Belchertown Town Meeting approves $44.1 million budget and conservation purchase.
BELCHERTOWN – Residents at Monday's Town Meeting approved a $44.1 million town budget and authorized a $175,000 Community Preservation grant as the town's share of the $750,000 purchase of the Holland Glen conservation area.
The town budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is 2.2 percent higher than the budget for the current fiscal year.
It includes $24.9 million for the town school system, an amount that School Committee Chairman Eric Weiss said would mean the loss of some staff positions but no reduction in the number of teachers.
As part of the budget, a $30,000 appropriation for maintenance and weed control at Lake Arcadia and Lake Metacomet was approved by a nearly unanimous vote in a new section of the budget.
Before the vote on this section, Selectman Kenneth E. Elstein said, "There is a critical need now to do something to preserve these lakes.''
Elstein said the people who live at the lakes are contributing $10,000 to the weed control project through their organization, the Tri-Lakes Association, but there is also a need for public funds for the lakes, which have a town beach and other public access.
Finance Committee Chairman Paul Silva said that in order to fund this budget and retain the current level of town services, $252,000 from the town's Stabilization Fund, known as the rainy day fund, is being used.
The Community Preservation grant for the Holland Glen purchase will be combined with a $500,000 state grant and ongoing fund-raising efforts.
Conservation Administrator LeeAnne Connolly said that donations and pledges received to date will bring the town within $6,000 of covering the cost of the property and related expenses and she has confidence that additional donations will bring in the balance of what is needed.
Residents at the Town Meeting also voted unanimously to authorize the town to enter a contract with Siemens Corp. for $3.3 million worth of energy efficiency upgrades for town and school buildings.
The upgrades will be made to heating, insulation, air-conditioning and other energy related systems in the buildings under provisions allowed by state law through which Siemens will guarantee that the town's expenses for these improvements will be matched by energy savings.
Public Works Director Steven J. Williams and Town Administrator Gary L. Brougham said this project will result in cost savings for the town and also will reduce energy consumption and be good for the environment.
Brougham called this a giant step toward energy efficiency and said the energy savings estimated for this project are conservative.
This project has been developed for more than a year with input from the town Energy Committee and was recommended by the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee.