HANSON – Potential overrides and the ramifications of reduced hours in town departments may soon be volleyed back into Town Meeting’s court for a decision.
Town Administrator Lisa Green reported to the Select Board on Tuesday, Sept. 17 that Capital Strategic Solutions’ proposal for helping town officials communicate the need for an override “came in at a high figure” so her office has looked at other companies – with equally disappointing results.
While they’ve received another proposal from one of those firms, there were concerns with them, too.
“One of the members didn’t even know what Prop 2 ½ was and another member was out in Colorado most of the time,” Green said. “The majority of their work is virtual.”
They would conduct meetings virtually, put together materials and present them to Hanson officials to farm out.
“A lot of proposals that weren’t really going to work for us,” she said.
“We did have a meeting with the [Umass, Boston] Collins Center and, unfortunately, they declined the project [and] did not put forth a proposal.”
Green also said there has been some new information available concerning free cash, which Town Accountant Eric Kinscherf was prepared to discuss it at the Sept. 24 meeting.
“We feel that we can actually do the work, instead of hiring a consultant to do the work for us,” she said.
Meanwhile. Board Chair Laura said she has heard “scuttlebutt” about the town seeking a $5 million override.
“I have no I idea where people got this from.” she said. “I know our consultants had hypothetically said that potentially, “if we really were getting aggressive we could ask for a $5 million override. No one on this board is entertained it as a dollar amount.”
She also stressed that no consultant was being asked to recommend a dollar amount, but were only being considered to help the town communicate the impact, where the town is financially and the potential impact in the event it didn’t pass.
Board member Ann Rein said everything is going up and people have to understand that the only way to avoid a tax increase without an override is drastic cuts.
“That’s not a threat,” she said. “The other side of the budget is the school budget. … We can’t fight that battle.”
Member Joe Weeks said that is one area where a consultant could help – managing and countering misinformation about the way the budget is being managed.
“The only type of consulting that I would feel comfortable with going into trying to figure out an override situation would be one that communicates the reality of how the budget is actually managed,” he said.
FitzGerald-Kemmett suggested reaching out to the Plymouth County Commissioners to see if they had any suggestions for helping the town communicate its budget issues to residents.
The board also reviewed special Town Meeting warrant articles, voting on which they would recommend, after all articles on the warrant had already been placed.
Much of the discussion centered on Article 20, centering on restoring the Conservation Agent to a full-time position.
Select Board member Joe Weeks said he viewed it and Article 21 as salary issues they couldn’t go back on.
“I’d rather defer,” he said.
Select Board member David George asked if Weeks didn’t think the hours should be restored.
“I think he should have his hours back,” Weeks replied. “We spent three years fighting to get salaries increased and hours increased just to cut them the minute we got them, and I do not want to put a person in the position in which we give them their hours back, just to cut them again. It’s not fair”
The rest of the board agreed it would not be fair.
“And it’s irresponsible,” Weeks added. “So, I think we should defer to Town Meeting and let the taxpayers decide where the money goes again because I do not want to put people and their families in a position to constantly have to bounce back and forth with benefits and employment.”
“People have to live,” George agreed. “People have to eat. People have payments that they have to make.”
FitzGerald-Kemmett agreed with deferring, arguing that the Conservation Department has to get up and make their case for a full-time agent.
“Conservation has to get up and make their case about why they need their guy, and the Board of Health has to get up and make their case about why they need their guy,” she said. “Honestly, I didn’t hear either of those groups getting up at [the May] Town Meeting and making a case.”
“[Restoring hours] is one of the things you even hear about the Transfer Station, and that’s falling in our laps and it’s not even our decision,” Weeks said. “We didn’t make those decisions.”