USA > Massachusetts > Franklin County > Leverett > Record of Town Meetings and Elections, 1955-1974 > Part 25
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c. When a vacancy occurs in the Committee, the vacancy shall be filled for the unexpired balance of the term by appointment made at a joint meeting of the selectmen of the town from which the vacancy is to be filled, the remaining member or members of the Committee from such town and two additional persons selected by and from the membership of the Committee.
d. The Committee shall establish, and from time to time may relocate, within the District at a place of its own choosing a central office for the transaction of its business.
e. The Committee shall assume jurisdiction on January 1, 1972 over the pupils residing in the Participating Towns and attending all grades from kindergarten through grade six.
(2) By striking out subsection IVa and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:
a. An elementary school shall be defined as a school accommodating pupils solely in any one or more of the grades from kindergarten through grade six. A secondary school shall be defined as a school accommodating pupils solely in any one or more of the grades from grade seven through grade twelve. All elemen- tary schools constructed by the District shall be located in the participating town from which the greatest number of pupils shall be enrolled as determined by the Committee not later than the date on which the Committee shall authorize debt for the construction of such school. All secondary schools shall be located in the town of Amherst. The title to all elementary school buildings and the land appurtenant thereto or used in connection therewith owned and operated as a public school by each participating town on October 1, 1971 shall be conveyed by the selectmen of such town to the District for nominal consider- ation not later than January 2, 1972. All payments of principal and interest on bonds or notes issued in connection with any such school shall continue to be the obligation of the town which issued such bonds or notes. Whenever the Committee shall determine that an elementary school conveyed to the District pursuant to this section is no longer needed for District purposes, the Com- mittee shall reconvey such school to the town in which the school is located.
Notwithstanding the fact that every member town shall have conveyed its elementary schools to the District, if the regional district school committee permits elementary school pupils residing in a member town to attend an elemen- tary school conveyed to the district by another member town, such other member town shall, if so authorized by the Committee, be entitled to a payment therefor under the circumstances hereinafter described. Such payment shall be made only if the school to which such pupils are assigned is located in a town which has bonds outstanding for the construction of such school and such payments shall cease in the year in which such bonds are no longer outstanding. The Committee shall determine annually the amount of payment to such town. The amount of payment shall be credited annually by the Committee to such town when the Com- mittee certifies the annual operating costs to the member towns and the entire amount of payment shall be debited at the same time to the town in which such pupils reside.
On and after January 1, 1972, the provisions of "A Cooperative Agreement for the Joint Administration of the School of Education Laboratory School at the University of Massachusetts by the University and the Amherst School Com- mittee" shall be assumed by and become binding upon the Committee to the same extent as upon the Amherst School Committee prior to said date.
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(3) By striking out subsection Va and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:
a. Commencing on January 1, 1972, the regional school district shall include all grades from kindergarten through grade twelve. The Committee is hereby authorized to accept postgraduate pupils. The Committee is also hereby authorized, in its discretion, to establish and maintain vocational education, acting as trustees therefor, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 74 of the General Laws and acts amendatory thereof, in addition thereto or dependent thereon.
(4) By striking out Section VI and inserting in place thereof the following section:
SECTION VI: Apportionment and Payment of Costs Incurred By The District
a. For the purpose of apportioning assessments levied by the District against the participating towns, costs shall be divided into two categories: capital costs and operating costs.
b. Capital costs shall include all expenses in the nature of capital outlay such as the cost of acquiring land, the cost of constructing, reconstructing, or adding to a school building or buildings, the cost of remodeling, rehabili- tation, modernization of or making extraordinary repairs to a school building or buildings, the cost of constructing sewerage systems and sewerage treatment and disposal facilities or for the purchase or use of such systems with municipalities, and any other item of capital outlay for which the regional school district may be authorized to borrow money, including, without limitation the cost of the original equipment and furnishings for such buildings or additions, plans, architects' and consultants' fees, grading and other costs incidental to placing school buildings and additions, sewerage systems and sewerage treatment and disposal facilities and related premises in operating condition, Capital costs shall also include payment of principal and interest on bonds or other obligations issued by the regional school district to finance capital costs. Capital costs shall also include any rental expenses for the leasing of demountable or portable classrooms, so-called.
