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TOWN OF NOR ONE HUNDRED TWENTY THIRD Annual Report OF THE TOWN OF NORWELL Massachusetts For the Year Ending December 31, 1972 Norweil Public Library FAIRMOUNT PRESS, INC. Rockland, Massachusetts TOWN OF NORWELL PLYMOUTH COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS Twelfth Congressional District GERRY E. STUDDS, COHASSET (D) First Councillor District NICHOLAS W. MITCHELL, FALL RIVER (D) Norfolk and Plymouth Senatorial Districts ALLAN R. McKINNON, WEYMOUTH (D) Ninth Plymouth Representative District ROGER SUMNER BABB, NORWELL (R) County Commissioners GEORGE A. RIDDER, EAST BRIDGEWATER (R) JOHN J. FRANEY (D) EDWARD P. KIRBY (R) NORTH ABINGTON WHITMAN 1971 State Census - 8,249 TOWN DATA Norwell is situated in Southeastern Massachusetts, bordered by the Towns of Hanover and Rockland on the west, Pembroke on the south, Marshfield and Scituate on the east and northeast, and Hingham on the north. The town covers 20.98 square miles and is 22 miles south of Boston and 14 miles east of Brockton. In 1950 the population was 2,515 people, and in 1960 had increased to 5,207 people, an increase of 107%, one of the largest percentage increases in the State of Massachusetts. In 1965 the population was 6,387, which indicates that although slightly down on an annual average the population growth is substantial. Population in 1971 is 8,249. The town was settled in 1634 and in 1888 adopted its name from Henry Norwell, a prominent summer resident. It has a Town Meeting form of government with a Moderator, Board of Selectmen, Board of Assessors, Planning Board, Town Clerk, Treasurer and Highway Surveyor. Three main roads run through the town; Routes 53 (formerly Route 3), Route 123, and the newly-relocated Route 3 (known as the Southeast Expressway). The Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway serves the town with four buses daily, 5 days a week, with service to points north and terminating in the City of Boston. Public utilities available in the town are: Electric power by The Brockton Edison Company, gas by The Brockton-Taunton Gas Company, telephone service by the New England Telephone Company, and the Town has its own water department. JOHN D. HEWITT SELECTMEN'S ANNUAL REPORT As taxpayers and voters, we must put a damper on Town expenditures. Nor- well's operating expenses, salaries, debt and interest payments are spiraling higher each year: YEAR SPENT INCREASE 1972 $4,469,573.00 $886,459.00 1971 3,583,114.00 477,589.00 1970 3,105,525.00 381,544.00 The interest and principal payments on the new High School less the 65% reim- bursement which the Town hopes to receive on the 1973 Cherry Sheet will add ap- proximately one million dollars to the money the Town must raise for the next eighteen months under Article 2 before any money is raised for operating expenses or capital outlay. Despite the hope that some of our new capital expenditures might have been postponed and scheduled for later years, 1972 was another big year of new pro- jects approved: — New Library — New Library program room addition — Tree Warden — site and garage — Sparrell School renovation plans — New bulldozer garage at dump We will be asked to vote in 1973 for: — New Town Hall addition — Golf Course with swimming pool and other recreational facilities And, last but not least: — State Law requires that towns convert to a new fiscal year basis running from July 1st to June 30th, which means an 18- month budget must be appropriated at this March Town Meeting. The Fiscal Cycle Bill brings counties, cities and towns into conformity with the fiscal cycle of the Federal and State Governments and after this 18-month transi- tional period will operate in the following manner: 1. Improve budget procedures: OLD NEW CALENDAR YEAR BASIS FISCAL YEAR BASIS Budgets approved at March Town Budgets approved at March Town Meeting. Meeting. Expenditures begin 3 lA months be- Expenditures begin 2 lA months after fore approval of the budget — on approval of the budget — on January 1st. July 1st. Having a final approved budget before the expenditures for the year begin will re- duce the guess work in figuring how much money will be available and will elimi- nate the problem of retroactive pay increases. 2. Establish semi-annual property tax payments: OLD NEW CALENDAR YEAR BASIS FISCAL YEAR BASIS All taxes are payable by November Half the taxes are payable by No- 1st and 8% interest is charged on vember 1st and 8% interest on any any unpaid balance from October unpaid balance of that half from 1st. October 1st. It is the intent that the other half of the taxes will be payable the following May 1st with 8% interest on any unpaid balance of that half from April 1st. 3. Reduce the Town's borrowing needs: OLD NEW CALENDAR YEAR BASIS FISCAL YEAR BASIS Town's expenditures start January Town's expenditures start July 1st, 1st - ten months before full tax four months before half tax pay- payments are made (November 1). ments are made (November 1). Towns must borrow funds for ten Towns need borrow funds for only months to meet operation costs four months to meet operating costs (January 1 - November 1). (July 1 — November 1). 