RUTLAND—TheSelectBoard approved Nov. 17 as the date for the special town meeting, the week before Thanksgiving, as has been the tradition for a number of years.
Finance Committee chair Karen Nahrwold recommended postponing the meeting until the town’s free cash could be certified by the state. The Finance Committee is supposed to make recommendations on the warrant, but will not actually know how much money is available for them by the November meeting date.
“I’m not terribly comfortable with that,” Nahrwold said.
Interim town administrator Gary Kellaher suggested using last year’s free cash numbers.
It was suggested that, if necessary, the town moderator could open the meeting and then postpone to a later date.
The special town meeting warrant was opened for the Nov. 17 date.
Select Board chair Carol Benoit proposed the town take a pause on spending any more American Recovery Plan Act funds, which were disbursed by the federal government during the pandemic.
The funds need to be appropriated by Dec. 31, 2023, and expended by Dec. 31, 2024. All expenditures need to be finalized by Dec. 31, 2025, Benoit said.
According to Kellaher, the town currently has just under a million dollars still available in ARPA funds, out of $2.6 million appropriated.
“We could go through that … in the blink of an eye,” Benoit said.
She wants to go about spending more intentionally and discuss projects with the Capital Improvement Planning Committee.
Kellaher said he understood Benoit’s reasoning, but wondered how the town would handle unanticipated items.
Board member Lyndon Nichols proposed that the ARPA Funds Committee be disbanded and the remaining funds frozen and expended on a case-by-case basis.
A lot of earlier spending decisions were based on federal guidance, said Joseph Buckley, director of the Department of Public Works, which has eased up since they the funds were given out. At the beginning, money was slotted into specific silos of spending, he said, and could not be spent the way some people wanted.
The board approved a halt to any spending until they could evaluate the process.
In a report to the board, town planner and community development coordinator David George said there are four active subdivision projects in town, with Maple Hill Estates closed out except for one street. Brice Lemon Estates was slated to come before the Planning Board for street approvals on phases one and two at the board’s Oct. 11 meeting. A hearing will be held Oct. 17.
The board also approved a marijuana retail special permit for 78 Main St., across the street from Wachusett Plaza.
A special permit was also granted at the Sentry Oil site, 13 Pommogussett Road, for a car wash.
These projects will help bring a commercial tax base to town, George said.
His office is also working on updates to the Master Plan, Rutland Heights property and home occupation bylaw.
Michael Sullivan, chair of the Rutland Development and Industrial Commission, said a written request for a closing date by the end of October has been requested in writing by the proposed buyer of a portion of the Rutland Heights land.
Sullivan said he asked them for a written document of the tasks needed to get this accomplished.
“The principal is very disturbed at how long this (the sale) is taking,” Sullivan said. Sullivan said if the weather looks good at the closing date, the principal will likely start “moving dirt” then.
The town of Paxton has signed an agreement with the town for animal control services. Police Chief Nicholas Monaco said Paxton made the request because of the town’s reputation for good work in this field.
