001If you guys have friends, You can't see I don't know. All right. you know, maybe >> I think they do know. >> Yeah, I think they do. I think people have been texting >> and it's also you know all the people who want to go to town but don't care if they're late now >> 88 That's not Jeez. All right, folks. >> Good evening, everyone. Welcome to Sherburn's annual town meeting. I'm town moderator Michael Jimo. It is 7:13 p.m. A quorum of exactly 100 voters being present and town clerk John Doyle having confirmed that the warrant has been properly posted by the constable. This meeting will now come to order. Although although many individuals have worked extremely hard over the past year to bring us to this moment, I would particularly like to acknowledge uh
002both our uh prior town clerk Jackie Morris and particularly our new town clerk John Doyle who is at his first Sherburn Town meeting, assistant assistant town clerk Kelly Clark and administrative assistant Tony Abriel. Town Administrator Jeremy Marcett, Assistant Town Administrator Diane Moors, administrative assistant Jeannie Guthrie, Town Finance Director Deb Seaffring, and Dover Sherburn facilities director Shawn McGee who has been helpful in overseeing the setup of the auditorium for this meeting along with his team. Thank you all and thanks to everyone else who has play played a role in tonight's meeting and more generally to the many volunteers and town employees whose efforts make Sherburn a great town and thanks to all of you for being here tonight and participating in our town governance. Um there are a few housekeeping details. If you leave the auditorium
003for any reason, please use the doors at the rear and leave your clicker and ballot with one of the officials at the registration tables where you came in. If you leave but plan to return to the meeting, ask for a pass so that you can reclaim your clicker, voting card, and ballot. Please set your cell phones to courtesy mode. If you must take a call, please leave the area through the rear doors as unobtrusively as possible. We always welcome non- voters to our town meetings. If you are a non- voter, you will not have a a clicker or a ballot, but you should have checked in with Chucky Blay at the center table and be seated in the luxurious non- voter section in the back left corner of the auditorium. And finally, and most importantly,
004please keep in mind that everyone speaking and voting tonight is part of our small community and has come here to express their views about what is in the best interests of our town from their perspective. Please treat one another with respect and goodwill. Just a few introductions. The motions this evening will be initiated by Sherburn Advisory Committee Chair Steven Bonder, committee vice chair Norah Lynch, and advisory committee member Laura Howenstein seated here on the stage to my near right along with the other members of the advisory committee, Divia Ragavan Malloy, Adam N, Paul Pat, George Pooie, and Alexander Richie. Also seated on the stage to my near right is town council Heather White of Patrini and Associates. Seated on the stage to my far right are the members of the select board. Chair Steven Sai
005and members Paul Denis, Marian Neutra, Jeff Waldron, and Dan Sitchell. Town administrator Jerry Jeremy Marcett is seated over behind uh behind the desk in that corner. He's waving. Our town clerk, John Doyle, is in the front row of the auditorium facing the stage. To begin our business tonight, select board chair Steve Sai and advisory chair Steve Bonder both have some brief remarks to share. Mr. Sai, would you like to begin, please? >> Is this Michael? Um, so thank you and welcome everybody to the uh town meeting. I want to thank um first of all of course all of my uh select board uh co-members for all of their tireless efforts over the year. Um I'm not not sure about tireless. I'm quite tired I guess but um thank you nonetheless. Um I also would um
006like to again uh thank our longtime town clerk Jackie Morris for the many years of service that she has dedicated to the town. Um, and also to welcome our new town clerk, John Doyle, to his very first uh, Sherburn town meeting. So, welcome, Mr. Doyle. Um, I also would like to thank uh, the advisory committee for all of their work uh, especially chair Steven Bonder who has been placed in the unenviable position of being uh, the chair in his uh, second year on the committee. Uh the advisory committee's work is generally quite uh underappreciated and I think often invisible to the uh average Sherburn town resident. Uh but this year in particular, which has been probably the most difficult budget season uh that I have experienced in the 10 years that I've been involved in
007um Sherburn Town, they have been uh working quite hard. Uh the initial budgets that were presented uh at the end of December put the town's overall operating budget nearly a million dollars over the levy limit. Uh and essentially the advisory committee meets every week uh since the beginning of January going over everybody's budgets, all of the capital items, all of the warrant articles. uh and through their efforts along with our town administrator Jeremy Marcett as well as the finance team directed by uh Deb Seaffring and as well all of the department heads and budget makers, we have managed to uh reduce the budget to basically just a hair underneath the levy limit to avoid a budget override this year. Um, so thank you for all of those efforts, but I do want to warn everybody
008that next year very likely the budget uh picture is going to be much more difficult. Um, it will very be it will be very likely that the town is going to be facing the real choice between a budget override uh or significant cuts to the schools, to public safety, to public works. Um, this is something if anybody has been paying any attention that's been happening to many municipalities across the Commonwealth. Uh, many towns are facing an override this year. Some had one last year, the year before. It really looks like Sherbornne is going to be facing that next year. Um, and I do want to underscore the fact that this is not due to proflegate spending or uh bad budgeting by the department heads. When you track the town's overall budget against inflation over the
009past 5 years, generally speaking, it's just been tracking with inflation. We're all aware that inflation has been um quite uh historically high post pandemic. Uh but we are limited by the inflexible 2.5% increases that are dictated by Proposition 2 and a half. Um and so we the cost of running the town goes up with inflation, but we can only increase the levy limit by two and a half percent. the the the numbers just don't work. Um, so I did want to warn everybody that next year is going to look a lot worse. Um, but I do want to highlight some of the uh sort of larger projects that have been going on since this time last year. Um, first of course anybody who has gone by the uh old tennis court area has seen that
010the new tennis and pickle ball court renovation project is underway. Uh in addition, the Sherborn historical display project in the lower level of the library is also officially underway and we are hoping that uh uh both of those projects should be completed this summer and open for public enjoyment. Both projects are currently on schedule. Um, also the Pineh Hill Elementary School got a muchneeded HVAC upgrade over the summer and now has air conditioning in both the cafeteria and the library and also improved uh ventilation in the auditorium. Um, actually just yesterday a small group of uh select board members went to talk to the third grade class at Pine Hill as we do every year and uh many of those students uh very much appreciated the newly aironditioned library and cafeteria. Uh in addition, we
011asked them uh what they would uh like to see changed about the town of Sherborn and they said that they thought the voting age for town election should be reduced from 18 to 10 and they were serious about it. So they also had a follow-up question about um what it would take to make that happen. So uh look out for that citizens petition at this time next year. So um with that um again I want to welcome you to the town meeting. Um, I'm always amazed uh about the fact that this this is really just direct democracy in action. Uh, many of you know, but if any of you are at your first town meeting, you might not know that you are actually the legislative body for this uh town. And so without your votes
012tonight, this town cannot operate. Um, and actually we were very close to not having a quorum tonight. So, uh, again, thank you all very much for, uh, coming and, um, I guess it's time to get the business taken care of. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Sai. Uh, Mr. Bonder. >> Good evening. Put that on. >> Uh, my name is Steven Bonder, chair of the uh, advisory committee. On behalf of the committee, welcome to Sherbuin's 2026 annual town meeting, and thank you for being here. Before I begin, I want to recognize my colleagues on the committee. Uh, just raise your hands so you can be properly recognized. Vice Chair Norah Lynch, uh, Laura Howenstein, Divia Malloy, Adam Knee, Paul Pilot, George Pooie, and Alex Richie. I'd also like to acknowledge Pen Young for his service
013earlier this year. This work requires real time and commitment, and I'm grateful to each of them for their participation. Tonight, we have important decisions to make together in a genuinely challenging financial environment. Sherban has always faced a fundamental balancing act, great schools, highquality services, and a preserve and a preserved rural character, all funded almost entirely by residential property taxes. The balance has never been easy and it's getting harder. Costs keep rising, infrastructure ages, demand for programs and services grows, and decisions about development and land use have lasting consequence for the town's character and its financial health, which is exactly why getting the budget and capital decisions right matters so much. On top of that, our excess levy capacity, the cushion that provides us with financial flexibility, has been steadily shrinking. The choices before us require
014more discipline and foresight than ever before. With that context, the advisory committee worked with the select board, town staff, and our school partners to put forward a proposed fiscal 27 budget of 37.2 2 million, a 5% increase over fiscal 26. The goal throughout was straightforward. Maintain core services, meet our obligations, and make choices that we can explain and defend. We also reviewed several capital requests to address aging infrastructure and public health and safety. These are necessary investments, but they carry real tradeoffs and real impact on taxpayers. I also want to note that this budget has broad support across the town government. The department heads, boards, and committees have all agreed to their respective budgets, a reflection of the collaborative spirit that makes this process work as well as it does. The recommendations in this report
