Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
"Landfill plans to get hearing"
Landfill plans to get hearing
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com
SOUTH HADLEY - The Department of Public Works superintendent has agreed to invite town conservation commissioners to the next public hearing at 7 p.m. June 10 in Town Hall on proposed expansion at the municipal landfill.
Department of Public Works Superintendent James M. Reidy agreed to take that action at the request of Town Meeting member Robert L. Robertson during the first public hearing on the proposal. Robertson said as a town meeting member he would be more comfortable if he knew the position of the Conservation Commission on the proposed expansion. Interstate Waste Services Inc. of Carlisle, Pa., which runs the town-owned landfill, has proposed expanding the footprint of the 38-acre facility by about 21 acres into the adjoining Bynan Conservation Area.
Town Meeting members will be asked to vote on that project and other details of a proposed successor contract to run the landfill when they convene for a special town meeting on June 15.
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Town Meeting member Judith K. Ellenburg asked how much of the land proposed for the expansion consists of wetlands as well as where the wetlands are located.
Reidy replied that some are in the southeast portion of the land being eyed, adding that permitting the project through the Conservation Commission and the state Department of Environmental Protection will be "tough."
The land proposed for the expansion is to the northeast of the landfill and has lots of wetlands and endangered species, according to Reidy. He did note that wetlands laws allow for replication of wetlands.
Reidy conducted the session at the request of the Selectboard with a special emphasis on informing Town Meeting members. About 20 people attended Thursday's public hearing.
Increasing the landfill's footprint could extend the life span of the landfill by about 13 years. Interstate would also like to expand the existing landfill upwards in a project that would give the facility one to three more years of life. Plans call for expanding 10 to 15 feet upward.
The town's current contract with Interstate for dumping, which has been in place since December of 2003, allows for it to accept 156,000 tons of waste a year and is expected to expire Dec. 31, 2010, when the facility is projected to be full.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com
SOUTH HADLEY - The Department of Public Works superintendent has agreed to invite town conservation commissioners to the next public hearing at 7 p.m. June 10 in Town Hall on proposed expansion at the municipal landfill.
Department of Public Works Superintendent James M. Reidy agreed to take that action at the request of Town Meeting member Robert L. Robertson during the first public hearing on the proposal. Robertson said as a town meeting member he would be more comfortable if he knew the position of the Conservation Commission on the proposed expansion. Interstate Waste Services Inc. of Carlisle, Pa., which runs the town-owned landfill, has proposed expanding the footprint of the 38-acre facility by about 21 acres into the adjoining Bynan Conservation Area.
Town Meeting members will be asked to vote on that project and other details of a proposed successor contract to run the landfill when they convene for a special town meeting on June 15.
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Town Meeting member Judith K. Ellenburg asked how much of the land proposed for the expansion consists of wetlands as well as where the wetlands are located.
Reidy replied that some are in the southeast portion of the land being eyed, adding that permitting the project through the Conservation Commission and the state Department of Environmental Protection will be "tough."
The land proposed for the expansion is to the northeast of the landfill and has lots of wetlands and endangered species, according to Reidy. He did note that wetlands laws allow for replication of wetlands.
Reidy conducted the session at the request of the Selectboard with a special emphasis on informing Town Meeting members. About 20 people attended Thursday's public hearing.
Increasing the landfill's footprint could extend the life span of the landfill by about 13 years. Interstate would also like to expand the existing landfill upwards in a project that would give the facility one to three more years of life. Plans call for expanding 10 to 15 feet upward.
The town's current contract with Interstate for dumping, which has been in place since December of 2003, allows for it to accept 156,000 tons of waste a year and is expected to expire Dec. 31, 2010, when the facility is projected to be full.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Letter from Sen. Rosenberg
This letter to the South Hadley Selectboard concerns local aid for FY 10.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
"Company looking to expand dump"
Company looking to expand dump
Sunday, May 17, 2009
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com
SOUTH HADLEY - Interstate Waste Services Inc., which operates the 38-acre town landfill, wants to expand it by about 21 acres into the Byann Conservation Area.
