November 12, 2024

WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE – 11/12/24

ELECTION RESULTS

See the breakdown of the November 5th election results in Hopkinton HERE.

8 ARTICLES FOR SPECIAL TOWN MEETING

In her Weekly Update – November 7, 2024, Town Manager Elaine Lazarus outlined the eight Articles on the Warrant for the November 18th Special Town Meeting:

“Article 1 would reauthorize the Means Tested Senior Property Tax Exemption for another 3 years. The Town’s Home Rule Petition was originally enacted for a three year term with a provision that Town Meeting had to vote to extend the Act every three years. Special Town Meeting on May 8, 2021 extended the Act to August 22, 2024. This article would extend the exemption to August 22, 2027. The exemption provides financial relief to qualifying seniors.

Articles 2 and 3 would adopt new Veterans tax exemptions. On August 8, 2024, Governor Healey signed an Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Service Members and Veterans (the HERO Act) into law. Clause 22I (Article 2) would increase the amount of the tax exemption granted to veterans on their domiciles under Clause 22, Clause 22A, Clause 22B, Clause 22C, Clause 22E and Clause 22F annually by a cost-of-living adjustment determined by the Mass. Department of Revenue based on the consumer price index (CPI). For example, if a Clause 22 recipient will receive a $400 exemption and the community accepts this option, and the CPI increases by 5%, the total exemption amount would increase to $420. This exemption, if accepted, will take effect for Fiscal Year 2026 and is funded through the Overlay Account and will not affect the tax rate.

Clause 22J (Article 3) provides an additional exemption up to 100% of the amount of the tax exemption granted to veterans on their domiciles under Clause 22, Clause 22A, Clause 22B, Clause 22C, Clause 22E and Clause 22F. To implement this exemption, the town must vote to accept the statute and establish the additional exemption percentage before the July 1 beginning of the fiscal year in which the percentage will first apply. The voted percentage will continue to apply in subsequent years unless and until another percentage is voted. For example, if a Clause 22 recipient will receive a $400 exemption and the community accepts Clause 22I, and the CPI increases by 5%, the total exemption amount would increase to $420. If the community further accepts Clause 22J and increases by the maximum 100% the amount of the tax exemption granted to the veteran, in this example, the total exemption will increase to $840.

Article 4 proposes that the Town impose a local sales tax on meals (“meals tax”). At the present time, Massachusetts imposes a 6.25% meals tax. A city or town may impose a local option meals tax on sales by a vendor of restaurant meals occurring within the community. The local rate is 0.75% of the vendor’s gross receipts from restaurant meal sales. It is anticipated that if adopted, the Town would pursue a Special Act that would allow designation of the revenues for economic development purposes.

Article 5 would transfer the care, custody and control of the three Hughes Farm open space parcels to the Open Space Preservation Commission (OSPC). This will facilitate the placement of a Conservation Restriction on the property, which is required because the land was purchased with Community Preservation funds. The land will be under the jurisdiction of the OSPC, and the Conservation Restriction will be held by the Hopkinton Area Land Trust, preserving it in perpetuity.

Article 6 would rescind $1,815,962.23 in authorized but unissued debt previously voted at a Town Meeting. The 13 projects were approved between 2003 and 2021. In other words, Town Meeting authorized borrowing for the projects, but the funding was not needed and so the borrowing never occurred. But it still shows on the books as potential borrowing and counts toward the Town’s overall debt ceiling. The article proposes to eliminate this potential debt.

Article 7 establishes a revolving fund for the Health Department, which will be funded by fees collected by the Department. The funds collected could be spent on Department expenses including salaries, nursing equipment and related supplies, and personal protective equipment.

Article 8 proposes amendments to the Zoning Bylaw and the Zoning Map by adopting the MBTA Communities Multi-Family Overlay District. The article establishes an overlay zoning district that complies with the Commonwealth’s MBTA Communities multi-family by-right housing law, otherwise known as MGL c. 40A, Section 3A. This article would add a new section to the Hopkinton Zoning Bylaws to establish this district as well as amend the Zoning Map to show the subdistrict locations. There are two possible motions, one to approve the proposal familiarly known as “Upper Cedar Street and Downtown” and one to approve the proposal familiarly known as “The Preserve/Downtown/Walcott Valley.” The motions with the proposed Bylaw language and the maps are posted on the Town website.”

Special Town Meeting will be held on Monday, November 18, 2024 at the Hopkinton Middle School at 7pm.

OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION COMMISSION

At its Thursday meeting, the Open Space Preservation Commission approved a request to create signs, funded by the Historical Commission, to honor the historical significance of both the Hughes and Colella properties along Hayden Rowe Street. This signage will describe the properties’ importance to Hopkinton’s economic history as a farming and factory town. Additional issues discussed at the meeting included the disrepair of Fruit Street bridges, invasive bittersweet at the Whitehall area, and construction material left behind at OSPC property on Winter Street. OSPC unanimously approves signage request for historic Hayden Rowe properties (Article by Mary Ellen Gambon, 11/08/24)

department of public works

The Department of Public Works is reminding town residents about winter parking bans and snow placement for the winter months. Starting on November 15th and continuing until April 1st, non-emergency vehicles are prohibited from parking on any street between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Town by-laws also prohibit moving snow onto any public roadway / sidewalk. Highway Department reminds residents of winter parking ban (Article by Nick Schofield, 11/12/24)