By Jonathan L'Ecuyer
Staff Writer
—
ROCKPORT — Now that the town has completed the purchase of the former Granite Savings Bank building, officials would like to begin utilizing the space.
To that end, officials will ask voters at fall Town Meeting for money to prepare the building, located adjacent to Town Hall on Broadway, for use, at least in the short term, as additional office space.
Plans originally called for town employees to move into the bank building to both relieve overcrowding and allow for renovations at Town Hall. However, those plans changed recently at the request of the Building Study and Capital Improvement Planning committees and others who urged selectmen to take a step back and take a more comprehensive look at the area.
In an effort to do just that, officials placed Article K on the warrant, which asks the Sept. 13 meeting to approve an estimated $60,000 for a conceptual design, which would include looking at how best to utilize Town Hall, the bank building, the parking lot linking those buildings, and the fire station across the street.
In the interim, selectmen are seeking a still undetermined amount to purchase partitions and other materials to convert the bank building into conference rooms and meeting space. The request will appear as Article J on the fall Town Meeting warrant.
Public Works Director Joe Parisi said Thursday he was close to determining an exact dollar amount for the proposed renovations, but that the dollar amounts would not be ready until at least Friday.
However, a Capital Improvements document attached to the warrant showed at least $15,000 pegged for bank renovations, and that the money would be raised through taxation if approved by voters.
According to Selectman Sandy Jacques, the Public Works Commissioners would appoint a committee similar to the Community House Building Committee to head the municipal facilities project.
Spring Town Meeting approved the town's acquisition of the Broadway building for $699,500, and went on to back an amendment that allowed the town to seal the deal without going through a tax-limiting Proposition 21/2 override vote.
The fall Town Meeting warrant, which contains 14 articles, was approved by selectmen Aug. 24. Selectmen have not yet taken any stand regarding the warrant articles, but are expected to do so at their next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday night.
In addition to the bank building financing article, other notable articles in the warrant include one proposed by the Department of Public Works for Long Beach Seawall design plan and construction documents.
Parisi said the goal of the proposed work to the seawall is to alleviate some of the hazards found in recent studies of the deteriorating structure and return it to a "more proper condition."
"The seawall was significantly reconstructed in the mid-1950s," Parisi said, Thursday. "There's been minor patches here and there since that time, but by today's standards of seawall construction, there are improvements to be made."
Fall Town Meeting will also consider several Community Preservation Committee-funded projects.
Last fall, the Community Preservation Committee called on the town to borrow $1.5 million against future CPA revenues for rehabilitation of the Community House. And while the CPC needs to allocate nearly $142,000 toward that debt this fiscal year, Chairwoman Mary Francis has indicated the CPC still has more than a half-million dollars with which to fund qualified projects in 2011.
The CPC is proposing allocating $37,287 to the Town Owned Art Committee, which will work with the CPC toward the historic restoration and preservation of the town owned art collection.
The CPC also proposed giving $100,000 to Action, Inc.'s Rental/Mortgage Assistance Program for the creation of community housing for Rockport residents, and another $8,500 to the Gloucester Housing Authority's Cape Ann Homeownership Center's pre- and post-purchase and foreclosure prevention program for the support of community housing for Rockport residents.
Finally, the CPC is asking for $26,000 for its administrative expenses, which include the cost of appraisals, land surveys, copying, postage, and legal notices, among others.
Fire truck and other capital proposals
Meanwhile, the town's $3.2 million fiscal 2011 capital budget proposal called for a police cruiser, replacement of financial management software, and new equipment for the Fire and Public Works departments.
But the Capital Improvement Planning Committee this spring recommended putting a number of those items on hold — at least until fall Town Meeting — including the Fire Department's $780,000 request to replace its only ladder truck, which is 56-years-old.
While some items bumped from the capital improvement budget proposal this spring still remain deferred, the ladder truck is not one of them.
Under Article C, the voters will be asked to allow the town to borrow the money needed to purchase a new ladder truck. The truck comes with a particularly steep price tag because it will have to be built to fit into the department's small Pigeon Cove station.
"The truck is actually pretty reliable, but it's getting to the point where it's not going to pass its ladder inspection," Fire Chief Jim Doyle has said regarding the department's 1954 American LaFrance truck. "It's really close to being on the verge of failing."
Over the last 10 years, Rockport's Fire Department has received three new trucks. A new pump was added to the fleet in 1999, a new squad vehicle was approved in 2000 and another new pump arrived just last year and is in service at Pigeon Cove station.
Earlier this year, the Fire Department asked for $600,000 to relocate or rebuild the Pigeon Cove station, but that project was deferred and did not make the cut for fall Town Meeting either.
In addition to the fire truck, Article C proposes spending $39,500 on a highway pickup truck and $24,335 on a 4-by-4 truck for engineering purposes for use by the DPW; as well as $38,264 to be funded through the Community House restoration project for new furnishings for the building, which remains on schedule to reopen in November.
Fall Town Meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at Rockport Middle/High School.
Jonathan L'Ecuyer can be reached at 978-283-7000 x 3451 or jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.
FALL TOWN MEETING WARRANT
SEPT. 13, AT 7 P.M.
AT ROCKPORT HIGH SCHOOL
Article A — Pay previous year's unpaid bills (Requires 9/10 vote).
Article B — Transfers and adjustments to Operating Budget.
Article C — Appropriations for Capital Outlay Items (Fire Department ladder truck, Senior Center furniture and equipment, DPW trucks).
Article D — Transfer of $11,219 from Long Beach Gangway Bridge account back to Finance Committee's Reserve Fund.
Article E — Hear the report of the Community Preservation Committee.
Article F — Appropriation of Community Preservation Funds to respective projects (requires 2/3 vote).
Article G — Appropriation or transfers for later spending by the Community Preservation.
Article H — Appropriation of funds to pay union contracts (if warranted).
Article I — Transfer of $19,124.81 from the Retirement Fund to the Other Post Employment Benefits trust fund.
Article J — Appropriation of funds to retrofit the former Granite Savings Bank building for immediate use for meeting space. (Amount to be determined).
Article K — Appropriation of funds for design programming for Broadway properties (Town Hall and fire station).
Article L — Appropriation for Long Beach Seawall design plan and construction documents
Article M — Impose lien on property for costs incurred by the town to maintain, repair or replace any sewer, water and/or storm water drainage facility on private property.
Article N — Accept any reports from town officers, boards, departments, committees and commissions (Board of Selectmen public position regarding the MBTA Commuter Rail station project)