4. Give new construction a six month "free tax ride": OLD NEW CALENDAR YEAR BASIS FISCAL YEAR BASIS January 1st is the legal assessment January 1 st remains the legal assess- date for property evaluation. ment date for property evaluation. Construction and improvement Construction and improvement work done on property after Jan- work done on property after Janu- uary 1 st in any year is not included ary 1st is not included in the in the assessed valuation until assessed valuation until July 1st of January 1st of the following year. the following year. This results in an extra six months exemption for property taxpayers on such new construction when compared with the present calendar year basis. The Fiscal Cycle Bill, however, will require adjustments in our planning and ap- propriations at our March 1973 Annual Meeting. 1. All budgets will be figured for 18 months, to run from January 1973 to June 30, 1974. 2. Tax bills will be mailed out for 18 months (covering January 1, 1973 to June 30, 1974. Two-thirds of this tax bill (January 1, 1973 to January 1, 1974) must be paid November 1, 1973. One-third of this bill (January 1, 1974 to June 30, 1974) is now scheduled for payment April 1, 1974. 3. Some Town expenses can be budgeted for 18 months at 150% of their 12- month figure. Other budgets, such as snow and ice removal, or heating costs, which occur mostly in December, January, February and March, will necessi- tate a two-year budget for this 18-month period. 4. Because of many unknown or difficult-to-estimate expenses, when looking ahead, such as: — New High School operation and staff - no estimate available, — New Library operation and staff - already estimated at $65,000.00. — Cost-of-living increases, — Problems of our dump operation, the Town's free cash, Stabilization Fund and Reserve Fund should be increased — not expended — to insure against unforeseen expenses in the last six-month period (January 1, 1974 to June 30, 1974). No funds can be raised from tax sources, even though needed, after the March, 1973 Town Meeting until the new fiscal year begins in July, 1974. This past Fall your Selectmen visited the Sudbury Town Engineer, discussed his programs and saw his office and planning room. We are putting an article in the 1973 Annual Town Warrant for approval of a Town Engineer for Norwell, with proper financial appropriations to support this new position. We are confident from our studies that such an appointment will: — probably cost no more than the Town now pays in total to the different engineers, engineering firms and surveyors used independently by our various committees. — coordinate the engineering work and recommendations of the different Town Departments more efficiently and effectively. — develop better communications between such departments as our Highway, Water and Drainage Departments and eliminate some of the delays and dis- agreements we have experienced for many years past in getting work for these departments completed. — develop and maintain central survey, planning and aerial map layouts of the whole Town, all of which are much needed by our Conservation and Planning Boards, as well as the departments mentioned above. Your Selectmen ask the voters to consider seriously this long-time need and give approval to a new Town Engineer and his budget requirements at the coming March Town Meeting. Norwell's Chapter 90 Highway Reconstruction Program received a setback in 1972. This is the arrangement whereby the Town accepts County-engineered lay- outs on approved highways in the Town. In return, the State reimburses Norwell 50% and the County reimburses Norwell 25% for any approved reconstruction work on such approved layouts. Norwell voters rejected the Norwell Avenue layout in 1971 and at a hearing on a High Street Layout, rejected this street also. Therefore, our Town was unable to qualify for any Chapter 90 funds in 1972. The Selectmen have applied for our share of Chapter 90 funds for 1973 and 1974 to be used for several projects already tentatively approved by the County - 7 - and at voter hearings: — Resurfacing work on River and Main Streets - Resurfacing of Pond Street - Reconstruction, jointly with Hanover, of Mill Street Bridge. — Reconstruction of Mill Street. With Hanover's closing of Pond Street, the reconstruction of Mill Street Bridge is vital to Norwell residents. The State has passed a supplementary Highway Aid Bill, which will approximate- ly double each town's Chapter 90 allotments over the next five years.