015reflect months of careful work, but the decisions are yours, and that's exactly how it should be. We're glad you're here. We welcome your questions and we look forward to a productive meeting tonight. >> Thank you, Mr. Bonder. Now, I will briefly review the procedures we will follow during the meeting in order to conduct this evening's business in a fair, orderly, and predictable manner so that the various views will be heard and the meeting moves along without unnecessary delays. The agenda for this meeting is the warrant which was prepared by the select board and it's contained in the advisory committee's report to the town. That's what this looks like. It was mailed to each household and is posted on the town's website. For each item on the warrant, the advisory committee will initiate the item by
016making and seconding a motion. Debate will follow and then a vote. For some articles, there will be a brief presentation by the proponent of the article who is pre who has previously informed me that they intend to make such a presentation. Presenters will use the microphone here in front on the right side of the auditorium from your viewpoint. After any presentation in the motion, I will open the floor to voters who wish to speak to the motion currently on the floor. To speak on a motion, I must recognize you. To be recognized, please step to either of the microphones below the stage or the one at the rear of the auditorium. For anyone who's not able to get to a microphone, please raise your hand and a microphone will be brought to you. When I
017recognize you as the next speaker, please state your name and address first and immediately begin your comment or question. Please don't approach the mic until there are only two other people in line ahead of you. Comments must be relevant to the motion at hand. There is a two-minute limit on each comment, but in the interest of completing our business tonight, if at all possible, quickly, please keep them as brief as possible. Please comment only if you have new information to add what has already been said. You may speak a second time once everyone has had the opportunity to speak once, but again, please speak only if you have new information that moves the debate forward. Uh Abby Fisk will be our timekeeper here at the front. She will signal with a red card when the
018speaker is within 15 seconds of the time limit and she'll hold up a yellow card when they're uh when they're a minute into the presentation. I ask all speakers to be aware of that red card. When you see it, please just finish up what you're saying. I intend to be fair but firm in enforcing time limits. Please be gracious and considerate of your neighbors by winding up before I would need to speak speak up to you. All alternative motions and amendments to motions must be submitted in writing to the town clerk who's sitting down in the front row. Forms for this purpose uh are forms available, John, tonight. >> They are. Okay. So, forms are available. And do you have those or does Kelly Kelly have those? >> Oh, okay. They're back there. I can't
019see who's waving, but they're back there. Will you please raise your hand? Oh, you did. Okay, great. >> Megan Burns 52 Street. Thank you, Megan. No more than two amendments can be on the floor at the same time. A vote is first taken on any amendments to a motion and then on the main motion itself. If more than one amendment is on the floor and the amendments include numbers or of units or lengths of time, our bylaws provide that the largest number of units and the longest lengths of time will be considered first. We will also be using consent agendas again this year on certain groups of articles or spending items. We have three consent agendas. The first consent agenda covers articles 1 through eight. The second consent agenda covers the five capital items in
020article 10 which are to be paid from free cash. The third consent agenda covers the article 11 items which address equipment, supplies, and service purchases to be paid from free cash. For each consent agenda, there will be a single motion covering all items. There will be no debate on the motion, but if anyone wants to comment on or has a question about one of the articles or line items contained in the consent agenda, you may call a hold on that article or line item when I read its title. I will then remove that article or line item from the consent agenda. We will address it separately following the vote on the non-held articles or line items. For each held article or line item, there will be a separate motion from advisory and an opportunity for
021full debate followed by a vote. We will follow a similar process with the reading of the omnibus budget in article 9 with the opportunity for anyone to call a hold on any line item that I read after which we will take a single vote on all non-held budget line items and then if any line items are held, debate and vote separately on each held line item. Again, anyone who wants to discuss a particular article or line item in a consent agenda or the omnibus budget simply needs to call a hold when I read the title of the article or the line item, and I will set it aside for discussion and a separate vote after all non-held articles are voted. As a last procedural point, I will read only the number of each article or
022line item and a title that summarizes the article or the line item. The full text of each article or line item to be voted appears in the advisory committee report as does advisor's recommended vote and the reasoning behind it. We will be using electronic voting at this evening's meeting. Every eligible voter who checked in this evening should have received a handset with a keypad to be used for electronic voting. It's a new style this year, but works very similarly to what we've had in the past couple of town meetings. Uh, the way the voting works is for each boat vote, you push the button with the number that corresponds with the vote you want to cast. Press one for yes, press two for no. If if your vote is confirmed by the okay in the
023upper right corner, um, your vote to change your vote, you simply vote again. and the last vote you submit will be tabulated as your vote. Your votes are completely anonymous. There is no record of which handset is issued to which voter. As you leave, please deposit your handset in the boxes provided at the exits. If you have a problem with voting, please raise your hand or visit the help desk in the back, but let us know you're having a problem with voting and and you'll be given a a new uh a new transponder keypad. Okay. Um you may begin voting as soon as discussion has closed. Uh but when I announce please vote now uh the uh the system will start recording your votes. Remember the last v but button you push before voting is
024closed is the vote that will register. For votes where twothirds majority is required the results will show first is numbers and then they will be toggled to percents so that you can be assured that the call is correct. One final note only votes cast are counted. So adding yes and no votes may produce different totals from article to article. This does not mean there's something wrong. It only means that some voters chose to abstain on a particular article or have left or additional voters have arrived. Again, if your handset fails in some way, please raise your hand and call out and someone will bring you a new one and collect the non-functioning one. Let's try a couple of sample votes. Okay, the question here is about the population in Sherburn. You should assume that there
025has been discussion about the question and debate and the discussion is now closed. So, are there more than 4,000 residents in Sherburn? Please vote now. One other thing that's different from last year for those of you who remember is there's no countdown clock on this uh on this system. So, what we'll do is as long as votes are continuing to roll in, we'll uh we'll continue to wait for folks to vote and then when it slows down like it has now, we'll say stop voting. We'll we'll end it. >> Yep. Good. Good to end it. Okay, let's see what the results are. So, 96 people were correct. According to the 2025 annual town report, Sherburn's population was 4,830 as of January 1, 2025. The next practice question is about the dog population of Sherburn. Pretend
026that discussion has closed and it's time to vote. Please vote now. You just push the button and it should say okay in the corner. Push a one or a two. >> The okay will go away. >> I got the okay. >> You got the okay, then you're good. >> All right, good. We're we're we've got 107 votes in. Um let's see the results. Oh, close closer this time. But the uh yeses have it. There were 935 dogs licensed in Sherburn in 2025 according to the 2025 annual report. Okay. Now, we're going to move on to our legislative agenda this evening. The the the work we came here for. Our first item is the consent agenda that covers articles 1 through 8. One, annual reports. Two, fiscical year 26 supplemental appropriations. Three, action on prior year
027bills. Four, contribution to the OPED trust fund. Five, revolving fund expenditure limits. Six, transfers from free cash to stabilization funds. We can we can go to the next slide, I think. Yeah, that's that's five. Uh, with the revolving fund amounts, article six, transfers from free cash to stabilization funds. And next slide. Uh, article seven, resin borrowing from prior town meeting articles. And article 8, transfer of money for the improvement and embellishment of cemeteries. Um, so if we could go to the next slide, please. There we go. Um, so that's that's your consent agenda. It requires a majority vote. Um and and just as a note, article three advisory is making a motion for no action. So a yes vote on that consent agenda on the consent agenda supports advisor's motion of no action on that
028article. Okay. I will now read the number and title of each article. If you want us to consider an article separately, please call hold loudly when I read that article's number and name, and I will remove it from the consent agenda, and we'll we'll address it separately after all unheld articles in the consent agenda are voted. Article one, annual reports. Article two, fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations. Article three, action on prior year's bills. Article four, contribution to the OPED trust fund. Article five, revolving funds. Article six, transfers from free cash to stabilization funds. Article seven, resin prior borrowing from prior town meetings. And article eight, improvement and embellishment of cemeteries. So I don't hear any holds. Mr. Bond or does the advisory committee have a motion for the consent agenda comprising articles 1 through 8?
