The Yarmouth town meeting warrant on April 30 has 33 articles seeking approval of minimal budget increases, a new sewer bylaw, an updated wetlands bylaw, more firefighters and new police cruisers.
Voters will also be asked to approve a new town seal and apply for a planning and design grant for expansion of library services.
“The town meeting has no big bond issues this year, but it’s all very important stuff to keep the town rolling,” Town Administrator Robert Whritenour said.
The general budget increase is around 2.5%, he said, and the total increase including enterprise funds is 5.3%.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Dennis-Yarmouth Intermediate School at 286 Station Ave. in South Yarmouth. The town meeting warrant is posted on the Yarmouth town website for review.
A Proposition 2 1/2 override proposed
A Proposition 2½ override of $880,000 is needed to cover Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District assessments of $47.66 million, sought in Article 8. Leaders from Dennis, Yarmouth and the school district have collectively endorsed a three year “step-down” plan that includes the fiscal 2025 override.
For a property assessed at $600,000, the override would present a $64 annual tax increase, according to a chart provided in the Finance Committee’s town meeting report.
For the override to pass, it also has to be approved by town meeting voters and at the May 21 town election.
Another ongoing school expense of $200,000 annually is being requested for maintenance of the former Mattacheese Elementary School that was turned over to the town after the new intermediate school was built. Yarmouth residents are being asked to join a utilization committee to make decisions about the future of the building.
Further sewer treatment requests
Several articles relate to the planned construction of a sewer treatment plant and collection system that was approved for $207 million at last year’s town meeting. One article asks for adoption of Massachusetts General Law Chapters 80 and 83 for the purpose of establishing a municipal sewer system. A second article establishes a Yarmouth sewerage bylaw to implement the system, outlining the district boundaries, management and budget and adding a board of commissioners.
Another article asks for approval for wastewater financing of $2 million from free cash and $1 million from the town wastewater enterprise fund to appropriate the total of $3 million to the town wastewater stabilization fund. The operating budget also adds an assistant wastewater superintendent position for $93,000 to oversee construction of the collection system and Buck Island Road treatment facility.
Increasing demand for town services
Demand for all types of town services has increased, the Finance Committee said in its town meeting report. Recent ambulance service usage exceeds historical levels by more than 15%. That increase prompted the addition of four EMT-firefighter positions in the current budget and the proposed fiscal 2025 budget, and possibly four more in the following year. Half of the wages are paid through ambulance receipts, Whritenour said.
The town meeting will be asked to delete a chapter of the Yarmouth Code adopted on Feb. 12, 1894, that created a seal for the town and to create a new seal based on a recommendation of a Town Seal Committee and the Select Board.
In 2023:Yarmouth unveils a new town seal, sparking debate around Native American imagery
Article 13 does not ask for money, but for authorization to apply for a Massachusetts Public Library Grant that would cover 50% of planning and design costs up to $100,000 for library expansion. “We have two beautiful libraries but they are small,” Whritenour said. Expansion would allow for more programs, he said. The community has overwhelmingly communicated a need for improvements to the town library facilities and services, according to consultants working with a planning committee.
A town wetlands bylaw that was last revised in 1987 will also be voted on at the town meeting. Whritenour said it includes no new requirements, but updates the bylaw and incorporates state law changes, such as the Rivers Act.
The last article asks for a one-year extension on zoning article on short-term rentals to allow more study by the Planning Board.
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