LUDLOW — Ludlow will conduct its fall Town Meeting on Oct. 7 in the high school auditorium, 500 Chapin St. There are 12 articles on the warrant.
Perhaps the most controversial topic is Article 12, which proposes the adoption of a charter by the town. The town has grown and changed over its 250-year history and now has nearly 21,000 residents. In September 2023, a committee was formed to examine how the current form of government — a representative Town Meeting legislative branch, Board of Selectmen executive branch and elected key positions — addresses the town’s needs, and what improvements could be made.
After seeking public input throughout the year in the form of open meetings and public forums, the committee developed recommendations, which it will present on the floor of Town Meeting.
The recommendations include a change to a town council legislative branch with seven at-large members, and an appointed town manager as the executive branch. According to the committee, the council would make major decisions for the town and approve the budget, while the town manager would work with the department heads to build the budget and see to Ludlow’s day-to-day operations. One sticking point for many during the public forums was whether the town manager would be required to reside in Ludlow. Some people made the argument that a resident would be more invested in the town and its future. The recommendations do not include a residency requirement, but neither does it preclude the council, which would hire the town manager, from imposing a preference for residency.
The committee also recommended key boards and positions in town be appointed, rather than elected, and for much the same reason residency was not required for the town manager. As the committee explained during its forums, many of the positions legally and practically require skill sets that people running for election may or may not possess. Of the currently elected boards and committees, only the Library Board of Trustees, the School Committee and the proposed council would remain elected. Existing elected officers would remain in their roles until the end of their term.
Additionally, the School Committee would be expanded, from five members to seven, with the seventh position occupied by the council president. The goal of this move would be to reduce the conflict between the School Committee and the executive branch of town government that has plagued budget preparation in recent years.
To ensure the public has ample participation opportunities, there would be open meetings, free petitions, ballot initiatives, voter referendums and a recall mechanism for elected officers.
Approval of the charter at Town Meeting would lead to a townwide vote and require approval by the state legislature. If the charter fails, there would be no changes to the government.
Whitney Park
In May, the engineering company Tighe & Bond completed a strategic plan for Whitney Park. The park, at 167 Howard St., was found to need parking, updated playground equipment, landscaping, a walking trail for passive recreation and upgrades to the existing structure that houses the summer camp program. The price tag was estimated at $4.74 million.
In Article 6, the town is seeking up to $5 million for the design and renovation. However, it recently received a state grant for $500,000 to be put toward the project. Town Administrator Marc Strange said in an email to Reminder Publishing, “This $500,000 award will ease the financial impact on taxpayers and open the door to a more contemporary park space that town residents can be proud be of.” In July, the Board of Selectmen allocated more than $140,000 toward preliminary planning for the park improvements.
Bylaw changes
Articles 9-10 are concerned with battery energy storage systems. The first of these two articles spells out the permits and requirements for both systems that are part of a building and those that are not connected to a building. These requirements include zoning restrictions and rules regarding landscaping, lighting, setbacks from neighboring properties, noise levels, liability insurance, environmental impact and emergency procedures. Article 10 updates the land use bylaw to add such systems.