This would increase its total area by slightly more than half.
This project and other details of a proposed successor contract to run the facility now under consideration will be the subject of a public meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Town Hall and a second informational session at 7 p.m. on June 10, also in Town Hall.
Public Works Superintendent James M. Reidy said on Friday he will conduct the session at the request of the Select Board, with an emphasis on Town Meeting members.
They will vote on the contract when the Town Meeting reconvenes on June 15.
Action on the agreement was postponed because final details were being hammered out when the annual Town Meeting took place on May 9.
"It is an important decision for the town, that is for sure," said Reidy.
Reidy said the town can deal with some of the difficulties posed by the site by developing compensatory wetlands for the expansion, which could extend the lifespan of the landfill by 13 years.
Interstate also seeks to expand the landfill upward in a central area that would give it two more years of life.
Plans call for expanding it 10 to 15 feet upward.
The town's current contract with Interstate for dumping, which has been in place since December 2003, allows for it to accept 156,000 tons of waste a year. The contract is expected to expire on Dec. 31, 2010, when the facility is projected to be full.
Reidy, who has been negotiating the contract with Town Engineer Yem Lip, said the proposed agreement has "significant" increased benefits for the town.
The pact calls for allowing the town to increase the amount of waste it may dispose of at the landfill for free, from 4,000 tons to 8,000 tons a year. The town generates about 7,500 tons of trash a year.
The current agreement allows the town to receive 5 percent of revenues generated when tipping fees are less than $70 a ton, and 6 percent if they are $70 a ton or more.
The proposed agreement would raise the percentage given to the town to 10 percent of total tipping income, regardless of the per-ton rate.
The town now receives about $500,000 a year in tipping fees, a figure that could grow to about $870,000 should the proposed contract be approved, added Reidy.
The public works chief said that the Carlisle, Pa., company would like to expand the landfill's footprint on the northeastern side of the dump, involving some land in the Bynan Conservation Area.
Siting the expansion there will pose significant "permitting challenges" because of endangered species and wetlands, said Reidy.
Using that land, he said, will require the approval of the Conservation Commission, as well as the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com
SOUTH HADLEY - Interstate Waste Services Inc., which operates the 38-acre town landfill, wants to expand it by about 21 acres into the Byann Conservation Area.
This would increase its total area by slightly more than half.
This project and other details of a proposed successor contract to run the facility now under consideration will be the subject of a public meeting on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Town Hall and a second informational session at 7 p.m. on June 10, also in Town Hall.
Public Works Superintendent James M. Reidy said on Friday he will conduct the session at the request of the Select Board, with an emphasis on Town Meeting members.
They will vote on the contract when the Town Meeting reconvenes on June 15.
Action on the agreement was postponed because final details were being hammered out when the annual Town Meeting took place on May 9.
"It is an important decision for the town, that is for sure," said Reidy.
Reidy said the town can deal with some of the difficulties posed by the site by developing compensatory wetlands for the expansion, which could extend the lifespan of the landfill by 13 years.
Interstate also seeks to expand the landfill upward in a central area that would give it two more years of life.
Plans call for expanding it 10 to 15 feet upward.
The town's current contract with Interstate for dumping, which has been in place since December 2003, allows for it to accept 156,000 tons of waste a year. The contract is expected to expire on Dec. 31, 2010, when the facility is projected to be full.
Reidy, who has been negotiating the contract with Town Engineer Yem Lip, said the proposed agreement has "significant" increased benefits for the town.
The pact calls for allowing the town to increase the amount of waste it may dispose of at the landfill for free, from 4,000 tons to 8,000 tons a year. The town generates about 7,500 tons of trash a year.
The current agreement allows the town to receive 5 percent of revenues generated when tipping fees are less than $70 a ton, and 6 percent if they are $70 a ton or more.
