Sherborn Selectmen Reopen Warrant To Change Articles, Cut One

The Sherborn Board of Selectmen temporarily reopened the warrant for this spring’s Town Meeting in order to revise and cut one article to add the possibility of a special fall Town Meeting,  

The selectmen removed an article from the warrant concerning the rehabilitation and addition to a building at Laurel Farm in order to create a multi-sport complex for the town’s recreation department.

Doug Collins, from the town’s Recreation Commission stated that their request for proposal on the project is almost complete and will be going out soon. 

The selectmen decided that is not enough information to provide the public with before the spring town meeting.

Collins said that they should know by the summer if they have will have a partnership with a private company to aid in funding for complex.

Selectmen George Pucci said that the selectmen support the idea of the article and said, “An issue like that would really warrant its own town meeting.”

The selectmen also changed article 11 on the advice of Town Council.

Chairman Paul DeRensis said that he spoke with the Advisory Committee and Town Council, who said it would be best for the town to not fund the regional high school campus’s waste water plant through a “free cash” transfer.

Instead they will borrow the money in a fashion to be determined later.

The project, which would cost Dover and Sherborn upwards of approximately $600,000, is overdue and if not begun soon will cost the school district a significant amount of state fees and the potential for the high school to be shut down until the waste water treatment plant is refurbished.

Pucci was disappointed to hear that it needed to be replaced so soon after it was installed. 

Selectman Tom Twining said the Department of Environmental Protection reported that the wrong system was installed at the site.

Pucci wondered why, “We have never received any info on whether or not someone is at fault.”

A new article was created to repair the pump house at Farm Pond.

Farm Pond Committee chairperson Catherine Rocchio said the pump house is of historical significance but is currently a safety hazard. It needs a new doorframe, roof, brick pointing and general maintenance.

Article 27 regarding the refurbishing, added sidewalks and crosswalks to the east side of Main Street in Sherborn was changed to allow types of grants other than the state funded STRAP grants.

The warrant’s article 14 was changed to allow the leasing of the town’s former landfill to be rented out as a solar array. This article is part of the town’s effort to get green community status from the state.