Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday in Palmer for the annual town election.
PALMER - Tuesday's annual election features races for Town Council, School Committee and a request for approval of a $2.175 million bond to finance the replacement of flooring at Old Mill Pond Elementary School to prevent a mold problem from happening there again.
Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the town's two polling areas - Sts. Peter and Paul Parish Center for precincts 1, 1A and 4, and Converse Middle School for precincts 2 and 3. There are approximately 7,900 registered voters in Palmer.
At-large Town Councilor Paul E. Burns, 53, of 4195 High St., Thorndike, has been on the council for seven years and is facing competition from Robert B. Lavoie, 52, of 18 Peterson Road.
Burns, manager of employee supports at Work Opportunity Center in Springfield, said he thinks he still has more to give, which is why he is pursuing another three-year term.
Paul Burns "I am proud of my record and have worked hard to balance the needs of the entire community, whether working with the Town Council and School Committee when I was council president to ensure the school roofs were repaired or working with staff at the Senior Center to ensure that the needs of our town's 2,500 seniors are met, or working to with the Charter Commission to ensure a consistent focus on economic development in town," Burns wrote in a statement. " I am proud of my record of service."
Burns was chairman of the Charter Commission, which added the economic development position to the charter, a move voters later supported.
Lavoie, of 18 Peterson Road, said this is his first run for elective office, and said he will bring "a fresh perspective on what's going on in town." Lavoie, who sells legal insurance from his home, described himself as a "conservative" who wants to reduce taxes and "stop hammering the people in town to keep paying."
"Basically I'm a newcomer who wants to come in and shake things up," Lavoie said.
Lavoie said he is concerned that the library budget is overfunded. He said he is seeking an at-large position because he wants to represent all residents.
District 1 Councilor Philip J. Hebert, 53, of 4231 High St., Thorndike, was running unopposed for another three years until a last-minute push to elect William F. "Billy" Byrnes of Bondsville surfaced.
Philip J. Hebert Hebert, a truck driver who has been on the council for seven years, said he would like to see some "true economic development happen" and is pleased about the ongoing efforts to improve playgrounds, such as Endelson in Bondsville and Eager near Converse Middle. Hebert wants to see more businesses in town, and would like to see the DARE program expanded to the high school.
Hebert thinks Byrnes' candidacy was brought forward by pro-casino folks who were upset that he did not support Mohegan Sun's failed bid to open as casino in Palmer.
Hebert questioned why Byrnes did not take out nomination papers when he had the chance, and said a mailing that went to residents in support of Byrnes carried an East Longmeadow return address.
"It's over. It's not coming here," Hebert said about the casino. "Let's all move forward together."
Byrnes, of 41 South High St., Bondsville, said he was recently told by someone that a group of people are concerned about their council representation from precinct 1 and want him to serve the district. He said he didn't ask who the people were who want him to run.
Byrnes, who said he likes to be active in the community, said he would accept the position if he were elected. Recently, he has been involved with "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" - he was an Army medic in Vietnam. Though Byrnes supported the casino, he said he doesn't think that issue has anything to do with the push for him to represent precinct 1.
William "Billy" Byrnes The School Committee race features three residents vying for two, three-year positions - incumbent David M. Lynch, and newcomers Lorinda L. Baker and Lisa J. Murray. Robert Janasiewicz is not seeking reelection.
Lynch, 77, of 20 Grove St., has been been on the committee since 1999.
A retired high school history teacher and coach, Lynch said he wants to provide the best education at the best price for taxpayers in Palmer. If he is reelected, he said this term will be his last.
Lynch said he wanted to be on the board again in case any more discussions resurface about potentially closing the middle school. The idea has come up before, mainly due to concerns about declining enrollment. Lynch said he does not want to see a school that houses grades six through 12.
Baker, 48, of 38 Chudy St., Three Rivers, said she has been involved in clean up days in town, and wanted to do more to give back. She has a 12-year-old son in the school system and is interested in what happens.
Lorinda Baker Baker said she will bring a "fresh set of eyes" to the committee. Through her job as a transition consultant at MassMutual Financial Group, she works with people on their 401K plans, and said she can bring that "kind of focus" to her role on the School Committee.
"I try to drill into my son's head, especially living in a small town, that we need to be part of the group to make changes," Baker said.
Murray, 44, of 2277 Baptist Hill Road, said she tries to stay on top of what's going on in the schools, and felt she was at a point both personally and professionally where she could be on the School Committee. She previously served on the superintendent search committee and relocation committee regarding Converse Middle School. She said she would like to continue to be involved in discussions about closing the middle school, if they come up.
Lisa Murray Murray owns her own business, The Transportation Advisor, which specializes in state Department of Transportation compliance, such as drug and alcohol testing for commercial trucking companies.
"In times of budget shortfall, I feel it is essential not only to look for areas to cut costs but to explore opportunities to increase revenues. The ultimate goal is to be fiscally responsible while doing our best to reduce the impact on learning," Murray wrote on her candidate announcement on her Facebook page.
Voters also will be faced with two questions, the debt exclusion for the flooring replacement at Old Mill Pond, and a request to cease assessing the excise tax on certain animals, machinery and equipment involved in agriculture.
As for the latter, Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said the amount collected each year - approximately $300 - is not enough considering the amount of work that goes into the collections. The Board of Assessors informed Blanchard that it is difficult to find out who has farm animals and equipment. He said even though property owners are supposed to inform the assessors if they have these possessions, most are unaware of the law.
A mold problem at Old Mill Pond School, a pre-kindergarten through grade 4 school, forced the start of school to be delayed last year, and prompted officials to look into solutions to resolve the issue. High humidity and food left on the carpets caused mold to grow.
According to the proposal, which is outlined on the town website at www.townofpalmer.com, voters will be asked to borrow $2.175 million over a five year period to fund the removal and replacement of the flooring. Blanchard said the school building committee is still studying what kind of floor to install, but the plan is to advertise for bids in November. Work would take place next summer and in summer 2016.
The flooring is original from 1991 - when the school was built.
"The carpet is in pretty bad shape," Blanchard said.
Options for flooring include basic vinyl composition tile, expected to last 15 to 20 years; premium vinyl, expected to last 15 to 20 years; linoleum, expected to last 20 to 25 years; and rubber, 30 to 35 years.
The tax impact on the average home assessed at $172,641 would be $96 the first year, then $93.87 the second year, $91.73 the third year; $89.60 the fourth year and $87.47 the last year.
Blanchard said if it does not pass, town officials will have to see if it can go forward without a debt exclusion, which raises taxes temporarily for the life of a project. He said there isn't much money available for borrowing, and that there is already pressure on the town from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide more money to the schools because of net school spending issues.
