MATTAPOISETT — Postponed twice due to coronavirus and budget uncertainty, Mattapoisett’s Annual Town Meeting is set to take place on Aug. 17, and will ask voters to approve a number of administrative matters and easements for two major projects. 

The short warrant has only 11 articles, and the meeting will be held in a tent in the middle of the track at  Old Rochester Regional High School  at 6 p.m. to try and prevent the spread of coronavirus. 

The town held off on a June Town Meeting, to make a 10%, or $163,000 cut to the budget. Though state aid will be held at 2019 levels, the town remains committed to the smaller budget. 

“The reality is that the financial impact of this crisis is still unknown.  State Aid represents only 4.5% of our annual resources, while 11.5% is obtained from local receipts and the use of available funds.  The Board, Finance Committee, and Town Administration believes it is best to remain conservative at this time and decisively trim expenses,” said Town Administrator Michael Lorenco.  

The town was able to reduce the budget by holding off on the purchase of two new police cruisers, stopping capital investments except on projects that have already begun and cutting the budget for the Council on Aging and library because they are both operating in limited capacity.

The town will ask Town Meeting to approve the use of grant anticipation notes, short-term financial agreements with the state that show how much the town intends to pay for budget purposes and allows it to pay that amount back once it receives grant funds to do so.

Town Meeting will also be asked to approve two studies for large construction projects. One is related to a project that would extend the town sewer to Industrial Drive, improve pavement quality there and add a bike path along the road. The town is largely certain of the land ownership in the area, but wants to check for one spot. 

A second study is for the Acushnet Road bridge work. The study lets the town verify that it has all proper permissions for the project in place, in case anything is contested later. 

The town will seek Town Meeting approval to take $150,000 from its Debt Stabilization Fund to begin to pay for the construction of a new fire station. 

Town Meeting voters will also weigh in on whether the town can create a revolving fund for the Recreation Department with a cap of $65,000, and a revolving fund for the Fire Hazmat Materials with a cap of $50,000. Fees for Recreation Department programs and costs for materials would provide money for the funds.  

The Water and Sewer commissioners are seeking approval to take $10,000 from the water enterprise fund and $10,000 from the sewer enterprise fund to start reserve funds or to deal with unexpected expenses. 

The town encourages anyone who is sick to stay home, and will follow proper social distancing measures both for check in and for seating. Masks are required, and the town will perform mosquito spraying before the meeting. There will also be portable outdoor toilets available. 

View the full Mattapoisett Town Meeting Warrant at: https://www.mattapoisett.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif3436/f/uploads/2020_town_meeting_warrant.pdf