A costly road paving article and new tennis courts are issues likely to cause comment at Mattapoisett’s annual Town Meeting, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on May 13 at Old Rochester Regional High School auditorium. The Town Warrant has 33 articles that will be brought to the townspeople for a vote.

General Operating Budget
This year’s proposed budget of $21,899,127 is a two-percent increase over fiscal year 2013, and includes the addition of a full-time laborer at the highway department as well as a new part-time position for the Mattapoisett Library.

On the education front, Gagne said, “The regular local school budget went up by $94,000, very much in keeping with other departments.” But special education costs were much steeper with a $243,000 increase, due in large part to the need to send students out of the district.

Several departments are also getting a boost after being level funded for many years, including the fund for care of town buildings, the computer budget and the snow and ice removal fund.

In the area of health insurance, the budget is seeing a decrease due to changes in recent years, including the adoption of a 50-50 contribution and changes to plans.

“We’re bearing the fruits of what we’ve negotiated with the employees,” said Gagne.

Health insurance for retired employees
Mattapoisett currently has a $10.5 million unfunded liability for the health insurance benefits of retired employees. It has been on a “pay as you go” plan since the town first agreed to pay 50 percent of retiree benefits in 1956.

“The problem is not everyone is going to be aging and dying over a consistent schedule,” said Gagne.

Adding $297,720 to the $190,000 in the existing stabilization fund would alleviate the financial burden down the road and help the town stay in good standing with financial institutions, said Gagne.

Hammond Street tennis courts
The Community Preservation Committee is bringing a $170,00 article to Town Meeting for the purpose of restoring the tennis courts adjacent to Center School. The improvements will go towards two courts, which are part of Mattapoisett Recreation’s five-year plan.

Some residents would like to see at least three courts on the site, but Jeremy Collier, chair of Mattapoisett Recreation, would like to use the remaining open space beside the courts for other purposes. “We want to do stuff for the very little kids who don’t have a place to play,” Collier said.

Brandt Beach paving petition
Residents of the Brandt Beach area are petitioning for a $447,000 project to repave four “feeder roads.” This year marks the third time residents have brought the article, which the Finnance Committee is not recommending. “In good conscience, we can’t take $447,000 from the [tax] levy nor from the stabilization fund,” said Gagne.

He suggested crafting a priority list of smaller roads instead.

Road Improvement Plan
The townspeople will be asked to vote again this year to appropriate $200,000 for Phase III of the town’s road improvement plan. The money will be borrowed as other debts are retired, causing no additional cost to the budget.

5-year Capital Improvement Plan
The Capital Planning Committee’s five-year improvement plan includes prioritized needs for the town across departments.

Chair Chuck McCullough presented the group’s wish list at a recent Selectmen meeting. “There are not many new items on there. It talks about the need for us to continue to maintain, update, and sometimes replace infrastructure. Certainly we need to address facilities, in some case modernization,” he said.

Residents will also vote on funding the first phase of the plan for $256,670 from the Capital Improvement Stabilization Fund. The funds will pay for a new police cruiser, a technology upgrade for schools, and other items.

Download the Town Warrant here. A video on the Warrant is also available on the Mattapoisett town website.