029>> We do. I move that articles 1 through eight be considered and acted upon together as a consent agenda. These being routine matters not expected to require significant debate and that such articles be approved as set as set forth in the advisory committee report with the following additional information. Article one, annual reports that they be accepted. Article two, fiscal year 2026 supplemental appropriations. Current fiscal year that 390,000 be transferred from free cash in the treasury to supplement the following fiscal year 2026 budget lines. Snow and ice removal 300,000 legal council 90,000. Article three prior year bills that no action be taken. Article four, OPED liability trust fund. That 100,000 be transferred from free cash in the treasury into the OPED liability trust fund. Article five, revolving funds, fiscal year 2027, expenditure limits that the following
030departments and functions be authorized to expend up to these amounts from their respective revolving funds. Council on Aging 75,000. Board of Health 20,000. Town farest 35,000 farm pond 160,000 ambulance 205,000 elder housing 500,000 parks and recreation 300,000 DPW fire police surplus equipment 50,000 article six stabilization funds that the following transfers be made 50,000 from free cash in the treasury to the general stabilization fund 300 00,000 from free cash in the treasury to the capital stabilization fund and 100,000 from the lead certification account to the capital stabilization fund. Article seven, resin borrowing that $843,921 be author inauthorized borrowing approved at the 2015 annual town meeting article 10 for the library building expansion be rescended and that $25,000 in authorized borrowing approved at the 2012 annual town meeting article 8 line six for the Wood Haven Elder
031Housing Complex be rescended. Article eight, cemeteries that $40,000 be transferred from the cemetery enlargement special revenue fund to the expendable portion of the cemetery perpetual care trust fund for the care and maintenance of the town cemeteries. >> Second. >> There has been a motion and a second and now we will vote on all of the uh articles in the consent agenda, articles 1 through eight together. This requires a majority vote. Please vote now. Okay, looks like voting has slowed. Uh so we'll we'll stop voting and the article passes. Okay, so that was uh articles one through eight and we're on to the budget, >> but we have only 16 articles, so we're really halfway done if you look at it that way. Okay. Article 9 is the fiscal year 27 omnibus budget. >> It requires
032a majority vote. Our town administrator, Jeremy Marcett, will make a presentation on the budget. >> Jeremy's going to be down here in front. >> Thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Jeremy Marcet, town administrator. Uh the fiscal year 2027 budget development process began last September with the guidance issued by the advisory committee. Draft budgets were prepared by budget makers and submitted to the town administrator and finance director. The advisory committee and select board reviewed and vetted draft budgets over the course of many meetings leading up to the advisory public hearing held March 21st. This process developed consensus level service budgets for the operation of the town and school departments. Through the hard work of the budget makers in the advisory committee, a balanced omnimous budget uh has been prepared for fiscal year 2027 and is
033presented for your approval at town meeting. The budget is balanced in that it as presented it would not require a so-called proposition 2 and a half override vote at the ballot. Next slide, please. There are three main components of the town budget, including education, general town government, and undistributed expenses. Both town and schools have costs included in the undistri undistributed expenses. For instance, the health insurance for Pineh Hill school educators and property insurance for the Pinehill School Building is included in the undistributed expenses. The school department will provide a budget summary after my my words, but it's worth noting that they are implementing accounting changes for out of district costs, moving some of those costs from the local school budget to the regional school budget. Though this slide may appear to show a decrease in
034local school funding, that's just a reflection of the accounting change. In fact, there is a proposed increase in both the local school and regional school budgets. Overall, the education budget would increase 5% and the general town government would increase 5 and a.5%. The total town budget increase for for the town from FY26 to FY27 would be slightly more than 5%. For context, the budget approved at last year's town meeting for fiscal year 26 was an increase of three and a half%. Next slide, please. About 60% of the town's operating budget directly funds the school school budgets. About one quarter of the budget funds town departments such as police, fire, public works, and general government. And about 17% of the town's budget funds employee, retirey benefits, principal, and interest on the town's debt and other miscellaneous
035expenses. Approximately 45% of the costs for uh employee insurance and benefits are attributable to the educators at Pineh Hill Elementary School and school projects account for approximately 25% of the town's debt payments. Next slide. Another way to look at the town's budget is by expense category. The detail of the school and general town budget show that over 70% of the budget is attributable to personnel salaries and uh and benefits for employees. About 23% is attributable to things like supplies, equipment, vendors, consultants, utilities, and fuel. And about 6% of 6% of the town budget pays the principal in interest on the town's debt. Next slide. Uh here's a summary of the major budget drivers for the town government side of the budget and uh understood unallocated expenses. Uh just to highlight a few, the budget provides
036for level service for all town departments. Funds the obligations of the police officer and public works union contracts. Funds a salary adjustment for non-union employees. That is the entirety of their adjustment. They do not receive salary steps. Uh the budget funds a mandatorial mandatory annual assessment for the middle middle sex county retirement system, adjusts town legal expenses to the three-year average and funds the agreement for regional emergency dispatch services. Regional dispatch services are under a multi-year agreement with the town of Hullbrook to participate in the Hullberrook Regional Dispatch Center. This agreement phases out state grant support with the town's obligation increasing each year of the contract. For fiscal year 27, there is an annual increase of $168,000. In fiscal uh 28, the town will see an additional increase of $83,000. If the increase in the
037regional dispatch expenses were excluded, town government budgets would only be increasing 3.6% 6% in total as opposed to the 5 a.5% shown on the screen. Early in the budget development process, the cost of employee and retirey health insurance was projected to increase by 15%. That would equate to a budget increase of over $280,000. Under the direction of the school uh the select board, uh plan benefit changes were negotiated this winter and spring to be implemented July 1st. so that the health insurance budget line is now level funded for FY27. Following my overview presentation, the school committees will provide a summary of budget drivers for their budgets. Next slide, please. To fund the town's budget, there are three main sources of revenue. property taxes representing 91% of revenue, local receipts representing 5 and a half% of
038revenue, and state aid including school and general government aid representing three and a half% of revenue. Local receipts include things like auto exercise payments, permit fees, investment income, and earned interest. To fund the proposed budget, property taxes would increase a little over 5% on average. Next slide. As recommended by the advisory committee, the town budget for FY27 is balanced in that the o in that an operating override approved at the ballot is not needed to fund the budget. Massachusetts law so-called proposition 2 and a half constrains the increase in property taxes from year to year. The maximum allowable property tax levy is limited to an increase of 2 and a.5% plus new growth from year to year unless an increase is approved by ballot uh by an override vote. This chart shows the last five
039fiscal years with proposed fiscal year 27 to the far right. The dash line on the chart shows the maximum allowable property tax levy per prop 2 and a half. The green line shows the property tax levy needed to fund the town budget. To be balanced, the green line needs to be below the dash line. The difference between these lines is the so-called excess levy capacity. The initial draft budget submitted by budget makers in December, as noted by uh Chair Sai, uh would have created a budget deficit requiring an override of $850,000 to fund. It's shown uh on this graph uh in red showing the line above the dash line showing the budget deficit. The hard work of the budget makers and advisory and the advisory committee has developed consensus budgets providing level service that are
040funded within the tax the allowable tax levy not requiring an override vote. The recommended budget for FY27 is shown uh by the green line on the fire rate. You have the blue blue arrow. However, if the FY27 budget is approved, the town's excess levy capacity will essentially be exhausted. Next slide. Uh since uh FY22, the town's excess levy capacity has been in decline. The proposed FY27 budget will essentially use the remaining excess levy capacity. Future budgets starting in FY28 may be limited by the requirements of Proposition 2 and a half. Budget increases beyond 2 and a.5% plus new growth, which equates to an annual increase of about 2.7% for Sherburn, would require operational overrides approved at the ballot. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. >> Thank Thank you. Uh and we'll now hear from the school committee.
