Special Town Meeting
October 4, 2011
Pros and Cons for Article 1, 3, & 4
Article 1
Pros: The passage of regionalization allows for a campus wide solution for our facility needs. The town of Southwick’s percentage of expenditures will drop from 96% to 82%.
Cons: The inevitable repairs for the other two schools will not be eligible for state reimbursements.
Article 3
Pros: Previous Town Meetings approved borrowing authority for a feasibility study of the Woodland Elementary School. This feasibility study changed the scope and definition of the project. If regionalization with Granville is approved, this article correctly reflects the scope and definition of the project as focused on a proposal for a “campus-wide” solution which includes repairs and renovation work to Woodland Elementary School and Powder Mill Middle School as well as a 7-12 middle school/ high school. There is no additional borrowing or funding involved with this article. Passage allows the design of the project to continue on the new focus.
Cons: None
Article 4
Pro: A yes vote on Article 4 will allow the transfer of $62,000 from the Community Preservation Open Space Reserve Fund for the purchase of 61+ acres of the Agricultural Preservation Restriction located at 76 Coes Hill Road. The remainder of the $620,000 purchase price, $558,000 will be provided by The Commonwealth of Massachusetts APR Program. The money to be transferred comes from the previously approved Community Preservation Fund resulting in no additional cost to the taxpayers of Southwick.
Con: A no vote on Article 4 will disallow the transfer of funds from the Community Preservation Fund and thus no purchase of the Agricultural Preservation Restriction located at 76 Coes Hill Road. The monies will remain in the fund for future project application requests; said property could feasibly be sold and developed for purposes other than farmland or open space.
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