SOUTH HADLEY — A $44.2 million operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will be on the agenda when Town Meeting members gather at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Town Hall auditorium.
Also on the agenda are articles to appropriate $90,000 to further the work of the South Hadley Redevelopment Authority and $40,000 to conduct a study to determine the needs of the Senior Center, the Olde Firehouse Museum, the Police Station and Town Hall.
Next year’s proposed budget of $44,220,103 is about 1.6 percent higher than the current year’s figure, $43,537,890.
Town Administrator Michael Sullivan said that Town Meeting may make changes within the budget. “It’s not common, but they are able to,” he said.
The proposed school budget for next fiscal year is $20,777,329, an increase of $256,510 or 1.25 percent from this year.
Town Meeting members also will consider a proposal to amend the town’s bylaws requiring dog owners to clean up after them in public spaces to include other domesticated animals.
“We have people with pigs and miniature goats who walk their animals in public spaces,” said Sullivan. “We need the ability to fine them, so we need to update the law.”
The penalties for violating the bylaw are $50 for the first offense and $300 for a second offense within a two-year period. The Health Department, Police Department and animal control officer all have enforcement powers.
The new wording of the bylaw, if approved, would extend to “dogs, pigs, monkeys, but not limited to, or any animal which is kept for companionship, entertainment.”
Another bylaw change would require owners of abandoned or unused property to notify the building department within 60 days. “We want to have people register their homes if they are vacant,” said Sullivan.
The town would “reserve the right to inspect such properties annually to make sure there are no safety issues.” According to Sullivan, this bylaw change is recommended throughout the state by the attorney general’s office.
Among the warrant articles for a special Town Meeting, which will immediately precede the annual Town Meeting, is an appropriation of $28,000 from the town’s technology fund for equipment allowing the town’s public access television station to do live broadcasts from remote locations.
Sullivan said this would include the library “or any place that has wireless Internet.” The money would also cover the purchase of large screen monitors for use in Town Hall.
Town Meeting members also will be asked to approve $90,000 to fund a shortfall in the current fiscal year for the South Hadley Veterans Service Department.
“We continue to see a substantial uptick in residents looking for veterans benefits,” said Sullivan. “This is stopgap funding for veterans who are oftentimes out of work, or maybe homeless.”
Eric Goldscheider can be reached at eric.goldscheider@gmail.com.