c. Operating costs shall include all costs not included in capital costs as defined in subsection VI(B), but including interest on temporary notes issued by the regional school district in anticipation of revenue.
d. Capital costs shall be apportioned as follows:
1. Capital costs authorized prior to January 1, 1972. Principal and interest on bonds or other obligations authorized by vote of the Regional District School Committee adopted prior to July 1, 1968, to finance capital costs shall be ap- portioned to the participating towns on the basis of the cqualized valuations of said towns as set forth in Chapter 559 of the Acts of 1945, entitled "An Act Establishing The Basis Of Apportionment Of State And County Taxes." Principal and interest on bonds or other obligations authorized by vote of the Regional District School Committee adopted after July 1, 1968 and prior to January 1, 1972, to finance capital costs shall be apportioned to the participating towns on the basis of the equalized valuations of said towns enacted by the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in effect on the date such bonds
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or other obligations are so authorized. The proportion shall be computed to the nearest tenth of a percentage point and the proportion shall not be changed during the period such bonds or other obligations are outstanding except as provided in Sections XI and XII, provided, however, that if the capital costs for the construction of the initial regional district school (which shall be a three-year senior high school) shall include community-use type of facilities, the proportionate share of the capital costs of the Town of Amherst as so determined shall be increased by one per cent and the proportionate share of the capital costs of the Town of Pelham as so determined shall be decreased by one per cent. All other capital costs for the ensuing year shall be apportioned to the participating towns annually in December on the basis of the equalized valuation of said towns as set forth in said Chapter 559 of the Acts of 1945 or any later equalized valuations enacted by said General Court in effect on the first day of December of the year in which the apportionment is so determined.
2. Capital costs authorized on or after January 1, 1972. Capital costs, including principal and interest on bonds or other obligations authorized by vote of the Regional District School Committee to finance capital costs shall, in the case of an elementary school as defined in subsection IV(a), be apportioned according to the number of pupils residing in cach participating town who are enrolled in such school on October 1 of the fiscal year next preceding the fiscal year for which the apportionment is determined. If there is no enrollment in such school on said October 1, the apportionment of capital costs with respect thereto shall be made on the basis of the estimated pupil enrollment from each participating town in such school on the said date had there been any enroll- ment, such estimate to be made by the Committee.
Capital costs, including principal and interest on, bonds or other obli- gations authorized by vote of the Regional District School Committee to finance capital costs shall, in the case of a secondary school as defined in subsection IV(a) and in the case of capital costs not attributable to any particular elementary or secondary school, be apportioned annually on the ratio of pupils resident in each participating town and receiving education at the expense of the participating town in all the grades of the district from kindergarten through grade 12 on October 1 of the fiscal year next preceding the fiscal year for which the apportionment is determined.
e. Operating costs shall be apportioned as follows:
1. Operating costs for any year prior to January 1, 1972 for the ensuing calendar year shall be apportioned annually in December on the basis of the average pupil membership for the school year ending the previous June 30, each participating town's share to bear the same relationship to operation costs as its average membership in the Regional District Schools from all the participating towns, as determined by the Regional District Committee, provided, that if the Regional District Schools shall not have been operated during the school year ending the previous June 30, the basis of such apportionment shall be the average membership which each participating town would have had in the Regional District Schools, had they been so operated. Any unexpended balance from the current year's operating budget plus income received in the current year from admission of tuition pupils shall be deducted from operation costs for the ensuing year prior to the apportionment thereof among the participating towns.