041I don't know who's here from the school committee. Oh, very good. Good evening. My name is Angie Johnson and I am the chair of the regional school committee. Um, so yeah, if you want to put our slides up. I think we need the school committee slides if somebody has those. >> Yeah. Are they on there? >> I have the numbers, but it's just better to see what you're looking at. >> Have it. You have it? >> Yeah, we'll just wait till this little technical detail is worked out. >> Okay. There we go. >> There we go. >> Very good. Thank you. >> So if you go to the first slide, we can talk about the budget assumptions. So we assume that there are regular school operations and we base those on projected enrollments and of
042course we comply with the town's budget guidance. Um we align with the district strategy which is excellence and innovation in learning to challenge and support all of our students. Also having professional learning and growth for our um staff and family and community engagement and safe and sustainable spaces. The budget drivers with relation to this are payroll and related benefits for the region. That represents approximately 85% that's in the next slide of the operating budget. Um and the key budget drivers are contractual salary increases for all district employees. Um and that is accounted for in a reserve for contractual increases as negotiations for all bargaining groups um which we have just finished. um salary savings from retirements and staff reductions based on student needs, enrollment levels and curriculum needs, health care costs, and an increase of
0438% for the region and continued funding for OPED liability trust at the region, which is approximately $250,000 of an annual contribution. The next slide. Um, other budget drivers are continued trend budgeting for all other operating accounts and we need to remember that there are no debt costs at the region because we made a final payment on the middle school building of 710,000 that was made in FY25. As for student enrollments, projections are 403 for Pine Hill with an average class size of about 19 and 104 for the region. Um, Sherburn's regional assessment percentage for FY27 is 47.8% which is up from 47.3% in FY26. As stated earlier, we're moving to a different outofd calculation. The Sherburn school budget has historically carried all eligible special education out of district place students which are ages 3 to
04422. and the department of early and secondary education DESIE has requested a change to account for the expenses in the respective district versus all at the town level for more accurate reporting. So for FY27 expenses are now reflected in both the Sherburn school and the regional schools budgets as applicable. So total Sherburn placements budgeted for FY27 is 14 consistent with FY26. Next slide. Financial statistics for the region is a total proposed IND district operating budget of $30,13,188. Um, this includes the salaries and benefits and other expenditures, transportation and building and grounds. As you can see how it's broken down, this represents a budget increase of 1 million$15,842, which is 3.49% over fiscal year 26. 93% is projected for contractual salary increases. Revenues from the state for chapter 7 and 71, which is our transportation budget,
045along with the use of excess and deficiency funds and fees for various student activities, contributes 4,388,128, which is 14.6% to the operating budget. So Sherburn's assessment based on enrollment is 12,242,713 um or which is 3.77%. So the net do and Sherburn taxpayer cost per in district pupil estimated is $25,613 and that includes all the costs and benefits. And the net cost for the outofd district expenses for Sherman residents ages 6th grade through 22 years of age placed outside of the Milan high schools is1,125,000 and that represents 10 placements. So the total Sherburn FY27 regional assessment for that would be 13,000 13,367,713. Hi everybody. U Mayor Kadiala, chair, I'm sorry, secretary of the Sherburn school committee. Um just uh focusing on Sherburn uh on this slide, our total proposed in district operating budget for um this
046next year is 7,387,291. Um this is an increase of $104,6 which is 1.43. 43 from fiscal year 26. Um the breakdown is really across salaries, other expenditures, transportation and building maintenance. Um the revenue from the state for chapter 7 revenue is uh that will offset taxpayer costs is around 97 935,000. So with all that taken into account, the estimated net taxpayer cost per indistrict pupil is 15,911 and that is um as mentioned net of chapter 70 exclusive of benefits and other costs budgeted at the town level. Um the so looking into all of that it comes out to the the um sorry I just mentioned that piece sorry cost of out of district expenses for Sherman residents ages three through fifth grade as Angie had mentioned um due to the movement of those um of
047that budget is 455,000 which is net of 70k through our circuit breaker reimbursement and that is four placements which is just for Sherburn. Um so all in our total Sherburn school FY27 proposed budget is 7,842,291. Um and just wanted to take a moment to kind of thank everybody who's been involved in helping put this together. Um thank you to all the community groups for the ongoing support to both broaden and enhance our Sherburn student experience. This includes our financial and inkind donations that were received to date from the Pineh Hill CSA, the SAN fund, MS Positive, the high school PTO, boosters, um, FOPA, and all the other private donors. Um, and overall just wanted to take a moment to thank the entire town of Sherburn and their residents for their continued support in educating our
048students. Thank you. >> Thank Thank you very much. And now we'll uh move on to the motion on the budget. Um fisc fiscal year 27 budget. Wait till the uh slide gets restored here. There we go. Uh Mr. Bonder, uh do you have a motion? >> I do. Mr. Moderator, I will now make a motion for the fiscal year 2027 omnibus budget. Following this motion and before any discussion or vote, the moderator will read each line item of the omnibus budget showing the total appropriation by department. If you wish to discuss any line item, please indicate by stating hold loudly. I move that the totals for each department, as shown by the numbered items in the advisory committee's fiscal year 2027 ominous budget report to the town in the column headed fiscal FY2027 advisory recommended
049be called over by the moderator and if no objection is made that such amounts be raised and appropriated for the specified purpose except that where a transfer is indicated by a numbered footnote. The specified amount shall be provided by such transfer and that any item to which objection is made shall be separately considered and disposed of in accordance with the vote of the town. >> Second. >> Okay. Thank you. We have a motion. I will now read the totals for each department in the omnibus budget. The full amounts for each component, salaries and expenses, and in some cases other items are printed in the advisory report to the town in the column labeled FY2027 advisory recommendation. Anyone wishing to comment on or question any amount may call hold when I read a department's name and
050amount, and I will set that line item aside. When the entire omnibus budget has been read, I will list the departments on which there has been a hold, if any, and we will then vote all unheld items. Following that vote, we will address separately any held items. Okay. Select board office, $426,740. Advisory committee 6,073. Finance and Accounting 328,61 Assessors 177,336 Treasurer Collector 225,396 Legal Council $168,000 information technology 194,271 Town Clerk 191,468 8. Election and registration 25,678 Conservation Commission 106,647 Planning Board 73,852 Town Buildings $467,250 Sustainability 36,899. Police 2,37,39. Fire and rescue $657,797. Ambulance 360,000. Emergency communication dispatch $249,020. Inspectors 137,96 Dober Sherburn Regional School District 13,367,713 Tri County Regional Vocational Technical High School 131,241 Sherburn Schools 7,842,291 Norfick County Agricultural High School 134,795. Department of Public Works 1,392,149. Snow and ice 91,727. Transfer station 377,000.