The proposed agreement would raise the percentage given to the town to 10 percent of total tipping income, regardless of the per-ton rate.
The town now receives about $500,000 a year in tipping fees, a figure that could grow to about $870,000 should the proposed contract be approved, added Reidy.
The public works chief said that the Carlisle, Pa., company would like to expand the landfill's footprint on the northeastern side of the dump, involving some land in the Bynan Conservation Area.
Siting the expansion there will pose significant "permitting challenges" because of endangered species and wetlands, said Reidy.
Using that land, he said, will require the approval of the Conservation Commission, as well as the state Department of Environmental Protection and the state's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Chapter 70 (education) reductions
From: DLS_Alerts@dor.state.ma.us [mailto:DLS_Alerts@dor.state.ma.us]
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 3:55 PM
To: selectmen@southhadley.org
Subject: FY09 Chapter 70 Reductions
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has posted information on their website regarding the FY09 Chapter 70 reductions announced by Governor Patrick on May 7, 2009. These Chapter 70 reductions will be offset, dollar for dollar, with Federal Stimulus Funds.
To view this information, click on or copy and paste to your Internet browser the following link:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/chapter70/chapter_09_reduction.html
A joint DLS and DESE memo on the accounting requirements for these federal funds will be issued shortly.
Sent: Monday, May 11, 2009 3:55 PM
To: selectmen@southhadley.org
Subject: FY09 Chapter 70 Reductions
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has posted information on their website regarding the FY09 Chapter 70 reductions announced by Governor Patrick on May 7, 2009. These Chapter 70 reductions will be offset, dollar for dollar, with Federal Stimulus Funds.
To view this information, click on or copy and paste to your Internet browser the following link:
http://finance1.doe.mass.edu/chapter70/chapter_09_reduction.html
A joint DLS and DESE memo on the accounting requirements for these federal funds will be issued shortly.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Budget uncertainties delaying Town Meeting action around Valley"
By NICK GRABBE
Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Many towns are delaying their Town Meeting budget debates because of uncertainty over how much state money there will be to help pay for their teachers, police officers and assessors.
"The state aid numbers appear to be changing daily," said Margaret Nartowicz, town administrator in Sunderland, whose Town Meeting met April 24 and will reconvene June 12.
"It's a moving target," said Robert Judge, a selectman in South Hadley, which is expected to postpone its budget debate until mid-June.
"There are too many balls still in the air," said Stephanie O'Keeffe, chairwoman of the Select Board in Amherst, where Town Meeting won't consider financial articles until June 1.
Town Meetings that typically finish their business by tomato-planting time will this year be unsure of their budgets weeks before the new fiscal year starts July 1. It's even possible that there won't be any resolution of the state budget by mid-June, Nartowicz said.
In a normal year, the governor proposes a budget in January and the Legislature gives a signal about state aid to towns by March. Finance committees make spending recommendations and town meetings act on them.
This, however, is not a normal year.
Gov. Deval Patrick's budget cut local aid by 7 percent, and in April the House cut it more, but then proposed raising the sales tax to restore some of that money. The Senate, which hasn't acted on the tax hike, will take declining state revenues into account in forming its budget, which then has to be reconciled with the House version and signed by the governor.
On Monday, the announcement of atrocious April state revenue collections forced everyone to lower their expectations once again. There may have to be more cuts in the current year's state budget as well as next year's.
The Senate held a hearing Tuesday on the collapsing revenue numbers. Senators will face a choice between a tax increase and large budget cuts, or both. Local aid may be on the chopping block again.
The choices for local officials are "extremely deep cuts or catastrophically deep cuts," according to Geoffrey Beckwith of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
"Every day is a snapshot in time, with revenues going up and down," said Pat Mikes, the MMA's communication director. "For local officials, it might be better to wait and see."
Pelham had its Town Meeting Saturday but delayed its budget debate until June 20.
