos Associates, to come up with the best design for the potential project and will also work "with both chiefs to ensure that the needs of both departments are met now and into the future," he said.
'Keep the ball rolling'
Selectman Joseph Fisher -- noting that an enhanced senior center is contingent on full approval of this proposal -- said it's important "to keep the ball rolling."
If the article passes, subsequent steps in the process would lead to identifying the total cost of building such a facility, depending on its ultimate size and scope.
Power promised the continuation of "a very public process" about the proposed public safety facility, noting that she questioned in the past whether a 50,000-square-foot facility is really needed.
"We need to be mindful of sizing this in a way in which the two departments can do their jobs and that we as taxpayers will be paying for this facility [if approved]."
During a financial forecast update, Town Administrator Tom Mayo reported that the initial $7 million proposed FY 2022 proposed budget gap -- which was reduced to $4.5 million recently -- has been reduced further -- by enough that there is now a projected $274,000-plus surplus.
This was accomplished by eliminating from the forecast town department and school requests beyond the level-funded figure because by law, a balanced budget must be presented at Town Meeting. "We're not removing these requests from future consideration or discussion. [Once the final figure has been determined], we will reconsider all the additional requests and start adding some back into the budget [depending on the amount of the surplus]," Mayo said.
Supt. of Schools Paul Austin reported to the School Committee on Monday that the Fiscal 2022 school budget has been reduced by $1.12 million due to likely one-time Student Opportunity Act Plan funds; a change in the full-day kindergarten assumptions -- resulting in $175,000 in additional revenue; the extension of several leaves of absence; and other factors, which contributed to the surplus. There could be further reductions as the budget season moves forward.
In addition, $2.6 million of the town's rainy-day fund was applied to the deficit.
Level-services increase
The surplus indicates that the town "can support a level-services increase, but available revenues cannot support everything included in the Fiscal 2022 budget proposals," Power said.
Kaja Fickes talked about what she considers to be the importance of "fully funding the schools."
She expressed concern that Hingham students are suffering from an "achievement gap" exacerbated by the pandemic and said support for the full Fiscal 2022 school budget -- which includes nearly 30 new positions associated with helping children and teens catch up from COVID-19's impacts on their education -- is important "or our kids will lose more and more ground."
Parent Suzanne Garland said she doesn't think it's a bad thing to let citizens know now that there are limited funds available to cover the proposed Fiscal 2022 budget and that an override might be on the horizon.
Power said while some citizens consider an override a given, she has not yet come to that conclusion.
During further discussion about Town Meeting 2021 warrant articles, the board voted "no action" on a citizen's petition presented by resident Thomas Patch asking Town Meeting to support including the names of appointed volunteers and election officials who have passed on since the prior year's regular Town Meeting in a roll call at the next Town Meeting as an expression of appreciation for their past services to the town in addition to the usual reading of town employees who have passed on.
The biggest concern is that someone's name would inadvertently get left out if the name base is expanded and how that would be done, although all three selectmen appreciated Patch's efforts and the reason behind the citizen's petition. The next step is for the Advisory Committee to consider it.
Housing choice designation
The board also authorized Power to sign a housing choice designation application. As background, the town was named a Housing Choice Community in 2019. The designation is effective for two years unless the town reapplies.
"Such a designation is based on the number of net new housing units produced over the last five years," Senior Planner Emily Wentworth said, with an eligibility threshold of 500 units, or a 5 percent increase.
Hingham exceeded this minimum, since between Jan. 1, 2016 and Dec. 31, 2020, 643 building permits were issued for new housing units, representing a 7.27 percent increase over the number of year-round housing units reported on the last census.
The board tabled a warrant article asking Town Meeting to authorize but not require the selectmen to transfer to the Hingham Affordable Housing Trust's custody a parcel of land acquired by the town through a 1999 tax taking at 32 Rockwood Road to create affordable housing suitable for the site.
The idea is to first get a sense of whether or not the property is actually buildable, and if so, to potentially ask next year's Town Meeting to allow the board to transfer the property.
Seeking grant for town pier work
The Selectmen also authorized Power to sign a letter of support for an Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs grant application for the Town Pier Repair and Resiliency Project. Such an award, if approved, would provide up to $3 million toward the proposed project.
According to Town Engineer J. R. Frye, the purpose of the letter is to "demonstrate the town's commitment to improving the safety and ability to safely access the water along the town pier and to protecting the town by improving climate resiliency."
The Selectmen recently threw their support behind a warrant article asking voters to support spending a potential $5.65 million for the town pier project to address safety issues and potential flooding.
Raising the wharf by 3-1/2 feet to a height of 11 feet would help protect part of the town from projected future sea-level rise, storm surge, and potential negative sewer system impacts and could also reduce risks to public health and safety by helping to prevent flooding on Rte. 3A, supporters say.
Other grant funding options are also being pursued, Frye said.