051Recycling zero. Cemeteries $74,200. Board of Health 193,317. Council on Aging 210,967. Veteran Services $17,020. Library $661,677. Recreation 50,000. Historical Commission 3,850 Reserve Fund $300,000 Debt Service 2,146,35 Employee Benefits 3,815,256 General Insurance 243,400. Okay, I did not hear any holds. So, there's been a motion and a second on article 9. We're now voting all the items because nothing was held. Um, this requires a majority vote. We're ready. Ready to go. Please vote now. have to hit. >> Is there anyone else who wants to vote who hasn't voted? Okay, we can put the totals up. Okay, motion passes. 95 to 10. Town Administrator Jeremy Marcett will now make a presentation on the town's capital budget. Uh >> thank you, Mr. Moderator. Uh with your approval, I'll be speaking to articles 10, 11, and 12. Uh the capital
052budget committee solicits solicits capital requests annually and maintains a five-year capital plan. Most department uh most departments forecast capital projects over a longer horizon to help with planning. The committee received many requests for capital projects this fall. Town administration helped compile the requests and to update the five-year plan. Through meetings with project proponents and with the input of the select board and advisory committee, the capital budget committee has recommended a capital improvement plan for fiscal year 2027. The plan would be funded through articles 10, 11, and 12. Details of the projects they have recommended may be found in the back of the advisory report. The plan includes 20 projects funded by a combination of exempt borrowing, free cash, and capital stabilization at a total cost of 2.7 million. The plan includes routine items like replacement
053of an aging police cruiser, replacement of firefighting equipment, replacement of a public works vehicle, computer replacements, and roadway paving. Uh, some non-rine items include the rehabilitation of the high school roof and skylight replacements. The existing roof is beyond its useful life and has leaks. The current condition of the roof allows for a roof rehabilitation which is less costly than if the project were deferred and a full replacement was needed in the future. The f full cost of the project is shared with the town of Dover. The replacement of the drinking water supply tank at the Pinehill School is a requirement of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. As a public water system, Mass D regulates this water supply and and has mandated the town replace this large supply tank. The projects included for town facilities
054come from the findings of the town building assessment that was funded at last town meeting. This assessment conducted a detailed inventory and condition survey for all town uh municipal buildings and their systems. The assessment presented uh a 20-year capital plan for maintenance and capital upkeep of the facilities. The first construction project proposed is for the replacement of the town hall roof and exterior envelope repairs which would be funded by exempt borrowing. There is also a request to fund seven design projects to help inform future requests for capital funding. The project proposed that the recycling center would provide funds to replace two recycling compactors and replace their electrical service connections. The electrical service to these compactors does not meet current building codes or electrical codes and there have been several fires caused by this sub substandard
055electrical service. And finally, the last capital project is to fund the replacement of the computerass assisted mass appraisal system that's used by the board of assessors to track and to value real property in town to determine the to determine and assess property taxes. The current system is dated and shortly will no longer be serviced by the vendor. It's also timely to replace the CAMA system prior to the mandated townwide property reevaluation that's conducted every six years. This re-evaluation is scheduled for uh calendar year 2027. Thank you, Mr. Moderator. >> Thank you. So, we're on article 10 now, and I'll I'll give uh time for the next slide to get up. Um, start slide 29, I think, is the one we're looking for. Oops. I don't think that's our I don't think that's our slide. Okay.
056Thank you. Okay. So, so the article 10 has uh several components and just to to make it clear there first four items are uh capital improvements for which the town will be borrowing. We're going to take those one at a time and those all need a 2/3 majority vote. Uh the next five items and those first four are labeled AB, C and D. The next five items labeled 1 2 3 four and five we're going to take as a consent agenda similar to the way we did the prior consent agenda. Um and then uh the next one the last one labeled 10A we'll take uh individually after that. So, we're going to start with the capital items that require borrowing. Um, article 10, item A. Uh, Mr. Bonner, do you have a motion on this
057item? >> I do, Mr. Moderator. Um, I move that the treasurer collector with the approval of the select board be authorized to borrow $56,250 to remove and replace the water supply tank at the Pinehill School. Item 10A is set forth in the advisory committee report, including all incidental and related expenses under Mass General Law, Chapter 44, Section 71, or any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the town therefore, provided, however, that this vote shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters at an election of a Proposition 2 and a half, so-called Debt exclusion question pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 59 section 21CK. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Um, does the select board have any comment on this article? >> The select board voted unanimous support
058for this article. >> Okay. Is anybody from capital budget here who wants to comment on this article? Good evening. Peter Moors, 45 Old Orchard Road, uh chair of the capital budget committee. Capital budget uh committee voted unanimously in favor of this project as well. >> Thank you, Mr. Morris. Uh does anyone else want to comment on or have questions on this item? Okay, seeing none, uh, we can vote. This item requires a twothirds majority vote. So, um, vote when you're ready. Okay, everybody done voting? All right, we can go forward. Okay, uh you can toggle the percentages, but this one passes. >> Okay. 9 94% vote. Um, article 10, item B, town hall roof exterior. Mr. Bonder, do you have a motion? We do, Mr. Moderator. I move that the treasurer collector with the approval
059of the select board be authorized to borrow $400,000 to construct improvements to the town hall roof and building exterior. Item 10B as set forth in the advisory committee report, including all incidental and related expenses under Mass General Law Chapter 44 section 71 or any other enabling authority and to issue bonds or notes of the town. Therefore, provided, however, that this vote shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters at an election of a Proposition 2 and a half so-called debt exclusion question pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 59 section 21 CK. >> Second. >> Okay. Uh, this item is going to require a twothirds vote. Uh, select board, do you have any comment on this article? >> The select board voted unanimous support for this article. >> Mr. Moors. >> The capital budget committee
060uh voted unanimously in support of this appropriation. Thank you. >> Does anyone else want to speak to this item? >> Okay, I I don't see anybody. Um this requires a twothirds vote and please vote now. Okay. Has everybody who wants to vote voted? Okay, we can total it up. Okay, this one passes also. Okay. Art, article 10, item C, Department of Public Works Roadway Management. Mr. Bonder, do you have a motion? >> I do, Mr. Moderator. I move that the treasurer collector with the approval of the select board be authorized to borrow $275,000 for improving town roadways. Item 10 C is set forth in the advisory committee report, including all incidental and related expenses under Mass General Law Chapter 44, section 71 or any other enabling authority and to issue bonds or notes of the
061town. Therefore, provided, however, that this vote shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters at an election of a Proposition 2 and a half so-called debt exclusion question pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 59, section 21 CK. >> Second. >> Okay. This is another item that's going to require a twothirds vote. Uh, Mr. Sai, does the select board have a comment? >> The select board voted unanimous support for this item. >> Mr. Moores. >> The capital budget committee voted unanimously to support this appropriation. >> Okay. Uh does anyone else want to speak to this item? Okay. Seeing none, uh this item requires a twothird vote, please vote now. Okay. Is there anyone else who hasn't voted who wants to vote on this? Okay. Uh please uh reveal. Okay, this one this one also passes
062by by more than twothirds vote. Okay. Um, article 10D, recycling center equipment and infrastructure. Mr. Bonder, >> I move that the treasurer collector with the approval of the select board be authorized to borrow $175,000 to replace recycling center equipment infrastructure. Item 10D as set forth in the advisory committee report, including all incidental and related expenses under Mass General Law Chapter 44, section 71 or any other enabling authority and to issue bonds or notes of the town. Therefore, provided, however, that this vote shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters at an election of a proposition 2 and a half so-called debt exclusion question pursuant to mass general law chapter 59 section 21 CK. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. This item will require a twothirds vote. Mr. Sai, do the select
