At East Longmeadow's annual Town Meeting, voters approved a $51.9 million budget and nearly $1 million in capital projects.
East Longmeadow Town HallEAST LONGMEADOW- The controversial warrant article that proposed the consolidation of the fire and police chief jobs in town was not voted on during the annual Town Meeting Monday.
Article 20, which was proposed by Board of Selectmen member James D. Driscoll, was met with resistance from firefighters and residents in town. Many attended a public forum about the consolidation to express their concerns about the possible merger.
Driscoll, who conducted the forum and submitted the article, did not attend the annual Town Meeting on Monday. The article would have joined the positions of fire and police chiefs into one public safety administrator position.
Fellow members Enrico J. Villamaino and Paul Federici voted to take no action on the article during their meeting held an hour before the Town Meeting. Villamaino and Federici never endorsed the article.
"There was such an overwhelming distaste for the article among residents that we decided it would be best to pull it," Villamaino said. "We will certainly continue to look for ways to save money in town, but not at the expense of the residents' sense of safety and security."
Residents voted on more than 20 warrant articles, including the $51.9 million fiscal 2012 budget, which was approved.
Frank Iovine, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said the town presented a balance budget. Iovine said he expects the town to use free cash reserves to balance the fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014 budgets. However, he expects the town to be in good financial shape.
Voters approved Article 3, which asked for $919,410 for various capital projects, including two police cruisers for $60,000 and two Department of Public Works vehicles for $211,760, as well as East Longmeadow High School maintenance projects and sewer projects.
Residents also voted on two special Town Meeting articles. The special Town Meeting was held during the regular meeting.
Voters approved Article 1, which allocates $1.3 million for a public safety radio update for the police and fire departments and the Department of Public Works.
Information Technology Director Ryan Quimby said the system will include new hand-held and mounted radios as well as a new computer for the fire department dispatch center among other features.
Article 2 asked residents to appropriate $335,200 to purchase equipment for the new high school athletic field through a Proposition 2½ override.
Board of Public Works member John Maybury said the $1.5 million the town approved for the field during the 2010 Town Meeting will not be enough to get the best use of the field.
The additional money will allow the town to get better lighting, a midfield logo, a four-foot vinyl fence around the track, permanent striping, some hurdles, poll vaults and high jump equipment, 500-person bleachers for the visitors side and several other additions, Maybury said.
East Longmeadow High School track and field coach Michael Budd sent a letter asking residents to vote in favor of the additional funds. He said the school produces great athletes who are training on substandard fields. He also said the town has not been able to host track meets in years because of the poor conditions of the field.
Residents approved the article. It will now go before the town in a special election to be held in June.
