List of Articles with Links & Details

• 2016 Town Meeting Warrant Motions Document

REPORTS:

1. Acceptance of Town Reports

FINANCIAL – FISCAL YEAR 2016:

2. FY 2016 Supplemental Appropriations – $200,000 FY16 Snow and Ice Deficit, and $31,500 for Sewer Enterprise Fund
3. FY 2016 Budget Transfers – No Action – Consent Agenda
4. Unpaid Bills from Previous Fiscal Years $3,142.25

FINANCIAL – FISCAL YEAR 2017:

5. Property Tax Exemption Increase (MGL Chapter 59 Section 5 – these exemptions are aimed at helping low-income residents, veterans, the blind, firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty. Town Meeting votes annually on these exemptions.) – Consent Agenda Hopkinton Tax Relief Committee
6. Personal Property Tax Bill Threshold – to establish a minimum personal property value of $1,000.00 for personal property accounts to be taxed. (MGL Chapter 59 Section 5)
7. Set the Salary of Elected Officials – Town Clerk $65,630.
8. Fiscal 2017 Operating Budget $75,982,132.38, which is a +2.46% Tax Impact (net of new growth)
   • FY17 Appropriations Recommended Budget (Revised)
   • FY17 School Department Budget
9. FY 2017 Revolving Funds. To see if the Town will vote to authorize or re-authorize the use of revolving funds containing receipts from the fees charged to users of the services provided by the various Boards, Committees, Departments or Offices of the Town, pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 53E 1/2, of the Massachusetts General Laws.
10. Chapter 90 Highway Funds – $651,957
11. Transfer to General Stabilization Fund – $300,000
12. Other Post Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund – $612,647

CAPITAL EXPENSES AND PROJECTS:

13. Pay-As-You-Go Capital Expenses
    • Highway F-350 Pickup $60,000 DPW
    • Fire Apparatus/Vehicles $46,394
    • IT Equipment Replacement $100,000
    • Replacement of Police Cruisers $74,000
    • Systemwide School Security Upgrades (FY17 Upgrade intrusion alarm systems at Elmwood and High School) $100,000
    • Hopkins School Boiler Replacement (Replace boiler #2 at Hopkins – town received insurance proceeds $42,088 in FY16) $55,000
    • Middle School Water Heater Replacement (Replace water heater installed in 1996) $33,000
    • High School Athletic Center Scoreboard Replacement $25,000
    • Systemwide School Technology Upgrades (FY17 New student information system & wiring upgrades) $100,000
    • School Dept. – Replacement of Tractor $81,000
    • Middle School and High School Bleacher Upgrades and Repairs $85,000
14. Weed Control at Lake Maspenock – No Action – The Lake Maspenock Weed Management & Control Advisory Group expects to release its recommendations by the end of May 2016.
15. Sidewalk Master Plan Phase II – $136,000
16. Transfer Funds to Purchase Fire Vehicle and Equipment – $500,000
17. Transfer Funds to Purchase Fire Vehicle – $125,000
18. Transfer Funds to Reequip/Reconfigure Fire Vehicle and Equipment – $55,000
19. Purchase of Dump Truck $200,000 DPW
20. Grove Street Water Tank Replacement $1,530,000 from DPW Water Enterprise Fund – Replaces the smaller 0.32 million gallon water tank which is 95 years old, with a new 1.33 million gallon tank.
21. Water Main Replacement – Hayden Rowe Street $260,000 from DPW Water Enterprise Fund
22. Water Source of Supply $1,000,000 from DPW Water Enterprise Fund
23. Biological Filtration Wells #4 & #5 $50,000 from DPW Water Enterprise Fund
24. Middle School Auditorium Upgrades (Install air conditioning, repaint stage floor, replace curtains, stage rigging, control console, & light board) $167,000
25. School Bus Parking Lot (Construct gravel parking lot for buses at the proposed new elementary school – results in estimated annual positive impact of $111K ) $320,000 – No Action – Consent Agenda
26. School Building & Grounds Storage Facility – Design & Feasibility $25,000 – No Action
27. Artificial Turf Field with Lights – Design & Feasibility $100,000 – No Action – Consent Agenda
28. Signage for Historical Sites – $15,000
29. Transfer Funds for New Capital Projects – No Action – Consent Agenda
30. Cemetery Roadway Opening – access to the Claflin St from Mt Auburn Cemetery – $2,500

COMMUNITY PRESERVATION FUNDS:

31. Community Preservation Recommendations – CPC Project Narratives, CPC Powerpoint Slides, About the Community Preservation Act:
    1. $20,000 from funds reserved for Historic Preservation to preserve Town records
    2. $2,500 from funds reserved for Open Space for Boundary Markers/Medallions to be acquired and installed on Town owned parcels
    3. $50,000 from Budgeted Reserve Funds to improve the public trail and create a dog park on 192 Hayden Rowe Street (Hughes Property). – Some of the maintenance will fall under the DPW budget and the Parks & Rec Budget. The goal is also to set up a volunteer group of dog owners in town to help with some of the maintenance and to think of fundraising ideas.
    4. $50,000 from funds reserved for Open Space to acquire approximately 6 acres of land located at 0 East Main Street and shown as parcel U12-23-0 on the Assessors Map
    5. $60,000 from funds reserved for Historic Preservation to rehab and restore the McFarland Sanger House
    6. $75,000 from funds reserved for Historic Preservation to rehab and restore the Rte 85 Stone Bridge
    7. $25,000 from Budgeted Reserve Funds to construct a recreational path from Rte 85 to the Stone Bridge
    8. $10,000 from Budgeted Reserve Funds to install fencing around the Claflin Fountain
    9. $50,000 from Budgeted Reserve Funds to install protective netting at the Fruit Street Athletic Complex
    10. $20,000 from Budgeted Reserve Funds to install a boat dock at Sandy Beach

ZONING BYLAW AMENDMENTS:

32. Amend Open Space Mixed Use Development Overlay District to allow “Cultural Uses” by Special Permit in the Residential Subdistrict, for example an International Marathon Center.
33. Amend Garden Apartments in Residential Districts and Village Housing in Residential Districts Bylaws Garden Apartments and Village Housing bylaws draft 2-2-16
34. Repeal Senior Housing Development Bylaw Senior Housing Development Bylaw draft 2-2-16
35. Amend Site Plan Review and Open Space and Landscape Preservation Development Bylaws Site Plan Review and OSLPD Bylaws draft 2-2-16
36. Amend Sign Bylaw Sign Bylaw draft 2-2-16, Document depicting proposed changes to Sign Bylaw 2-2-16 – These changes are due to a unanimous 2015 US Supreme Court Ruling “Reed vs Town of Gilbert, AZ.” Changes are being made to comply with the ruling, as recommended by Town Counsel.
37. Amend Hotel Overlay District Hotel Overlay District draft 2-2-16 – Hopkinton already has a Hotel Zoning Overlay District, but has not yet been able to attract a hotel. These changes would: 1) reduce the amount of function room space required from 8,000 sq. ft. to just 1,500 sq. ft.; 2) require just a “restaurant” instead of a “full service restaurant;” and 3) require just a “fitness center” instead of a “health club facility.” Hopkinton’s local hotel room occupancy excise tax rate is 6% (voted at 2015 Town Meeting). A report on the Municipal Cost Impacts of Massachusetts’s Hotel/Motel-Based Homeless Families Shelter Program by the State Auditor’s office.
38. Elmwood Park Business District Elmwood Park Business District draft 2-2-16, Proposed Elmwood Park Business District Map – Elmwood Park is currently in the “Industrial B” zoning district of Hopkinton, this change would create a separate zoning district for Elmwood Park with its own list of permitted uses.
39. Dog Day Care Dog Day Care Facilities draft 2-2-16 – Hopkinton does not currently have zoning to allow Dog Day Care Facilities, this bylaw would set hours, size, waste, odor control and other requirements for such facilities.
40. Animal Shelters Animal Shelters draft 2-2-16 – This bylaw change would set requirements for animal shelters, such as Baypath Humane Society, which also acts as Hopkinton’s dog pound.  Baypath would like to expand and improve their physical plant and would need to find another location where they can build a modern animal shelter. They would like to remain in Hopkinton, however, today there is no land within the town of Hopkinton zoned for use by an animal shelter. Info Sheet from Baypath

GENERAL BYLAW AMENDMENTS:

41. Repeal Sex Offender Residency Requirement – This repeal is due to a unanimous Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling in 2015 that struck down a law in the City of Lynn, which was very similar to Hopkinton’s bylaw.

LAND ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSITIONS:

42. Acquisition of Easement – 91 West Main Street – for the purpose of creating an exclusive right turn lane in West Main Street eastbound onto Lumber Street.
43. Acquisition of Easement – Leonard Street – to be used for stormwater management purposes.
44. Gift of Land – Connelly Hill Estates – to be used for open space and recreation purposes.
45. Gift of land – Hilltop Road – No Action – Consent Agenda
46. Gift of land – Legacy Farms Recreation Parcel – to be used for open space, recreation and general municipal purposes.
47. Street Acceptance
    • Connelly Hill Road, from Smith Road to Bowker Road
    • Valleywood Road, from Erika Drive to dead end
    • Carol Ann Drive, from West Elm Street to dead end
    • Kerry Lane, from Eastview Road to dead end
    • Nancy Lane, from Teresa Road to dead end
48. Street Discontinuance
    • “Frankland Road” from its intersection with East Main Street to its intersection with Legacy Farms Road
    • The entirety of the private way known as “Peach Street”
49. Disposition of Property – the discontinued portions of Frankland Road and Peach Street.
    Selectmen recommend No Action, but Planning Board recommend Approval

ADMINISTRATIVE:

50. Solar Tax Agreements – to authorize the Board of Selectmen to negotiate a Tax Agreement for payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT Agreement) with the owner(s) of a solar photovoltaic facility on East Main Street.
51. Town Clerk – to change the position of Town Clerk from elected to appointed (hired). In order to move forward this question would also require approval from the state and a yes vote on a future town election ballot.  It is not on the ballot for May 16. Town of Hopkinton 2016 Job Description Town Clerk
52. Trustees of the School Trust Fund in the Town of Hopkinton – to appoint Jeanne Bernardin (7 Kimball Road) as a Trustee – Consent Agenda