Assistant Town Manager

Special Town Meetings are scheduled for Dec. 8 and Jan. 9. The December town meeting will be will be held in the Ashland High School gym to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols. 

Special Town Meeting – Dec. 8, 2021

The December town meeting will consist of warrant articles deferred from May, including: Article 1: Free Cash Transfer; Article 2: Property Tax Exemption; Article 3: Acceptance of Brave Act: Property Tax Exemption; Acceptance of Brave Act: veteran Tax Work off Program; Amend Zoning Bylaw: Valentine Overlay District; Authorization to Sell or Lease 133 West Union Street for Adaptive Reuse; Acceptance land and change boundaries for 433 Chestnut; Land Tracking: Accept Easement from Independence lane to install Booster pump station; Amend General Bylaw: Stormwater Lien; Community Preservation Committee (CPC): Fund Construction of Trolley Brook Section of Upper Charles Trail; CPC: Fund Town Forest Improvements; Amend Zoning Bylaw: Design Review process.

Several articles are routine matters that are typically handled at the Special Fall Town Meeting each year. These articles include allocating certified free cash in accordance with our financial policies, presenting any necessary budget transfers and voting on the senior tax exemption. This year eligible seniors will be able to save approximately $800 on their property taxes. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, there was a decision in May to defer articles that were not time sensitive to the fall. These include two CPC articles. The first article will recommend $120,000 for the construction of the Trolley Brook Trail section of the Upper Charles Trail. The second CPC article recommends $9,700 to help the Town Forest Committee maintain and enhance the Town Forest. This will include installing boundary markers, deer enclosures, and enhancing the model rain garden. Additionally, the Stormwater Advisory Committee has sponsored an article that will allow the Town to lien properties if stormwater fees goes unpaid. 

There are several important new business articles for Town Meeting to take up. There are two articles that will ask the town to consider to accept the Brave Act, sections 5 and 5N, which would exempt gold star families from property tax and create a veteran tax work off program. The town will also be asked to conduct a friendly land taking on Independence Lane. This will allow the town to install a needed water booster pump station on common land for the neighborhood. Additionally, the town will be asking for approval to accept the change in lot lines and then subsequently consummate the sale of 433 Chestnut St. This article will be presented to clean-up the lot lines and complete the sale in which a private investor will restore the home to historical preservation standards. 

The town will also be asked to vote on two articles related to the Valentine Property. This will include creating an overlay zoning district, which will allow the property to be restored in a way that achieves the goals of the Town and the Valentine Committee. The second article will be providing the Select Board with the authorization to sell or lease the property. 

Over the last year the Valentine Committee has done its due diligence in exploring possible ways to revitalize this property. After considering possible construction, operation and maintenance costs the committee began to explore the possibility of a public private partnership. At this time, partly due to the existing conditions of the barn, the committee has issued a Request for Proposal asking the private sector to submit adaptive reuse proposals that will outline their plan to revitalize this property. Any sale or lease will be required to adhere to several deed restrictions including preserving a portion of the parcel for publicly accessible Open Space, historical preservation of  both the home and barn, and limiting any future development on the parcels.  The proposals were due Nov. 24. The committee has begun its review process and it is their hope that they can present a viable proposal that brings the Town’s vision for this property to fruition. 

Special Town Meeting - January 9, 2021

There will be a second Special Town Meeting on Jan. 9, 2021. This Special Town Meeting will present the Public Safety Building project and the Mindess Building project to its Legislative body, and Town Meeting will be asked for authorization to fund these critically important projects.

Note: At the time of this writing, the date for the special town election where residents will vote on funding the Public Safety Building and the Mindess School building project, has not been determined.