"Town ofJActon 'nn:i /Annij/i C Town Heport 44 Acton (Mass.) Annual reports. Town of Acton, Massachusetts 2003 Acton Incorporated as a Town: July 3, 1735 Type of Government: Town Meetings ~ Selectmen/Town Manager Location: Eastern Massachusetts, Middlesex County, bordered on the east by Carlisle and Concord, on the west by Boxborough. on the north by Westford and Littleton, on the south by Sudbury, and the southwest by Stow and Maynard. Elevation at Town Hall: 268' above mean sea level Land Area: Approximately 20 square miles Population: Year Persons 1950 3,510 1960 7,238 1970 14,770 1980 19,000 1990 18,143 2000 20,331 2001 19,789 2002 19,842 2003 19,916 IN MEMORIAM FRANKLIN CHARTER - Tree Warden - Town Forest Committee - Conservation Committee JOSEPH GRANDINE, II - Acton Memorial Library Trustee - Commission on Disabilities HOWARD FULLONTON JONES - Cemetery Commissioner STANLEY TANNER WRAY - Cemetary Commissioner DOROTHY WILLIAMS - Poll Watcher COVER ART SUPPLIED B Y JOHN MURRA Y 1 Af;I(l^J MrMUPlAi I IBRARY 1 00277 2429 2003 Town of Annual Acton, Reports Massachusetts Two Hundred and Sixty-Eighth Municipal Year for the year ending December 31, 2003 Asm Printed by Alhol Press Inc.. — Alhol, MA 01 33 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Administrative Services 7. Public Works and Environment Board of Selectmen 3 Board of Appeals 60 Town Manager 4 Building Department 60 Town Report Committee 5 Cemetery Commission 60 Volunteer Coordinating Committee 5 Community Preservation Committee 61 Engineering Department 62 2. Financial Management Services Highway Department 64 Board of Assessors 6 Municipal Properties 64 House Sales 6 Natural Resources 66 Elizabeth White Fund 10 Finance Committee 10 8. Community Safety Goodnow Fund 112 Animal Inspector 67 Town Accountant 112 Board of Health 67 Dog Officer 68 3. Human Services Emergency Management Agency 69 Commission On Disability 22 Auxiliary Fire Department 70 Community Housing Corporation 23 Fire Department 70 Council on Aging 25 Police Department 74 Housing Authority 26 Post/Crew 7 Search and Rescue 78 Public Health Nursing Service 27 Sealer of Weights and Measures 28 9. Legislative Veterans' Services 28 Annual Town Meeting, April 7, 2003 79 Special Town Meeting, October 20, 2003 101 4. Education and Libraries Acton and Acton-Boxborough Schools Report 29 10. Town Elections and Statistics Minuteman Science-Technology High School 40 Annual Town Election, April 1, 2003 102 Acton Memorial Library 46 Dog Statistics 104 West Acton Citizens' Library 48 Vital Statistics 104 5. Cultural and Historical Activities 11. Acton Information Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council 49 National, State, and County Officials 106 Historic District Commission 51 Elected Town Officials 106 Historical Commission 51 Appointments by Moderator 107 Appointments by Selectmen 107 6. Community Development Appointments by Town Manager ill Fence Viewer 52 Street/Precinct List 1 14 Economic Development Committee 52 Map of Acton 120 Metropolitan Area Planning Council 53 Town Boards, Committees, Commissions E-mails.... 124 Planning Department 55 Volunteer Application 127 Recreation Department 56 Taxation Aid Committee 57 At Your Service Inside Back Cover Transportation Advisory Committee 58 Lowell Regional Transit Authority 59 Cable Advisory 59 2 ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BOARD OF SELECTMEN FY04 Budgets, the picture remains gloomy for FY05. Nonethe- less, the ALG stands by its plan and pledge of last year to avoid an override for FY05. Unfortunately, this comes at a significant 2003 was a special, yet difficult year for the Board of cost. Both Municipal and School operations must make sub- Selectmen. When we entered the year we were in the midst of stantial reductions in personnel and services in order to meet the difficult budget decisions. It was clear that we needed an Operat- budgetary constraints imposed by the combination of Proposition ing Override in order to compensate for the structural deficiencies 2 '/2, the economy and rising fixed-costs. of Proposition 2 It was also clear to the Selectmen, School Committees and Finance Committee that, even with a substantial With the adoption of the Community Preservation Act override, there would be a need to reduce services from the FY03 (CPA) in November 2002, the Selectmen moved quickly to level in order to balance the budget in FY04. The Selectmen establish a Community Preservation Committee (CPC). The had not approached the voters with such a question for nearly a worked diligently throughout 2003 to create a process for decade and we were reluctant to do so in 2003. However, months CPC carrying out its mandates related to Historic Preservation, Open of study and a three year budgetary plan developed by the Acton Space, Affordable Housing and Recreation. True to its word, Leadership Group (ALG), clearly showed that we should seek the State has matched local contributions to this fund, doUar- an override to supplement revenues for FY04. At the same time, for-dollar. The has already generated over $470,000 of we made the conscious decision