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The Winchester Select Board on Feb. 24 reviewed draft articles for the Spring Town Meeting warrant, preparing to finalize language before the March 14 warrant closure deadline.
Town Manager Beth Rudolph presented several proposed articles without assigned warrant numbers, as these will be determined after formal approval.
“The warrant for Spring Town Meeting closes on Friday, March 14. The board will need to vote the language for the articles that you are planning to sponsor or co-sponsor at your meeting on March 10,” Rudolph explained.
The board first examined a set of standard articles that routinely appear at town meetings. These include board and committee reports, water and sewer rates authorization, acceptance of Chapter 90 state highway funds, rescinding unused borrowing authorizations and committee action reports.
These housekeeping measures appear annually with minimal changes.
Regarding infrastructure, Rudolph recommended postponing action on the Everett Avenue culvert repair article until Fall Town Meeting.
“We have found out during the course of the design work that that culvert is not located on town property that is located on private property at the corners, and so we are in the process of getting an appraisal for that property,” she said. “We’ve made the decision just given where we are in the appraisal process that we’re recommending that that article be moved to Fall Town Meeting.”
The Muraco culvert flood mitigation project will require a supplemental funding article after new information emerged during design.
“There are some additional elements that we are likely going to be required to do related to the construction of the Muraco culvert,” Rudolph noted. “We are currently working with the contractor and our engineering firm to price out what that additional work could look like.”
The Capital Planning Committee will consider co-sponsoring this article.
The Strategic Maintenance Account article continues a practice established in recent years.
“This is continuation of more or less standard article we’ve had over the past few years of allocating money, typically $100,000 or $200,000 from free cash, to put in account that’s used for so-called strategic maintenance work,” Rudolph said.
The article would be co-sponsored by the Select Board, town manager and Capital Planning Committee.
Town Treasurer Ann Gill requested an article to adopt Chapter 200A Section 9A for disposition of abandoned funds.
Though unable to attend the meeting, Gill provided a memo explaining that this state law “provides an alternative procedure for the disposing of abandoned funds, known as Tailings, held in the custody of the Town.” These funds consist of uncashed payroll and accounts payable checks.
Town Counsel Jay Talerman clarified that “it avoids a lengthy process that we otherwise normally have had to go through. It just allows us to account for them and get them dealt with a lot easier.”
Board member Michael Bettencourt proposed an article allocating $100,000 for literacy professional development in Winchester Public Schools.
“One of the things we’ve heard, especially a lot recently, is questions about the literacy issues that we’ve seen in the schools,” Bettencourt explained. “I’ve been working with some School Committee members and the superintendent to put together a request for $100,000 toward professional development for teachers for literacy.”
The literacy proposal generated significant discussion around coordination and implementation.
“I am just very nervous that if we do one wrong step here, it creates more problems for what is already a big problem,” warned board member Bill McGonigle. “I want to take extreme caution here, because I want to make sure this is done and done right.”
Talerman raised procedural concerns: “If it is school operating, it essentially schools are bottom line budgeting. So if they’re on board and they’re willing to, like you, give us money, we are going to dedicate it for this purpose, for this fiscal grant. But we can’t dictate that.”
The board also heard a detailed water and sewer rate presentation from Matt Abrahams of the Abrahams Group, directly related to the standard rate article. Abrahams presented three rate increase options for fiscal year 2026: 6.75%, 9% or 12.5%.
Bettencourt expressed concern about continuous rate increases.
“We’re at a little bit of a breaking point here. I mean, we’ve been hearing from residents on the water and sewer bills that are exorbitant,” he said. “Looking at the next four or five years of 10% increases without an end to that ... we need a different strategy.”
The timeline for Spring Town Meeting includes several key dates: the Select Board will vote on warrant article language on March 10, the warrant closes March 14, the town election occurs March 22, the board will vote on motions for Spring Town Meeting on March 24 and the warrant will be approved on April 7.
Spring Town Meeting is scheduled to begin April 28, with continuation dates of May 1, 5 and 8 if needed.
“We’re going to be kind of in it, and it’s going to be busy,” noted Select Board Chair Michelle Prior, emphasizing the tight schedule ahead.