2. Operating cost for any fiscal year beginning on or after January 1, 1972 shall be apportioncd on the basis of pupil enrollment in all the district schools from kindergarten through grade twelve. Each participating town's share for
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each fiscal year shall be determined by computing the ratio which that town's pupil enrollment in the Regional District Schools on the October 1 next pre- ceding the first day of the fiscal year for which the apportionment is made bears to the total pupil enrollment from all the participating towns in the Regional District Schools on said October 1. In the event that enrollment in the Regional District Schools has not been accomplished on October 1 of any year, operating costs shall be apportioned on the basis of enrollment on October 1 of the last preceding year in which there was such enrollment. Any unexpended balance from the preceding year's operating budget plus income received in such year and not expended from admission of tuition pupils or other sources shall be deducted from operating costs for the ensuing year prior to the apportionment thereof among the participating towns.
f. Each participating town shall pay its proportionate share of capital and operating costs to the District in equal installments not later than the eighth day of January, April, July, and October in each year, such payments to be made in the manner prescribed by law.
(5) By striking out subsection VIIa and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:
a. Not later than December 1 of each year the Committee shall adopt a mainte- nance and operating budget for the ensuing fiscal year, itemized as follows:
1. Administration
2. Instruction
3. Other School Services
4. Operation and Maintenance of Plant
5. Fixed Charges
6. Community Services
7. Acquisition of Fixed Assets
8. Debt Retirement and Debt Service 9. Programs with other Districts and Private Schools
Or in a similar manner consistent with accepted accounting practices.
(6) By striking out subsection IXa and inserting in place thercof the following subsection:
a. The regional district schools shall accept all children who reside in the District and who meet entrance age requirements established by the Committee consistent with law.
(7) By adding at the end of Section IX the following subsection:
e. Pupil distribution within the schools of the District shall be determined by a majority vote of the Committee which shall take into consideration the factors of equalization of educational opportunity, community identification, and reasonable transportation distances for pupils of various ages. It shall be the general goal of the Committee to permit young children to attend schools closest to their places of residence.
(8) By striking out subsection Xa and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:
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a. Through December 31, 1971, each participating town shall provide transportation once daily to and from the Regional District Schools, on a schedule to conform to the days and hours that the schools are in session, for such children as it would provide with transportation if the Regional District Schools were local schools.
(9) By adding at the end of Section X the following subsection:
c. On and after January 1, 1972, transportation shall be provided by the regional district school committee and the cost thereof shall be apportioned to the member towns as an operating cost.
(10) By inserting at the end of Section XII the following subsection.
d. The withdrawing town's annual share of any future installment of principal and interest on obligations outstanding on the effective date of its withdrawal shall be fixed at the percentage prevailing for such town at the last annual apportionment made next prior to the effective date of the withdrawal. The remainder of any such installment after subtracting the share of any town or towns which have withdrawn shall be apportioned to the remaining participating town or towns in the manner prescribed in Section VI or as may be otherwise provided in the amendment providing for such withdrawal.
(11) By adding a new Section XVII.
SECTION XVII. Effective Date of Sixth Amendment.
The "Sixth Amendment to the Amherst-Pelham Regional School District Agreement" shall become effective upon its acceptance by all the Participating Towns pursuant to Section XIV and upon validation of the provisions of Section II as amended by said Sixth Amendment by the General Court of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts prior to January 1, 1972, a request for such validation by the Participating Towns being deemed to be included in the vote by each Town to accept said Sixth Amendment.
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Leverett OKs Budget, Changes For Zoning
LEVERETT - Voters spent more than nine hours Saturday approving a record $276,945 budget, compared with $260,751 last year. The taxation increase is equal to $5 on the tax rate. Last year's rate was $78.
A 414-hour discussion cen- tered on a zoning bylaw revi- sion which as adopted, divided the town into four zoning areas - rural residence, village resi- dence, general business and gov- commercial districts - erned by nine pages of bylaws. During the long session, at- tended by 150 of 441 voters dur- ing the day, voters said "yes" to all budget items plus $2,000 not included for repairs to the town hall.
Voters appropriated the lol- lowing amounts as compared with last year's figures:
1966
Taxation
$257,401
1967 $267,661 21,065
Available
3,350
Totals
$260,751 $271,531
Since $2,000 is equal to $1 on the tax rate, the taxation gain is the equivalent to $5 on the tax rate. However, · other fac- tors used by assessors in es- tablishing the 1967 levy could offset all or part of this.