063board have a comment? >> The select board voted unanimous support for this item. >> Mr. Moors. >> The capital budget committee voted unanimously in support of this appropriation. >> Okay. Is there anyone else who wants to speak to this item? >> Okay. Seeing nobody, uh, we're ready to vote. This requires a twothirds vote. Please vote now. Is there anyone else who has not voted who plans to vote? Okay, I think we're we're good. Okay, this one also passes by more than a twothirds vote. Uh so now we are on to uh the free cash items in article 10. Uh items 1 through 5. So 10.1 through 10.5. These are capital improvement items to be paid for with free cash. They will be considered as a consent agenda as free cash transfers. Each requires a simple
064majority vote. I will now read the line item title and the amount to be transferred from free cash for each item. If you wish to consider a line item separately, please say hold loudly when I read that line item's number and name, and I will remove it from the consent agenda, and we will address it separately after all unheld line items in the consent agenda are voted. Line item one, police vehicle, $75,000. Line item two, public works one-tonon truck chassis with hook lift, $140,000. Line three, public works roadway management, $175,000. Select board and IT department server and computer equipment, $30,000. Select board and board of assessors computer assisted mass appraisal or KMA system replacement $80,000. >> Okay. I didn't hear any holes. Miss Lynch, is there a motion here? >> I move that for the
065purposes as set forth in the advisory committee report, including all incidental and related expenses, 500,000 be transferred from free cash in the treasury and appropriated for the following capital items. Number one, police vehicle, $75,000. Number two, police public works on one ton truck chassis with hooklift, $140,000. Public works roadway management, $175, $175,000. Select Board IT Server Computer Equipment, $30,000. Select Board, Board of Assessors, Computer Assistant, Mass Appraisal, KMA System Replacement, $80,000. with the appropriation to be expended by June 30th, 2029 and any unexpended funds as of June 30th, 2029 to be returned to the general fund. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Um, and now we will vote on these items as a consent agenda. This requires a majority vote. Please vote now. >> Report was Capital. Okay, we'll we'll give it
066another 10 seconds or so. Okay. Okay. Motion passes. Article 10, item AA, town facilities and infrastructure design plans. This article addresses funding for the study and design of various specified town facilities and infrastructure. It requires a majority vote. Mr. Bonder, do you have a motion? >> I do, Mr. Moderator. I move that for the purpose of retaining qualified and licensed consultants for the study and design of specified town facilities and infrastructure projects. Item 10 AAA is set forth in the advisory committee report, including all incidental and related expenses. $125,000 be transferred from the capital stabilization fund and appropriated for that purpose for the funds allocated as follows. Fire station 2 roof $15,000. DPW site and salt shed $15,000. Fire station one kitchen and HVAC $30,000. Fire station one window replacement $20,000. Town Hall HVAC $15,000.
067Library septic system $15,000. And police station locker room $15,000. Surplus funds allocated to any of these projects may be transferred to or used for another listed project. The appropriations to be expended by June 30, 2029. and any unexpected unexpended funds as of June 30, 2029 are to be returned to the capital stabilization fund. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Uh Mr. Side of the Select Board have any comments on this article? >> The select board voted unanimous support for this item. >> Mr. Moore's capital budget. >> The capital budget committee voted two to one in favor of the appropriation. >> Thank you. Uh does anyone else want to speak to this item? Okay, seeing none, this requires a majority vote. Please vote now. Okay. I think anybody else waiting to vote? Okay.
068Okay. Motion carries. Okay. Next is article 11, non-recurring equipment, supplies, and service purchases. This article will be considered as a consent agenda. It contains four items for the fire department that do not qualify as capital items, but are also not annual expenses that would fit naturally into the operating budget. Accordingly, the advisory motions will be for them to be financed with free cash. As free cash transfers, each requires a simple majority vote. I will read the line item, line number, item, and amount for each item. If you wish to consider a line item separately, please say hold loudly when I read that number and name, and I will remove it from the consent agenda, and we will address it separately after all unheld line items in the consent agenda are voted. Number one, fire department
069engine 3 repairs, $24,600. Number two, fire department thermal imaging cameras, 22,150. Number three, fire department SCBA items, $23,360. Number four, fire department fire hose nozzle replacement, $20,130. I didn't hear any holds. Um, is there a motion as to the unheld items? >> Yes, Mr. >> I guess as to all the items. >> Yes, Mr. Moderator. I move that for the purpose of purchasing equipment and funding repairs for the fire department as set forth in the advisory committee report including all incidental and related expenses $90,240 be transferred from free cash in the treasury and appoint appropriated for the following items. Number one, the fire department engine 3 repairs $24,600. Number two, fire department thermal imaging cameras, $22,150. Number three, fire department SCBA items, $23,360. And number four for the fire department fire hose and nozzle replacement
070$20,130 with the appropriation to be expended by June 30th, 2029 and any unexpended funds as of June 30th, 2029 to be returned to the general fund. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and and seconded. Um uh select board, is there a comment on these items? >> The select board voted unanimous support for each of these items. >> And Mr. Moores for capital budget. >> The capital budget committee voted unanimously in support of these appropriations for each item. >> Okay. Um, does anyone else want to speak to these? I guess none of them were held. So, uh, we'll go on to the vote now. This requires a majority vote. Please vote now. Do we have anybody else who's looking to vote? Okay, we can put up the total. All right. Motion carries. All right. Article
07112, regional school capital expense. This article requests Sherburn's share of the funding for the cost of replacing the Dover Sherburn Regional High School roof and skylights. Mr. Bonders, is there a motion? >> There is, Mr. Moderator. I move that the treasurer collector with the approval of the select board be authorized to borrow 672,551 for the replacement of the high school roof and skylights item 121 as set forth in the advisory committee report including all incidental and related expenses pursuant to an intergovernmental agreement with the Dover Sherban Regional High School District. and the town of Dover under Mass General Law chapter 44 section 71 or any other enabling authority and to issue bonds or notes of the town. Therefore, provided, however, that this vote shall be expressly contingent upon approval by the voters at an election
072of a Proposition 2 and a half so-called debt exclusion question pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 59 section 21 CK. Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Mr. Sai, is there a select board comment on this? >> The select board voted unanimous support for this item. >> Mr. Moors, >> the capital budget committee voted unanimously. Unanimous. Yeah. All in support of this. Uh, okay. Is there anyone else who wants to speak to this item? Okay. Uh, seeing none, um, we can vote. This requires a twothirds vote. Okay. Do we have anyone else who's still voting? Okay, I think we can total that up. Okay, this one also passes. All right. Article 13, use of free cash. Uh, Miss Lynch, do you have a motion on this article? >> Yes, Mr. Moderator, I move that
073no action be taken. >> Seconded. >> Okay. Does anyone want to speak to this article? >> I didn't think so. Um, all right. Um, so we can we can vote now. This is a majority vote. No action. >> Yeah, the the vote is for no action. Correct. >> That's right. >> I'm slow. I'm sorry. Anyone else who's planning to vote on this one? Okay, seeing none, let's total it up. Very good. This one passes as well. Okay. Article 14, Land Acquisition Committee. Uh, Miss Lynch, is there a motion on this article? >> Yes, Mr. Moderator, I move that the charge of the land acquisition committee be amended as set forth in the 2026 advisory committee report. >> Second. >> Okay. We'll now have a presentation by Marian Neutra concerning uh this article. >> Yes. Thank
074you, Mr. Moderator. Article 14 is about the land acquisition committee. This committee was established in 1995 by a vote of town meeting. And because it was established by town meeting, any change in the language describing its job description or charge requires a town meeting vote. And that's why it's on the warrant. Article 14 simply updates the job description of this committee. The original charge was to maintain an information database on large private undeveloped lands, especially those protected temporarily under Massachusetts chapter 61. And we're proposing three changes to the charge. They're fairly minor, but we need your vote to do them. First, the committee uh the land acquisition committee should be concerned with all chapter 61 plans, not just the very large ones. And second, we're adding language to encourage the committee to work closely with
