2012 Town Report

Town of Dartmouth 2012 Annual Town Report Table of Contents Town Demographics ................................................................................................................... 4 Directory of Public Officials ....................................................................................................... 5 Directory of Town Office Numbers ............................................................................................. 6 TOWN ADMINISTRATOR ..................................................................................................... 7 FINANCIAL AND ACCOUNTANT REPORTS Town Accountant ........................................................................................................................ 9 Board of Assessors .................................................................................................................... 41 Town Collector ......................................................................................................................... 42 PUBLIC SAFETY AND PROTECTION Building Department ................................................................................................................. 43 Police Department .................................................................................................................... 45 Emergency Management ........................................................................................................... 53 PUBLIC WORKS AND SERVICES Department of Public Works ..................................................................................................... 54 Engineering Division ................................................................................................................ 57 Highway and Sanitation Division .............................................................................................. 58 Construction Division ............................................................................................................... 63 Water Pollution Control ............................................................................................................ 66 Water Division .......................................................................................................................... 68 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Planning Board ......................................................................................................................... 70 Southeastern Regional Planning & Economic Development District ......................................... 75 Greater New Bedford Regional Refuse Management District .................................................... 78 Zoning Board of Appeals .......................................................................................................... 80 Historical Commission .............................................................................................................. 82 Community Preservation Committee ......................................................................................... 84 Cemetery Commission .............................................................................................................. 87 PUBLIC LIBRARIES ............................................................................................................. 89 SCHOOL DEPARTMENT ..................................................................................................... 97 Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School ......................................... 162 DARTMOUTH COMMUNITY TELEVISION .................................................................. 187 HUMAN SERVICES Board of Health ....................................................................................................................... 191 Soil Board ............................................................................................................................... 195 Council on Aging .................................................................................................................... 196 Housing Authority................................................................................................................... 200 Veterans’ Services................................................................................................................... 202 Youth Commission ................................................................................................................. 203 Legal Department .................................................................................................................... 206 PARKS, NATURAL RESOURCES & RECREATION Bristol County Mosquito Control Project ................................................................................ 207 Harbormaster/Shellfish ............................................................................................................ 209 Park Department ..................................................................................................................... 212 Recreation Department ............................................................................................................ 214 DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION Director of Development ......................................................................................................... 216 Capital Planning Committee .................................................................................................... 218 TOWN CLERK ..................................................................................................................... 224 TOWN DEMOGRAPHICS Location Dartmouth is located in Southeastern Massachusetts in the County of Bristol; bordered by Fall River and Freetown to the north, New Bedford to the east, Westport to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Dartmouth is approximately 60 miles south of Boston and 30 miles east of Providence and is the fifth largest town in the Commonwealth. Area Total Area 63.95 sq. miles Land Area 61.82 sq. miles Population 35,261 (as of Jan 1, 2012) U.S.G.S. Topographical Plates Fall River East, New Bedford South, Westport, New Bedford North Form of Government Select Board Town Administrator Representative Town Meeting Incorporated Dartmouth was incorporated as a town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1664. 4 DIRECTORY OF PUBLIC OFFICALS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT U.S. Representative, Fourth District Barney Frank U.S. Senator Scott Brown U.S. Senator John F. Kerry STATE GOVERNMENT Governor Deval Patrick Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin Auditor of the Commonwealth Suzanne M. Bump Treasurer and Receiver General Steven Grossman Attorney General Martha Coakley Senator, Second Bristol District Mark C. Montigny State Representative, Ninth Bristol District Christopher M. Markey BRISTOL COUNTY GOVERNMENT Commissioners Paul B. Kitchen Maria F. Lopes John R. Mitchell Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson Register of Deeds (Southern District) J. Mark Treadup Treasurer Christopher Saunders Clerk of Courts Marc J. Santos Register of Probate and Insolvency Gina DeRossi District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter 5 DARTMOUTH TOWN OFFICE NUMBERS Accountant 508-910-1824 Animal Control 508-910-1840 Assessors Department 508-910-1809 Board of Appeals 508-910-1868 Board of Health 508-910-1804 Building Department 508-910-1820 Clerk 508-910-1800 Collector 509-910-1806 Computer Services 508-910-1861 Conservation Department 508-910-1822 Council on Aging 508-910-4717 Department of Public Works 508-910-0740 Director of Development 508-910-1883 Emergency Management 508-999-0757 Harbormaster 508-999-0759 Legal Department 508-910-1881 Libraries North Dartmouth 508-999-0728 Southworth 508-999-0726 Parks & Recreation Department 508-910-1812 Police Department 508-910-1734 Police, Fire & Ambulance 911 Planning Department 508-910-1816 Select Board Office 508-910-1813 School Department 508-997-3391 Shellfish Department 508-910-1725 Treasurers Department 508-910-1802 Youth Commission 508-910-1855 Veterans 508-910-1818 6 SELECT BOARD MEMBERS Lara H. Stone-Vice-Chairperson Term Expires 2015 Shawn D. McDonald-Vice-Chairperson Term Expires 2013 Michael P. Watson Term Expires 2015 William J. Trimble Term Expires 2014 Joseph Michaud Term Expires 2013 TOWN ADMINISTRATOR Town Administrator Annual Report Since one of the Select Boards goals for the Town Administrator was to improve communications with residents, I initiated the Town of Dartmouth Newsletter in March which was followed by three quarterly editions. Along with a message from the Town Administrator each Newsletter provided information on Town Department services and accomplishments. To serve the goal to maintain Fiscal Accountability, Standards & Poor reviewed the Town’s credit rating and gave the Town an AA rating which is excellent. This reflected the Town’s stable economy anchored by UMass Dartmouth and improved financial management practices by the Town. The latter comment was a reflection of the actions taken by the Select Board, Finance Committee, School Committee, Town Officials and our residents too stabilize the Town’s finances in numerous ways including adopting financial policies and increasing the Towns financial reserves. To reduce the use of fossil fuels, the Town has focused on the development of alternative energy for several years. However, this year and next year the Town will see the value of these efforts. At the beginning of the year, the Con Ed Solar Farm in the Industrial

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