WILBRAHAM — Wilbraham’s Annual Town Meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on May 11 at Minnechaug Regional High School and the warrant has been finalized.
Voters can expect to make decisions on 43 articles, covering everything from appropriating funds, bylaw changes and town projects.
The first 13 articles are a part of the consent agenda, which will be voted on in one motion. Articles can be removed from the consent agenda by the moderator in order to address voter questions.
Article 3 would put an estimated $2.48 million toward the water enterprise fund budget and $99,214 to the general fund to cover indirect costs, establishing the fiscal year 2027 budget for the Water Enterprise Fund. Article 4 looks at appropriating $100,000 to the water enterprise Reserve Fund to meet “unforeseen and extraordinary costs,” according to the warrant.
Article 5 puts around $1.3 million toward the waste water enterprise fund budget and $37,499 to the general fund, with Article 6 putting $70,000 to its reserve fund. Articles 7 and 8 cover the solid waste enterprise fund budget for $392,851 and the reserve fund for $20,000.
The town’s ambulance service is supported in Article 9, with $1.37 million appropriated to cover personal services, operating and capital costs. Article 11 would support the operation of Wilbraham Public Access Television for $182,650, appropriated from the PEG Access and Cable Related fund.
Article 14 will determine if the Select Board is authorized to make lease agreements for various municipal equipment. The Select Board shall identify any contract for the lease, with an option to purchase, within its budget submission to the Finance Committee. It requires a ⅔ majority vote to pass.
Article 15 would fix the maximum amount that may be spent by town departments, boards agencies or officers in FY27 revolving funds.
An example would be expenditures by the Council on Aging’s Director of Elder Affairs not exceeding $50,000 for costs like programs, repair and maintenance of equipment or fees for instructors and classes. The full list of departments and revolving fund limits can be viewed on the warrant, found on the town’s website.
Article 17 looks to adopt special parliamentary procedures for the purpose of implementing the provisions of Chapter 580 of the Acts of 1980. The article explanation states, “under this article, Town Meeting agrees to accept the Finance Committee’s revenue estimates for the FY27 budget, and to keep total expenditures in balance with revenues. A voter making a motion to increase spending must identify the funding source.”
Article 19 presents the Finance Committee’s recommendations for the FY27 budget and raises sums of money, as deemed necessary, for settling town expenses.
Article 20 would use $3 million in free cash for capital projects instead of issuing debt, covering projects in departments like the library, fire, highway, police, recreation and schools. Article 21 separately uses $135,348 in free cash for capital projects at Minnechaug. The Finance Committee recommends one aspect of the Minnechaug projects, IDF switches and network upgrades for $60,229, but does not recommend a dump body truck and sander for $75,119.
Article 23 would add $300,000 to the stabilization fund, the town’s savings account. The funds would be transferred from overlay surplus certified as excess by the Board of Assessors or from other available funds like free cash.
Article 24 covers $175,000 to cover the Miller Street water main replacement project, water meter replacements program and water system infrastructure improvements. The funding is for the Water Department’s FY27 capital budget. Article 25 puts $60,000 from the waste water enterprise retained earnings to fund pump station improvements and Article 26 puts $10,000 toward building improvements from the solid waste enterprise retained earnings.
Article 27 covers the community preservation program budget. It will see if the town will vote to appropriate or reserve from the annual revenues and fund balance for Community Preservation Committee administrative and operating costs for $25,000, historic preservation, community housing and open space reserves for $65,116 each and undesignated reserves for $455,809, which may be awarded to open space, housing, historic and recreation projects. Each item is to be considered a separate appropriation.
Articles 28-32 are Community Preservation Act projects, each taking amounts from the balances of various community preservation funds.
Article 28 uses $9,900 to repair and reset 22 historic grave sites and monuments in Adam’s Cemetery, Article 29 improves McLaughlin Softball Field and adds dugouts and outfield fencing for $60,500, Articles 30 and 31 add perimeter fencing around play spaces for $50,000 and replaces playground equipment for $120,550 at Soule Road Elementary School and Article 32 looks at replacing and upgrading the heating system at Memorial School for $440,000.
Bylaw amendments begin with Article 36, looking to see if the town will adopt certain organizational amendments to the general bylaws. The changes would be assigning a chapter and article number to each bylaw, renumbering and recaptioning each section of each bylaw, interesting chapter, article, section and subsection titles and updating internal references to reflect the new system.
Article 38 looks to do the same as Article 36 but with the zoning bylaws instead of the general bylaws. Articles 39 seeks to modernize the zoning bylaw language, correct inconsistencies and typographical errors, correct outdated names of state agencies and to align the bylaw with current state law.
Article 40 adds language to the zoning bylaw to provide one off-street parking space to all accessory dwelling units, except those within half a mile of a transit station. Accessory dwelling units are smaller residential living spaces on the same lot as another home and must have a dedicated kitchen, bathroom and entrance.
Article 41 deletes the current language of Section 110 of the general bylaws, “grant or renewal of licenses as affected by non-payment of local taxes, fees, etc.,” and replaces it entirely.
The explanation states that based on this bylaw, ”the Select Board, or any Wilbraham licensing authority, may deny any application for, or revoke or suspend a building permit, or any local license or permit including renewals and transfers issued by any board, officer, department for any person, corporation or business enterprise, who has neglected or refused to pay any local taxes, fees, assessments, betterments or any other municipal charges.”
Article 42 is a petitioned article surrounding a public shade tree bylaw, enhancing the protection of public shade trees under Chapter 87 of state law. It involves that no public shade tree shall be cut, trimmed or removed without a written permit from the tree warden and that a public hearing is required for removal.
A significant tree, one over 50-years old with a trunk diameter of 18 inches, must not be removed unless a finding of immediate public safety risk or unavoidable infrastructure necessity. Healthy trees may not be removed as well unless they pose a safety risk verified by the tree warden and any removed tree must be replaced at the same rate. Unauthorized removal incurs a fine of up to $500 per tree.
