Sale of Pheeny's Island Up for Discussion at Selectmen Meeting

Bi-County Collaborative to also meet tonight.

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Solmonese School Roof Repair Cost Increases

$575,000 more will be sought in Fall Town Meeting.

The School Committee will ask for $575,000 more towards replacing the J. C. Solmonese Elementary School roof at Town Meeting later this month. This request for funds comes after the May Town Meeting, in which voters approved $925,000 to go towards the roof. A roof replacement has been on the capital improvements list for the past few years. Staff members are said to dodge leaks whenever it rains. Altogether, the project will cost $1.5M, which is what the article will request. The Massachusetts School Building Authority will reimburse approximately 56 percent of it. “What we will get back on the $1.5 will be approximately $830,000 and Norton’s share will be $662,000,” said Barry Nectow, director of operations and finance. Let Patch save you…

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No Support for Pheeny's Island Article

Norton selectmen say town would be open to huge liability.

  Selectmen unanimously refused to support a petition article within the Oct. 29 Norton Annual Town Meeting Thursday by a 5-0 vote, saying the request to raise and appropriate an unspecified amount of money to purchase Pheeny’s Island would result in a dangerous precedent for the town. The article, submitted by A. Brandt Henderson et al, proposes the town authorize the board of selectmen to acquire the island, the land owned by August M. and Manuel M. Ribiero, by purchase, gift, eminent domain, or otherwise. The 9.17-acre parcel has been the object of town-wide controversy since developer Kenneth Leavitt proposed creating an island ropes course and adventure camp on the island a year ago.  The developer hired an engineering firm to lay out…

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Vote to purchase Pheeny's Island

Letter to the editor by Herbert Ellison.

To the editor:   During the October 29th Fall Town Meeting Norton voters will have a unique opportunity to complete a process started 26 years ago.  In 1986 the Town of Norton purchased the Norton Reservoir from the Wading River Reservoir Corporation for the purpose of preventing the Reservoir from being drained and then developed for commercial use.  The goal also was to restore it for regional recreational use for everybody.  A vote for a citizen's petition to purchase Pheeny's Island will almost complete the protection of the Reservoir, a municipal treasure that secures open space, protects wildlife, and expands recreational opportunities. The 500+ acre Norton Reservoir was created in the 1860s by damming the Rumford River for fire …

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MCAS, Town Meeting to be Discussed by School Committee

Meeting to take place 6:30 p.m. at L.G. Nourse Elementary while Finance Committee will meet 7:30 p.m. in the selectmen's meeting room and the Water Bodies Committee will congregate 7 p.m. in the first floor meeting room.

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EEE, Town Meeting to be Discussed in Sept. 13 Meetings

Meeting to take place 7 p.m. in Town Hall.

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Date Set for Annual Fall Town Meeting

Meeting to take place Oct. 29.

The annual Fall Town Meeting is scheduled to take place 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 29 in the audiorium of Norton Middle School. Warrant articles will be accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the selectmen's office. The last day to register to vote for the Fall Annual Town Meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 9. The town clerks office, located on the first floor of Town Hall, 70 E. Main St., will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on this day. Town Hall is open for regular hours Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information call 508-285-0230.

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[POLL] Should Norton Keep Town Meeting Format?

Questioning of Norton has outgrown current form of government.

In a recent article on Boston.com, Town Moderator Bill Gouveia said that Norton has outgrown the Town Meeting form of governance. Approximately 100 town residents showed up at Norton's most recent Town Meeting May 14 to approve a $45 million budget. Gouveia said that there is only a large turnout when there is something interesting on the warrant, such as June 7, 2011 when over 1,600 voters passed the school building project.  Do you think it's time for a new form of government in town?

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Town Meeting Minutes Released

PDF of Special and Annual Town Meeting notes.

The minutes from the Annual and Special Town Meeting held Monday, May 14 have been released. Scroll through the attached PDF to view them.

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Voters Approve $45M Budget

Schools to get $23,007,874.

Town voters approved the $45,371,093 fiscal year 2013 budget Monday night, despite some debate over the school and Town Clerk’s portion. Voters went with the Finance Committee’s recommendation of $23,007,874 for the Norton Public School’s operating budget rather than the $22,926,668 supported by Town Manager Michael Yunits. The $81,206 difference came from unanticipated revenue for veteran’s reimbursements. “Our feeling is that over the years the school department has had to take an incredible hit and this year if we could give, we can afford, they should get the increase we are recommending,” said Paul Helmreich of the Finance Committee. “The school needs this money. It doesn’t come close to funding what they actually need. They have got …

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