075the assessor and board of assessors to keep a breast of the status of these properties because they come on and off chapter 61 year by year. And finally, uh, the new language enables the committee to evaluate small parcels owned by the town. They're all over town. There are about 20 of them that are currently not being used or monitored by anyone. And the land acquisition committee process is very appropriate for this job. So, a yes vote on this warrant article makes these updates to the official description of the committee's work and a no vote simply leaves it the way it is. In the next slide, um I want to explain a little bit chapter 61 because many of you may not be uh uh familiar with it. It's a state law that allows private land
076owners that have five or more acres of excess land, open land, beyond what they need in their zoning district to put the land under temporary conservation protection in exchange for lower property taxes. It's voluntary and it's temporary. It needs to be renewed every year if it's for recreation or conservation or every 10 years if it's for forestry. Now, if the owner decides to develop, change the use or sell the land while it's under chapter 61, they have to inform the select board. And this triggers a legal process with many steps um that may in the end give the town the right of first refusal or the right to acquire the property or the right to assign it to a conservation or nonprofit conservation organization. So in the beginning, the select board has only 30 days
077to respond to this notice and to begin the process. So it's important that we have that information assembled by the land acquisition committee in advance. But what about the small town-owned properties? I'm calling them orphan parcels because nobody's watching out for them. Um they could be of benefit to the town, for example. They might possibly be sold to there are butters or adapted for local trails or neighborhood gardens or they could be used for environmental monitoring say of groundwater or invasive species. So the land acquisition committee could uh anal analyze these lands and we'd know what we have. And the next slide simply shows you the extent of these properties all over town. Um, chapter 61 lands here are in light purple. It's about 60 properties altogether about 20% of the town. The small properties
078owned by the town are in orange. You can see them scattered all around. So in summary, we recommend approval of article 14 to update the description of the land acquisition committee. Thank you. >> Okay. Is there anyone else who wants to speak to this article? Okay. I don't see anybody. Um so there's been a a motion and a second on this and now we can vote. It requires a majority vote. We'll wait till the screen comes up. There we go. Please vote now. Okay. Do we have anybody else who's planning to vote on this one? Okay, I think we can put the votes up there. Okay, this one carries as well. Article 15, stormwater and land disturbance management bylaw. Mr. Bonder, does advisory have a motion on this article? >> We do, Mr. Moderator. Um,
079I move that the town vote to amend the Sherban General bylaws by deleting chapter 200 entitled Storm Water Management in its entirety and replacing it with a new chapter entitled Storm Water and Land Disturbance Management. the complete text of which is available in hard copy at this town meeting. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. We'll now have a brief presentation by Stephanie Harrison of the planning board. >> Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Can everyone hear me? Okay. Uh I'm Stephanie Harrison. I'm the co-chair of the planning board. Uh the planning board met to discuss, held a public hearing on February 10th, 2026, and voted unanimously to support the storm water and land disturbance management bylaw. So um the next slide, please. We already have a storm water bylaw. Why add land disturbance? Land
080disturbance, just think construction, uh changing the ground surface. Uh this is a very appropriate and common trigger for managing storm water. Our neighboring towns all do it. Um, land disturbance can loosen the soil which can be washed away by storm water and then it can transport pollutants. Um, this these photos that you see on this slide were from uh a situation on Lake Street um a number of years ago, maybe four or five years ago where there was a construction site and runoff came down into the street and um you can see it completely blocked of the storm drain there. What you see in orange is supposed to be a protection measure around the storm drain to keep clean water only going into the storm drain. This particular storm drain goes under the street directly
081into farm pond across the street. And this is exactly the type of situation that this bylaw seeks to address. So the next slide, please. Um why regulate storm water? Our current storm water bylaw focuses on federally regulated MS4 area. You'll hear me say MS4 here. Municipal separate storm sewer system. An M with four S's. Just think of it as a small area in downtown Sherburn in the town center area where there are regulated storm drains. Um, but it's important and and the MS4 area is is being considered for expansion to a larger area. But it's important for us to expand outside of that small area to protect water quality, not just the MS4 regulated storm drains, but also other storm drains owned by the town as well as groundwater, roads, and and um some of
082our other town assets. So the next slide please. What would this bylaw do? So like I said the area protection under our current stormwater bylaw which is shown in the left column is limited to the MS4 and in the right column the proposed bylaw would make it town wide would would uh regulate townwide and also consider other town storm drains, wetlands, groundwater, public streets and rights of way. Um, under our current storm order bylaw there there is a permitting threshold where land disturbance is greater than one acre or in the conservation commission jurisdiction and we are proposing to keep that same storm water permit threshold this the same storm water permit process but alter the thresholds. So you can see that we still are talking about land disturbance greater than an area but we're also
083talking about adding a trigger for an increased imperous area of over 20,000 square feet. think like a half an acre or a new standalone dwelling unit excluding accessory dwelling units. So that would be the same permit that we have uh required today. But we've also added another category of permitting which is the minor storm water permit. It's land disturbance of about a half an acre, 20,000 square feet or an increased impervious area of about 10,000 of 10,000 square feet or greater which is about a quarter acre or a new detached ADU. and the minor storm water permit is a much easier sort of like light storm water management uh approach. Um so this bylaw changes those triggers and it would also define terminology much more clearly and clarify roles and responsibility and enforcement procedures. Next
084slide please. So administratively um we are talking about relying on existing town permitting processes that are already in place and just adding a determination of whether a permit is necessary through those existing processes and what level of permitting is required. So if there's no permit required, you're all set to go. If there's a minor permit, the minimum requirement would be to capture and infiltrate 1 in of rainfall on the imperous surfaces. So this is a really light approach. It's just how much area of imperous surface are you adding? one inch of rainfall. That much volume of rainfall has to be managed on site. And then the major permit, which is um essentially what is currently in place, would require a planning board public hearing. Um site runoff and erosion controls that meet um the Massachusetts
085uh state storm water handbook requirements. Um and so that is again the same as our current bylaw uh our current regulation storm water permit but with a different set of triggers. So the next slide. So, here are a few examples of where no permit is required. What you see on the left, these are actual recent projects. What you see on the left is a 900 ft addition to a home. A sizable addition. No permit prop would be required. And what you see on the right is a new barn. It's a 28t by 34t barn that results in 1500 land uh 1500 square foot of land disturbance. Again, no permit. The next slide shows um a new pool and a pool house. 20 x 40 foot pool and a 25 by 30 foot pool house results
086in 10,000 square feet of land disturbance. Um and so no permit would be needed there. Also a standard basketball court, a standard tennis court, a 15t wide driveway that's uh 665 ft long. That's the type of impervious surface that we're talking that would trigger the permit. So these are no permit examples. So then the next slide is an example of where a minor permit would be proposed. In this case, the two red uh squares are two large additions onto an existing home, a new driveway, and a new lawn. And the land disturbance area is 22,000 square feet. And then the next slide is where a major permit would be required. And this is what you see on the left is a new home with a pool, septic, and a long driveway disturbing 3 acres. And