Voted in were a new fire truck, $16,000; a new school boller, $7,000; and new dump truck, $8,000 (funds trans-
ferred).
Moderator Carl S. Roys was elected to appoint a committee to study revaluation.
New Selectman
Dr. Roys, of East Leverett, was elected selectman for three years replacing Chr. John Si- roskey was given a standing reelection but declined, Chr. Si- roske y was given a standing ovation for nine years' service as selectman, five years as chairman and chief of police. Siroskey sald, "The town will be uppermost in my mind." And he offered his help in any way.
Douglas Gauthier was elected constable for three years to re- place Joseph LaClaire, who re- signed.
All other officers were reelect- ed, including Mrs. Doris Gere, school committee, three years.
Voters passed over three ar- ticles; a sum for stabilization fund ($4,000 last year); $300 for library repairs, money to be transferred from town building fund, and $3,000 repairs to town hall, although later an amend- ment was introduced and ap- proved for $2,000.
After three votes - one chal- lenged (67-32) because "non- voters" may have gotten carried away and raised their hands - and two ballot votes, 74-39 (not two-thirds required for zoning bylaws) and 80-19; Leverett has an official zoning map approved with the deletion of a business zone near the Amherst line on Rte. 63.
All other parts of the zoning bylaws were accepted with the addition of the word "commer- clal" to dog kennel. A move to delete "trailers" from the by- laws was not possible, accord- ing to laws presented by Plan- ning Board member Mrs. Joan. Wilce. A motion to pass over "ready-mix concrete plant" by Miss Ethel Dubois, as undesir- able in commercial districts near the Friends Meeting House and Cranberry Pond, was de- ·feated 55-10.
An amendment to delete the commercial zone next to the tree farm adjacent to Cranber- ry Pond in the Mt. Toby State Park was withdrawn by Mrs. F. Davis after no support was given.
At 5:35 p.m. voters had com- pleted action on zoning bylaws and a motion was defeated to re- cess until next Saturday. Many were forced to leave by 6:30 before the town budget was re- viewed because of earlier com- mitments,
The town budget was careful- ly examined. A motion by FI- nance Committee Chr. Clifford Blinn of Moores Corner to have money for each section of the school budget voted separately, so that money allotted to a spe- cific section could not be trans- ferred to any other section, was defeated.
School Committee Chr. Wayne Howard had offered no state- ment on the $7,000 boiler re- quest at Monday's public war- rant hearing, other than that replacement of tubes was ne- cessary. This resulted in one voter presenting Saturday an estimate of $750 to retube the entire boller. Another voter moved to amend the motion to approve the school budget by passing over the $7,000 for a boller until the School Commit- tee had presented the town with a statement from the "Hartford Steam Boller Insurance Com- pany" or some other reputable company as to why the 16-year- old boiler was gone.
Chr. Howard stated the com- mitteé had consulted an "ex- pert" from an engineering firm Friday and he said the boller "should be replaced",
Neither Howard, Mrs. Gere or School Supt. Charles F. Smith would guarantee that water problems had been solved other than "replacing the steel boller with a cast iron boller would help". Mrs. Gere explained that the committee hud tried to "solve the water problem as best they could without putting In a lot of expensive equip- ment."
The amendment to pass over was defeated and the school budget approved.
In other action, the town vot- ed to "terminate" the 50-cent bounty on hedgehogs killed In town; voted to approve an amendment to the original agreement with the Amherst Pelham Regional School Dis- trict to allow Leverett's share of capital costs for the new Jun- Ior High School to remain at 4.1 per cent; voted the office of clerk-treasurer to three years instead of a one-year term, and voted $750 for a Planning Board fund.
- "Something Is wrong here," stated Selectman Philip Wood- and after citizens vetoed ac- ceptance of the official zoning map as presented and also ve- toed a change proposed by Al Thompson to delete the business zone near the Amherst line on Rte. 63 opposite Thompson's home.
The meeting started at 10:30 a.m. and was over at 8:15. "I can remember none lasting past 6:30 p.m.," noted one native.
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42824 84724701.
