TOWN OF OTIS
BOARD OF SELECTMEN s BOARD OF HEALTH
Town Hall, One North Main Road, P.O. Box 237
Otis, Massachusetts 01237-0237
(413) 269-0100 s Facsimile (413) 269-0104
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
TOWN OF OTIS
Berkshire SS:
To Russell Loring, Constable, and Andrew Pyenson, Moderator, of the Town of Otis in the County of Berkshire,
GREETINGS:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town qualified to vote in Town Affairs to meet in the Otis Town Hall/Community Center, One North Main Road, in said Town on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 for the election of the following Town Officers and terms thereof:
For one Selectman for the term of three years.
For one Assessor for the term of three years,
For one Treasurer for the term of three years,
For one Finance Board member for the term of three years,
For one member of the Regional School District Committee for the term of one year,
For one member of the Regional School District Committee for the term of three years,
For one Library Trustee for the term of one year,
For one Library Trustee for the term of two years,
For one Library Trustee for the term of three years,
For one Cemetery Commissioner for the term of three years,
For one Moderator for the term of one year,
For one Constable for the term of three years,
For one Tree Warden for the term of one year,
For one Planning Board member for the term of five years,
And the Selectmen give notice that the polls shall open for the Election of Officers at 10 o’clock in the forenoon of Tuesday, May 27, 2008 in the Otis Town Hall and may be closed at 7 o’clock in the evening of that day; and that the laws governing elections in the Commonwealth shall be enforced, and the Australian system of voting shall be used with the voting machine.
You are also required to notify and warn the inhabitants of said Town, qualified to vote in Town Affairs to meet in the Otis Town Hall, One North Main Road, on Tuesday, May 20, 2007 at 7 p.m. then and there to act upon the following articles, namely:
ARTICLE 1. To receive the reports of the various Town Officers and act thereon.
ARTICLE 2. To raise and appropriate such money as may be necessary to defray the Town’s expenses for this fiscal year. See appropriations list attached at end of Warrant.
ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $3,780.00 or any other sum to pay the Lee Visiting Nurse Association, Inc. to make available Home Health Services on an intermittent basis: Skilled Nursing, Home Health Aide Service, Homemaker Service, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Nutrition Counseling and Clinics for the residents of the Town of Otis.
ARTICLE 4. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $13,000.00 or any other sum for the Reserve Fund.
ARTICLE 5. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $649.00 or any other sum for the support of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services of Berkshires.
ARTICLE 6. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $103,239.00 or any other sum for the apportioned costs of the Berkshire County Retirement System.
ARTICLE 7. To see if the Town will vote to pay its officers the following salaries for twelve months:
Selectmen Chairman $3,500.00
Others $3,000.00
Town Accountant $14,500.00
Town Clerk $25,026.30
Town Treasurer $14,889.51
Town Collector $38,750.40
Assessors Chairman $3,500.00
Others $3,000.00
Regional School District Committee Chairman $500.00
Others $400.00
Moderator (Annual Town Meeting) $100.00
Moderator (Special Town Meeting) $50.00
Police Chief $4,800.00
Fire Chief $3,500.00
First Assistant Fire Chief $2,000.00
Finance Board Chairman $400.00
Others $300.00
ARTICLE 8. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $120,600.00 or any other sum to enter into a contract with the Otis Rescue Squad, Inc.; said appropriation does not obligate the Town for any liability or responsibility for the operation of the Rescue Squad or actions of its members.
ARTICLE 9. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,807,516.00 or any other sum apportioned share for the Farmington River Regional School District.
ARTICLE 10. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $149,745.00 or any other sum for Fiscal Year 2009 payment of School Bond Issue.
ARTICLE 11. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,200.00 or any other sum for the Community Health Program, f/k/a Children’s Health Program, Inc. for the provision on on-going comprehensive health care and medical supervision of children from birth to five years in the Town of Otis.
ARTICLE 12. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $175.00 or any other sum for the support of Construct, Inc.
ARTICLE 13. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $400.00 or any other sum for Southern Berkshire Literacy Network.
ARTICLE 14. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,000.00 or any other sum for Berkshire South (formerly known as Southern Berkshire YMCA).
ARTICLE 15. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $3,000.00 or any other sum for the Scholarship Fund.
ARTICLE 16. To see if the Town will vote to establish a Revolving Fund under the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, Section 53E1/2 for Demolition Debris Removal from Town of Otis Compactor Station site. Fees received from residents disposing of demolition debris at Otis Compactor Site would be credited to said Revolving Fund and expended for removal of demolition debris from the Compactor Site only by authorization of the Town of Otis Board of Selectmen. Expenditures from said Revolving Fund not to exceed $25,000 for fiscal year 2008. The Otis Board of Selectmen recommends approval of the Revolving Fund.
