PELHAM — A year after the town encouraged the state to adopt a Safe Communities Act that would protect all residents, regardless of their immigration status, voters will have an opportunity to pass a Safe Community bylaw that has a similar objective.
The petition, which is joined by another that seeks greater transparency in political donations, is among 47 articles that will be taken up at annual Town Meeting at Pelham Elementary School Saturday at 9 a.m.
The proposed bylaw gives instruction to town employees to not monitor, detain or question anyone to determine whether a person is an undocumented immigrant, and calls on police to “not inquire about the immigration status of any crime victim, witness or suspect, unless such information is directly relevant to the investigation.”
Voters will be asked to adopt a $4.56 million municipal budget that is $51,595, or 1.1 percent higher, than the current year $4.51 million budget.
The main increase comes from the $1.75 million budget for the Pelham Elementary School, a $37,075, or $2.1 percent increase, over this year’s $1.72 million budget. But the assessment for the regional schools, based on a formula that has already been approved in Amherst, Shutesbury and Leverett, is going down to $947,186, an $87,997, or 8.5 percent drop, from this year’s $1.04 million assessment.
Even with this, the Finance Committee in a memo is warning residents about continued budget problems.
“As is usual, the constant demand for increased expenses is severely undermined by negligible increased revenue,” the members wrote. “At some point tough decisions may have to be made regarding the viability of Pelham as an independent town.”
One possibility for improving the tax base is zoning changes to the village center in West Pelham. These zoning changes would guide development in that town center.
With limited state money for roads, $25,000 in free cash will be used to make permanent repairs to dirt roads in Pelham.
Spending on the warrant includes $45,000 from the capital stabilization account to purchase and equip a new four-wheel drive police cruiser, and $5,000 from free cash to buy two new portable radios for police.
For the highway department, $22,000 from the capital stabilization account will buy and install a 1,500-gallon double wall diesel fuel tank, and $23,000 from the account will be used for a power broom with dust control to be mounted on a backhoe.
Another $122,000 from capital stabilization will repair, wash, caulk and paint the exterior of the Community Center, with free cash of $25,000 to assess, repair or replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the building. And $20,000 for an engineering study on replacing heating and cooling systems at Community Center and address moisture issues on its ground floor.
Another $35,000 in free cash would go to hire a consultant to assess and install a handicapped bathroom and do asbestos abatement at the Rhodes School building, while $5,500 from free cash would install a sign at Pelham Elementary, and $1,000 would be used to fix gravestones at cemeteries.
Community Preservation Act spending includes $38,107 to preserve and digitize town record books under the care of the town clerk, $45,000 to build a handicapped access ramp and make other accessibility renovations at Community Hall and $25,000 to construct a pavilion and buy movable soccer goals for the elementary school.
Residents will also be presented a resolution that seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a municipal electric aggregation in which Pelham would join Northampton and Amherst on a program known as Community Choice Energy.
No contests will be on the ballot when voters participate in the town election, which will be held at the Ramsdell Room at the Pelham Library from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday
Robert V. Agoglia, 52 Meeting House Road, is the lone candidate for the Select Board, with incumbent William Martell not seeking re-election.
Most of the ballot features incumbents running unopposed for re-election, including Gwendolyn Ann Hubler for a three-year position on the Board of Assessors; William E. Pula for a three-year term on the Board of Health; Rosemary A. Agoglia and Gregory H. Wardlaw for three-year terms as trustees for the Pelham Library; Alexandra F. Dewey for a five-year term on the Planning Board; Daniel E. Robb for a one-year position as moderator; Cleon B. Booth for a three-year seat on the Cemetery Commission; and David C. Hawkins for a three-year term as tree warden.