"How can we tell our departments what's available?" said John Trickey of the Pelham Finance Committee. "The judicious thing to do is to postpone it. I'd hate to pass a budget and then have to cut things."
When Granby Town Meeting convenes Monday, the Board of Selectmen will ask that spending articles be put off until June 15. Westhampton has delayed its budget vote until June 29 and Deerfield to June 22.
But there is a potential downside to the wait-and-see approach.
"The most responsible thing to do is to wait as long as you can," said Amherst Town Manager Larry Shaffer. "But government is a leviathan. It takes time to act. We're not particularly nimble."
Judge, the South Hadley selectman, said one citizen told him that delaying Town Meeting will conflict with their plans for June and make it difficult to get a quorum. This citizen said he believes in the principle of having Town Meeting at a fixed time, he said.
Sunderland, which has the added complication of a Proposition 2½ override, faces the challenge of "not knowing what municipal services are going to look like next year," said Nartowicz. "Contracts, such as for curbside trash pickup, need to be executed with vendors. Things are on hold."
Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Many towns are delaying their Town Meeting budget debates because of uncertainty over how much state money there will be to help pay for their teachers, police officers and assessors.
"The state aid numbers appear to be changing daily," said Margaret Nartowicz, town administrator in Sunderland, whose Town Meeting met April 24 and will reconvene June 12.
"It's a moving target," said Robert Judge, a selectman in South Hadley, which is expected to postpone its budget debate until mid-June.
"There are too many balls still in the air," said Stephanie O'Keeffe, chairwoman of the Select Board in Amherst, where Town Meeting won't consider financial articles until June 1.
Town Meetings that typically finish their business by tomato-planting time will this year be unsure of their budgets weeks before the new fiscal year starts July 1. It's even possible that there won't be any resolution of the state budget by mid-June, Nartowicz said.
In a normal year, the governor proposes a budget in January and the Legislature gives a signal about state aid to towns by March. Finance committees make spending recommendations and town meetings act on them.
This, however, is not a normal year.
Gov. Deval Patrick's budget cut local aid by 7 percent, and in April the House cut it more, but then proposed raising the sales tax to restore some of that money. The Senate, which hasn't acted on the tax hike, will take declining state revenues into account in forming its budget, which then has to be reconciled with the House version and signed by the governor.
On Monday, the announcement of atrocious April state revenue collections forced everyone to lower their expectations once again. There may have to be more cuts in the current year's state budget as well as next year's.
The Senate held a hearing Tuesday on the collapsing revenue numbers. Senators will face a choice between a tax increase and large budget cuts, or both. Local aid may be on the chopping block again.
The choices for local officials are "extremely deep cuts or catastrophically deep cuts," according to Geoffrey Beckwith of the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
"Every day is a snapshot in time, with revenues going up and down," said Pat Mikes, the MMA's communication director. "For local officials, it might be better to wait and see."
Pelham had its Town Meeting Saturday but delayed its budget debate until June 20.
"How can we tell our departments what's available?" said John Trickey of the Pelham Finance Committee. "The judicious thing to do is to postpone it. I'd hate to pass a budget and then have to cut things."
When Granby Town Meeting convenes Monday, the Board of Selectmen will ask that spending articles be put off until June 15. Westhampton has delayed its budget vote until June 29 and Deerfield to June 22.
But there is a potential downside to the wait-and-see approach.
"The most responsible thing to do is to wait as long as you can," said Amherst Town Manager Larry Shaffer. "But government is a leviathan. It takes time to act. We're not particularly nimble."
Judge, the South Hadley selectman, said one citizen told him that delaying Town Meeting will conflict with their plans for June and make it difficult to get a quorum. This citizen said he believes in the principle of having Town Meeting at a fixed time, he said.
Sunderland, which has the added complication of a Proposition 2½ override, faces the challenge of "not knowing what municipal services are going to look like next year," said Nartowicz. "Contracts, such as for curbside trash pickup, need to be executed with vendors. Things are on hold."
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