ARTICLE 17. To see if the Town will vote $136,277.00 or any other sum as an Available Fund under Executive Office of Transportation Chapter 90 State Aid to Highways Program.
ARTICLE 18. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $55,680.00 or any other sum for operation and maintenance of municipal sewer system and to meet the appropriation, transfer funds from sewer user fees.
ARTICLE 19. To see if the Town will vote to maintain separate Revolving Funds pursuant to MGL, Chapter 44, Section 53E ½ for the following fees. Fees received by Town Officials shall be credited to the respective revolving fund and expended for payment only by the authorization of the Town Treasurer. Respective expenditures from said Revolving Funds shall not exceed the amounts shown below for fiscal year 2008 without prior approval from the Board of Selectmen:
Plumbing & Gas Inspector $15,000.00
Wire Inspector $15,000.00
Fire Department Inspections $6,000.00
Sanitation Inspector $9,000.00
ARTICLE 20. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $7,300.00 or any other sum for the maintenance and upgrades to the GIS/GPS system/Website budget.
ARTICLE 21. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $500.00 or any other sum for the Southern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee.
ARTICLE 22. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $7,725.00 or any other sum for the purpose of Tax Title collections.
ARTICLE 23. To see if the Town will vote to transfer $2,100.00 from the Erbe Building budget to the Maintenance budget for fiscal year 2008.
ARTICLE 24. To see if the Town will vote to transfer $400,000.00 or any other sum from the Free Cash account to the Stabilization account.
ARTICLE 25. To see if the Town will vote to transfer a sum not to exceed $3,000.00 from Free Cash for the installation of a new security system at the Otis Library and Museum.
ARTICLE 26. To see if the Town will vote to transfer a sum not to exceed $3,000.00 from Free Cash for the installation of garage door openers at the Highway Garage.
ARTICLE 27. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $5,000.00 for the Bicentennial Celebration.
ARTICLE 28. To see if the town~will vote, pursuant to M.G.L. Ch. 41, Section 81A, to increase the Otis Planning Board membership from five members to seven members, said additional members to be elected at the next annual town election, each member to serve a term of~five years, or to take any other action relative thereto.
ARTICLE 29. To see if the Town will vote to assess taxes in excess of the amount allowed pursuant to G. L. c. 59, § 21C, as follows;
~
"Shall the Town of Otis be allowed to assess an additional $335,911.47 in real estate and personal property taxes for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008;
$187,983.00 of said amount being for the purpose of funding the operating budget of the Farmington River School for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008;
$45,600.00 of said amount being for the purpose of funding the operating budget of the Otis Rescue Squad for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008;
$36,795.00 of said amount being for the purpose of funding the Farmington River School bond assessment for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008;
$20,825.00 of said amount being for the purpose of funding the operating budget of the Otis Library and Museum for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008;
$20,250.00 of said amount being for the purpose of funding the operating budget of the Otis Recreation Commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008; and
$24,458.47 of said amount being for the purpose of defraying the Town’s expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2008?
ARTICLE 30. To see if the town will vote to approve the following home rule petition to permit the Town of Otis to adopt its own speeding ordinances or take any other action thereon;
“Whereas the Town of Otis is concerned with the safety and well-being of the citizens of Otis; and
Whereas, the speed of motor vehicles on city ways and the use of said ways by certain types of motor vehicles seriously impacts on that safety and well-being; and
Whereas, under the statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, control over speed limits and use of ways by certain types of vehicles is controlled by agencies of the Commonwealth and not by the town; and
Whereas, Town Meeting desires to vest control of these matters which so affect its citizens in local and not state hands;
Now, therefore, Town Meeting hereby petitions the Great and General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to enact a home rule petition substantially as attached hereto, said petition allowing speed limits and prohibitions on the use of ways under control of the Town Meeting to be enacted by local ordinance. The General Court may make only such clerical or editorial changes to the form of the bill unless the Board of Selectmen approves amendments to the bill prior to the enactment by the General Court. The Board of Selectmen is hereby authorized to approve amendments which shall be within the scope of the general objectives of this petition.”
And you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting true and attested copies thereof in three public places as designated by said Town of Otis seven days at least before the time of said meeting.
Hereof fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk at the time and place aforesaid. Given under our hands this thirtieth day of April in the year Two Thousand and Eight.
Respectfully submitted:
The Board of Selectmen Approved by the Finance Board
_______________________ ________________________
Andrew L. Pyenson, Chairman Joy Brown, Chairman
_______________________ ________________________
Clayton Chaffee Gary Thomas
_______________________ ________________________
Donald Hawley Irene Rowley
I have this day posted three true attest copies in three designated places in the Town of Otis.
Russell Loring, Constable Date
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