to not request an override for CPA State matching funds in FY04, alone, and promises to deliver FY05 but to consider the real probability that the economy would substantial state matching funds for the foreseeable future. These not recover for FY06, prompting the need for another override moneys will be set aside and used to assist in creating and pre- It that time. Budgets, dubbed the "A" and "B" Budgets, were serving these critical cultural and community elements for future developed to indicate the levels of Municipal and School services generations of Actonians. The first of the Committee's funding hat could be provided under the conditions of a passed or failed will presented to the 2004 Annual Town Dverride vote, respectively. recommendations be Meeting in April. After months of debate, the voters of Acton approved the Voters at a Special Town Meeting on October 15, 2002, requested override at the Annual Town Election in March. This approved funding for construction of a new F^iblic Safety Facility )aved the way for the subsequent approval of the "A" Budgets at the site of the present Police Station. The architect was hired It the Annual Town Meeting in April. Even with the passage shortly after the Town Meeting vote and work proceeded on )f the override, however, revenues for FY04, combined with development of plans and specifications. Bids were received for xtraordinary increases in some fixed-cost areas (Pensions, the building in late July and, after working through several issues, lealth Insurance, etc.) were insufficient to maintain services at broken in September. The project is proceeding at he FY03 levels and both the Municipal and School operations ground was this time. Citizens are encouraged to observe the construction Hvere forced to reduce service levels going into FY04. The good as you drive past but, due to limited space at the Police Station ews is that services were maintained at levels closer to the FY03 the inherently dangerous conditions of a major construc- ervice levels than they would have been had the override failed. and tion site, would ask that you not stop or attempt to enter the Tie other good news was that the passage of the override was we construction site. key factor in the Town receiving a bond rating upgrade from Moody's Investors Service. This upgrade was more than unusual, In previous years we have reported issues of significant oming at an economic time when many communities were being concern with respect to the Middlesex Retirement System and, owngraded. The Acton taxpayer is the direct beneficiary of this specifically, the practices and business deci- pgrade. The Town has already received extremely favorable more management sions of the Middlesex Retirement Board. Your Selectmen took orrowing rates for both the new Twin School and the new Public active role this year in efforts to pass legislation aimed at afety Facility. These favorable rates are directly attributable an reform and restructuring of the Middlesex Retirement Board. ) the bond rating upgrade and will save hundreds of thousands Although the reform legislation has not yet passed, we are pleased f dollars in borrowing costs over the life of the loans. This to advise that the Executive Director of the Middlesex Retirement ill play out as even greater savings as the Acton-Boxborough has resigned/retired are hopeful that his successor egional School District borrows for the Junior and Senior High System and we responsive units. chool projects. will be more and responsible to the member We will continue to monitor the activities of this organization appropriate controls to see that taxpayer dollars are not The budgetary picture, especially the income side of the and seek wasted or squandered. juation, has not improved much over the last 12 months. The ew England economy continues to lag behind the rest of the ition and State revenues have not rebounded as we had hoped ey would. Even with the successful override to bolster the 3 As to the Board itself, Pam Harting-Barrat left the Board TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT when she decided not to run for re-election in March 2002. We for her years of public service. In her stead. thank her many From the viewpoint of your Municipal Staff, Calendar Year Johnson ran for and won election to the Board. Bob brings Bob 2003 is best characterized as a series of cliffhanger events. understanding and perspective gained from service as a volunteer worked diligently to "come up to in several capacities. He has In early January we were deeply engrossed in efforts to responsibilities in his first speed" and has shouldered significant convince the primary municipal bond rating agencies, Moody's serving as the Board's liaison to year as a Selectman, including Investors Service and Standard & Poor's, that the Town of taking on the the East Acton Village Planning Committee and Acton compares more than favorably with the select group of Acton's future solid waste disposal issues related to NESWC and municipalities in the nation who boast the coveted top credit reorganized in May, I was elected Chair- needs.