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article 2. to see if the Town will vite to create a special unpair committee to be known as the Regional School District Planning Committee to corsia of three members, including one number of the School Committee, to be appointed by the Midivative. in accordance with the provisions of section 14 of Chapter 7 of the General Laws, as amended.
article 3. to see if the Joux will rate to transfer the sun. of $ 1301.00 from Read Machenery Funde to the Road Machinery account, ar act anything therion.
Petite 4. To see if the Form will site to ilig the following ley- law:
a finance committee of fire members shall be appointed by the moderator for three your overlapping termes. Thewhile. shall serve without compensation and no minker mag halk. any other elective or appointive towe proction during thestorm of office. The finance comm.Her shall consider ade franceat. articles in warrants for all town mounting and shall report it's recommendations on print before each meeting on note.
The Selectionen shall file a proposed budget for the evening fiscal year with a summary budget message and supporting documento. The summary budget message shall Explain the budget both in fiscal terms and in terms of work programs. It shall outline the proposed financial phases of the trion for the ensuing year and shall indicate any major changes from the current year in financial policies expenditures and. revenues. The budget shall indicate proposed expenditures. for both current operations and capital projecto during the succeeding fiscal year, detailed by purposes, afficia, department , commissions and committees.
the moderator may reaund an appointment to the committee of the appointed have failed to attend one half of its regular meetings and may fill any vacancy for the unexpired term. the committee shall annually choose a chairman, a secretary" any other officers in chooses.
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and further to rescind any pervous by law heretofore adapted to the extent that it is inconsistent with the foregoing on act of houvise thereon.
art 5. to see if the Jason will vote. 1) to add to Section V. USE REGULATIONS, under A. Residence Districto, 1. Permitted Uses, paragraph a, the following phrase 'not classified as a trailer or mobile home,"so that the minded paragraph will roud as follows. "a Single, detached one-family drilling not classified as a traites on mobile home" 2) todilite from SECTION V. USE REGULATIONS, under A. Residence Districts, 1. Form Mich Uses, paragraph , which reads as follows "Single detached trailer, mobile home or similar dwelling mit for one-family occupancy provided that adequate provision is made for water supply, sewage d'aspiout and electric power. " 3) to change the numbering system of Section V. A. I to petro sequentially.
article 6. trace of the town will vote to winund allaction taken on betale 14 at the Annual Town Meeting, arach anything
(state of to see of the Lonne will rate to raise and appropriate the sum of $23,000 to buy a fire truck and to provide suite amountby taxation, avectable funds in treasury or by borrowing , or act anything thereon.
Virtute 8 to see if the Town will vote to transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting, ar act anything thereon.
and you are directed to arrive this warrant by atomy up attested copies thereof on the Store and the Ungregational Church al brett, also the Store and the Baptist Church at Birth Lovett, and the Store at More Corner, some days at least before the day of said meeting.
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Guver under our hands the twenty sixth day of Ceptet, C Cl. 1971.
Salutimen of Leverett 5/5, Philip & Traderd S/s Harren B. Ilizier N. F Parkinson
I have served this warrant as directed thereis Dated april 29, 1971. Constable Ethar Howard Jo.
Results of Special Jana Meeting- Pily 10, 1971 Due to a Public Hearing Key Board of Appeals at Leverett John Hill. a short delay to allow res don't, to return to Special John Marting held at Linerat School andi tation amounted. Muting was called to order by Idom a Love for at 8 40,214. Due to School listele, a onoximum of amin to each person speaking wai och at beginning Variant was unit big from Click, Havet I Very a motion made & acondide - to Grend the Content. Fulham Regional Schol Destrial agreement as propaces in the Regione ? District School formm Nee by amendement entitled " Sixth amendment to Unterst Melhor Légionet Schont District Agreement." Finance Committee did not recommend this article. No debate - a written Ballot was taken Mrs Blinn and Mrs. Jelavic were appointed tellers. Results - YES 8 No. 192 200 Ballots cas a thank you and a wigh fore Hepy Bothclay to the ticken for the time. a motion to proceed to lletrate 3 intel Known resultsof article 1.
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