Town Manager Weekly Update - October 31, 2024
Elaine Lazarus
From Elaine Lazarus, Town Manager: October 31, 2024
Save the Date! There will be a Special Town Meeting on Monday, November 18 at 7:00 pm in the Middle School auditorium. All registered voters may attend and vote on the following articles:
Reauthorize the Town’s Means Tested Senior Property Tax Exemption for another 3 years.
Increase the amount of the tax exemption granted to veterans on their homes by a cost-of-living adjustment based on the consumer price index.
Provide an additional exemption up to 100% of the amount of the tax exemption granted to veterans on their homes.
Adopt a local meals excise.
Transfer the care, custody and control of the Hughes Farm open space land to the Town’s Open Space Preservation Commission.
Rescind debt for projects that are no longer necessary or do not require additional funding.
Establish a new revolving fund for the Board of Health.
Amend the Zoning Bylaw and the Zoning Map by adopting a new MBTA Communities Multi-Family Overlay District.
I will provide more information about each of the articles in next week’s update, and the draft motions document for the special town meeting will be available on the website soon.
A town meeting “warrant” provides a “warning” or notice of the subject matter to be considered. The motions document provides the motions that proponents intend to make and is what town meeting attendees use during the meeting. The document includes the warrant articles, the recommendations of certain boards/committees on some articles, and the motions. Often this means that more detailed information is included in the motion that isn’t in the article. For example, the Article 6 warrant article uses the language above. The motion will ask Town Meeting to rescind a total of $1,815,962.23 in authorized and unissued debt for the following projects:
The warrant articles and proponent motions will be available on paper and electronically in advance of the Town Meeting. It’s also important to note that voters may make motions as well - to amend an article, for example. If voters are planning to propose amendments or make other motions, it is recommended that the language be provided electronically in advance so that they can be queued up and ready to be projected on the screen in the auditorium. The Town’s IT Department will have a station at Town Meeting to accommodate motions that are not provided in advance.
More information about the HERO Act and other tax exemptions for veterans: Local Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans | Mass.gov
Information about local option excise taxes, including meals: Local Option Excise Taxes | Mass.gov
Information about the four draft MBTA Communities zoning proposals has been uploaded to the Special Town Meeting page of the Town website: Town Meeting & Budgets
Background information about the Commonwealth’s requirements for MBTA Communities zoning is here: Multi-Family Zoning Requirement for MBTA Communities | Mass.gov
The Town of Hopkinton Senior Solutions Guidebook reviews the current tax relief opportunities for seniors, veterans and their families: Senior Solutions Guidebook.pdf
The Hopkinton Trail Guide with information and maps for certain parcels, including Hughes Farm: Hopkinton Trail Guide / Land and Trail Maps
What is Town Meeting? Citizen’s Guide to Town Meetings
Mild Drought
Portions of Massachusetts are experiencing Mild Drought conditions. Drought Status
Today, the sign at the Hopkinton State Park Headquarters indicated that the fire danger is very high. Careful management of our local water resources is critical for daily life and also for firefighting, an important consideration as dry conditions increase the risk of wildfires.
The Hopkinton Water Department is asking everyone on the municipal system to please refrain from any unnecessary water use. Groundwater is continuing to decline with the lack of rain causing pumping capacity to be cut back at our well sources. With a forecast for continued dry and above normal temperatures through the end of the month, this will continue to put a strain on the system. The low groundwater levels are also causing water to be pulled from further out in the aquifers, negatively affecting water quality causing more periodic discoloration.
More information about water conservation can be found here.
More information about water discoloration can be found at: Water discoloration information.
Updates are available on the Water Department website.
Culvert Replacement Grant
This week the Town was awarded a $115,000 grant to address flooding at two undersized and deteriorating culverts on Fruit Street.
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