Politics & Government

New DPW Garage, Budget Override to be Hot Topics at Medfield Town Meeting

Medfield Board of Selectmen called for a Special Election to be held on May 23 if either of the two overrides pass at Monday's Town Meeting.

The Town of Medfield is facing two possible overrides and if either the operational override or debt exclusion override is passed at Monday’s Town Meeting, the Medfield Board of Selectmen announced there would be a Special Election on May 23.

“Proposition 2 ½ requires overrides to pass at both Town Meeting and a paper ballot election,” said Selectmen chair Osler “Pete” Peterson after Tuesday’s BOS meeting.

Proposition 2 ½ is a Massachusetts statute, which limits property tax increases by Massachusetts municipalities. The name of the statute refers to the 2.5 percent annual limit on increase in taxes that a municipality is permitted.

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"Overrides happen more often than we want," said Peterson. 

The operational override to be presented at Town Meeting is for the town budget and the debt exclusion override is to determine whether to fund the $10 million needed to build the new DPW garage, according to Peterson.

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“The only controversial [warrant articles] were the operating budget and the $10 million for the new DPW garage,” Peterson said. “Ann [Thompson] had reservations about both overrides and I expressed reservations about the DPW garage override. We are both waiting for the case to be made.”

Peterson said he is "reluctantly in favor of the operating budget override" and that while the existing garage needs to be replaced that he is waiting to be convinced "whether the DPW garage as proposed is the correct facility." The timing of the project, discussed among the selectmen, may be right with low interest rates and construction costs but Peterson still had questions about the size and scope of the proposed building.

“My issue is whether the garage as proposed, is in fact the correct building for the town or not,” said Peterson. “I am still waiting for the case to be made that all the correct assumptions and all the correct choices have been made in the design and layout of the garage as proposed. Medfield should get a facility that is functional for its needs and should not spend any more than is needed to get that minimally usable garage.”

Questions that Peterson has about the proposed DPW Garage:

  • “Do we really need 34 bays? How many vehicles are we looking to house? Can we have fewer bays where employees drive many vehicles home at night?”
  • “Should we be heating the bays or would plug in block heaters work equally well?”
  • “Would we save monies and still have a serviceable structure if the building were a combination of block below and metal above, instead of masonry?”
  • “Has the size of the building been pared down as much as possible?”

Peterson said he has been looking forward to getting answers to the questions above and others but has not heard any discussions from those involved.

“I attended the Building Committee’s meeting last week looking for those answers and unfortunately, to date, I have not yet heard any such discussions or education on the choices made,” Peterson said. “I personally have not gotten my answers and now time is short before the Town Meeting. I still look forward to learning why all the options were decided as they were, however, the timing now makes educating voters problematic.”

Peterson said it is not the “opportune solution” to educate voters at Town Meeting on an issue like this because it gives the town little time to “engage in the reflection, discussion and contemplation" that should be pursued before a major decision in town is made.

Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Medfield High School Gymnasium. 


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