087what you see on the right is a new home that's much smaller with a septic and a driveway disturbing 7 acres. Both of these would trigger um a major permit under the proposed bylaw. The last two slides I have are just some examples of what types of measures we're talking about in a stormwater permit. When we talk about erosion control during construction, these are temporary um installations that would, for example, help to mitigate the problem that we saw in the photos on Lake Street in my first slide. These um these would capture, direct or treat storm water runoff during construction from um disturbed ground surface. And the last slide shows storm water infiltration. So this is how would you capture and infiltrate runoff permanently from imperous surfaces like rooftops or patios. So what you see
088on the left is an above ground rain garden. You could also do it subsurface with a dry well. These can be scaled to different volumes of water that you're trying to capture. And um in short, this is sort of a brief summary of what we're uh trying to proposing to regulate with the storm water and land land disturbance management bylaw. We would be open to any discussion. >> Thank Thank you. >> Thank you very much. Um is there anyone who wants to speak to this item? I asked for a hard copy. >> Yeah. >> So they save from it. >> I do too. >> What you going to get for a request? >> Nancy H. >> John Hargra 49 Rockwood Street. Uh I'm going to direct a butter to the Kage Crossing and Metobrook Commons
089uh 40B developments on Koolage Street. I support this article. I think it's a great idea. Um, under section 204C as amended, Kulage crossing clearly meets this major permit threshold. Of course, it's huge. It's over an acre of land disturbance, significant new impervious surface. I have two questions for the record. Number one, does the comprehensive permit already issued under 40B supersede this bylaw's permitting requirements? or is Toll Brothers required to obtain a storm water management permit from the planning board before breaking ground? Uh, second question is if the comprehensive permit does provide a waiver, does the DPW director's enforcement authority under section 206 still apply during active construction? Specifically, there's a stop work order and remediation provisions in there. Uh, and my ask is that the planning board provide written answers to those two questions before
090any construction permits are pulled. That's it. Thanks. >> I think he may have Oh, Nancy has 64 South Main Street. I think you may have answered my question. I was going to ask who is the per ultimate permitting authority? I think the question was who is the ultimate permitting authority? >> Yes, Stephanie, please. >> Um, so with respect to 40bs, um, 40Bs often bypass local regulations. So this partic this is this would be a town bylaw and 40bs through their process often apply for a list of local exemptions. I do not know off the top of my head if that particular uh development applied for a storm water management exemption. Um so that is something that I would have to look into. Um, with respect to the permitting authority, the permit granting authority is the
091planning board or their design. Does that answer the the second question that was raised? >> I I think that was what was raised. Yes. The question I think was whether there was a role uh someone had suggested the DPW director had a role in this too. >> Yeah. So there's we have a permit granting authority uh which is the Sherburn planning board or its design and then there's also enforcement authorities which uh and I need to just um so the permit granting authority is the planning board or its design and then the DPW director or their design is the enforcing agent for unauthorized connections, unauthorized discharges, elicit discharges and obstructions of the MS4. So essentially that's what you see running off from construction sites, disturbing the streets, hooking into storm drains, things like that. Um
092>> okay, that's great. >> And and then the planning board is the enforcing agent for all other aspects of the bylaw. >> Thank you. Thank you. Does anybody else have any questions or comments? >> Yes, Addy May. >> Um Addy May Weiss one Jackson. Just wanted to make a comment on the first question that was asked regarding 40BS. 40bs. Um the zoning board of appeals has the authority for the comprehensive permit and they uh while local zoning doesn't apply, the state zoning does apply and our MS4 what we're referring to what the planning board has designated in the new terminology would be a major permit is fully the language of the state MS4 permit. So um yes there there they will compreh. >> Okay. Any any more questions or comments about the proposed bylaw rather
093than specific projects? Okay. Um hearing none, we can we can vote. Um this is a majority vote. The motion was to approve the article. So a yes vote is a vote to approve over 100, right? But I don't think this is a zoning. Is it a zoning? >> Okay. Is there anyone else who hasn't voted who wants to vote? >> It's a general bylaw. >> Okay. Seeing none, um we can >> reveal the total. So this is a this the article passes 81 to 20. >> Okay. And um the final article is article 16 to amend sections of the zoning bylaw. This is this will require a two-thirds vote. Mr. Bonder, does advisory have a motion? >> We do. >> That's what I I estimated. >> I move that the town vote to amend the
094Sherborn zoning bylaw chapter 240 as follows. Amend section 240-3.2 schedule of uses PN 14A. Delete uh section 240-3.2 schedule of uses PN27 low or moderate income apartments in its entirety. Amend section 240-3.2 table of uses PN26A multi-dwellings asterisk asterisk in the associated footnote. Delete section 240-3.2 table of uses PN27 low or moderate income apartments. Amend section 240-3.2 table of uses notation of quote OS end quote and amend section 240-3.3 living accommodations in non-residential buildings the complete text of which is available in hard copy at this town meeting. >> Second. >> Okay, it's been moved and seconded. Does the select board have a comment on this article? The select board voted unanimous support for this article. >> Okay. And uh Miss Harrison, you have some comments here. >> Yes. Thank you. Uh the planning board meant
095to discuss held public hearing on February 10th, 2026 and voted unanimously to support the miscellaneous zoning updates bylaw. Um I have just a couple of quick slides of what we're doing. What you see in black is the changes. What you see in blue is the justification. So here we are um we added use 14A daycare child care daycare childcare center um it is showing in the table of uses the table of uses as allowed and it is listed in the schedule of uses as permissive. So this inconsistency is being corrected. It is an allowed use uh a protected use. Next slide please. Um here uh what we're showing is the full deletion of use number 27 low or moderate income apartment. Um this was an access apartment is the legacy term for accessory dwelling unit.
096This was an an ADU category that is no longer needed. Um it was a legacy use that was added before both the affordable housing bylaw and the protected use ADU bylaw which we added at the last town meeting. Um this use has not been exercised. It is extremely limiting. It requires a 30-year deed restriction uh for affordable housing and only applies to attached ADUs, not detached ADUs. Um, also, most importantly, a low or moderate income ADU could be designated and implemented under the other existing ADU categories that we have in our bylaws. So, this is just cleaning up to delete that legacy third category of ADUs. and uh also some clarifications of the footnotes. Um you can see the bold text is the clarifications that just um clarifies what was meant by that. And the
097last slide um this is where uh the low or moderate income apartments use was referred to in a business district. And so while we're deleting the use, we're also deleting the reference to the use for consistency. And that is the extent of the uh miscellaneous updates for the zoning bylaws. >> Thank Thank you. Um, does anybody else have any comments or questions on this article? >> Just a point of order. >> Point of order. >> Yes, Mr. Durances. >> Before you can enact a zoning bylaw, you need a report of the planning board that says that on certain date they held a hearing and that they vote to recommend adoption. >> I believe Miss Harrison started her presentation with that comment. >> That there was a hearing and that they did so vote. Yes, the
098hearing was held on February 10th of 2026 and vote the vote was unanimously in favor of this. >> Great. Thank you. >> Okay. Anybody else? >> Hearing none, we can uh proceed to vote. You gave another two minutes. You made it closer by asking a question. There we go. >> Okay, we're waiting for anyone else to vote. Okay. Um, let's reveal the totals. But there goes that core. >> Yeah, we're good. >> Okay. Um I'm going to guess this is 2/3 also. 92 to8. Um so the the uh article passes. Um just before before I adjourn, I was asked to deliver a PSA uh to let you public service announcement to let you know Congressman Jake Achenclaus invites you to a meet and greet at Sherburn Library Tuesday, May 5th from 2 to 3 p.m.
099in the community room at the Sherburn Library. Okay. Thank you. Thank you all for sticking out the town meeting and for being here. Uh we made it through with a quorum and uh we got our work done quickly. Thank you. >> Move to adjourn. >> No, you move to adjourn. >> To adjourn. >> Oh, I make a motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> Thanks. Thanks for yelling that out. We We have people leaving already. >> We're journ now. Thank you everybody.