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Finance Committee Meeting - Virtual Meeting
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Town of Canton Finance Committee Meeting Notice
Finance Committee
Tim McKenna, Chair Meeting Date: Thursday, April 30, 2020
Cindy Thomas, Vice Chair Meeting Time: 7:00 PM
Christos Arsoniadis Meeting Location: Virtual Meeting
Rob Barker
Dave Clough
Dan Cole
Emilio Mauro
Barbara Saint André
Wai Wong
Finance Committee Agenda – Virtual Meeting (see details below)
This meeting is being recorded by the Town of Canton. Items may be taken out of order.
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Revote Article 12, Motion 2 – Municipal Cash Capital – Reduce from $750,000 to $650,000
Reduce the Council on Aging Emergency generator from $57,000 to $0 Cash Capital
Reduce the Library Security Cameras from $43,000 to $0 Cash Capital
It is the understanding of the Capital Planning Committee that there is a planned reduction of the Municipal
Operation Budget by $50,000 for part of an unfilled position of DPW Operations Manager.
Revote Article 12, Motion 3 – School Cash Capital – Reduce from $750,000 to $600,000
Reduce the Fitness Center Upgrades – GMS & CHS from $5,611 to $0 Cash Capital.
Reduce the Replacement Classroom & Main Lobby Floor tiles - Luce from $9,124 to $0 Cash Capital.
Reduce Replacement Art Wing Corridor Flooring (labor only) CHS from $7,459 to $0 Cash Capital.
Reduce Remove & dispose of Existing Door & Operator – North St. Garage from $8,475 to $0 Cash Capital.
Reduce HVAC Maintenance - District wide from $69,389 to $42,213 Cash Capital.
Reduce Sidewalk Repair at JFK High School - $9,835 Cash Capital
Reduce PA System - CHS from $75,790 to $0 Cash Capital.
Reduce Visual Arts Display Cases - GMS from $6,530 to $0 Cash Capital.
Revote Article 12, Motion 4 – School Security Cameras and School Bus.
Reduce School Committee purchase of a new School Bus and Security Cameras from $100,000 to $0 Free Cash
Reserves.
FINCOM 20200430 Agenda.doc (4/28/20)Source page 2
Finance Committee Agenda for April 30, 2020 – page 2
Revote Article 21 – Appropriation to Increase Solar Stabilization Fund
As part of the recommendation to balance the FY ’21 budget appropriation article 54, to indefinitely postpone this
article. (The Finance Committee previously voted a $100,000 transfer from Solar Facility Receipts (Fund 111) to the
Town Solar Facility Stabilization Fund (Fund 801).
Proposed motion: Moved that the subject matter of Article 21 be indefinitely postponed.
Revote Article 31 – Appropriation for the Installation of a Traffic Signal at Pleasant/Sherman/Angela
Intersection with Associated Easement and Eminent Domain Authority
Fund the Design work for the Intersection Improvements at Sherman, Angela & Pleasant Streets $85,000 from Free
Cash Reserve.
Fund Partial Estimated Construction Costs for the Intersection Improvements at Sherman, Angela & Pleasant
Streets $500,000 from Free Cash Reserves, contingent on the remaining $165,000 to be funded from the BOS
mitigation accounts.
(The Finance Committee previously voted a $750,000 transfer from Free Cash to fund this project.)
Revote Article 33 – Appropriation for Earl Newhouse Waterfront Improvements
Revised Motion from Town Counsel:
MOVED: That Two Hundred Thirty Nine Thousand One Hundred Thirty Dollars ($239,130) be appropriated
for the Board of Selectmen to expend for the purpose of funding Earl Newhouse property improvements
including but not limited to an expanded and improved trail network that connects to adjacent facilities and
includes signage; Portions of this trail network will also be made accessible to people with mobility
difficulties (ADA); a designated ADA accessible fishing area with signage, tables, and trash receptacles; a
flexible “beach” area that can be used for wading or small sailboat launching with Invasive species cleared
along the shoreline; an ADA accessible car-top boat launch/dock with adjacent storage for canoes and
kayaks; picnic tables, trash and recycling bins, education area, dog waste station, shade tree planting,
native plant landscaping, benches along trails, tables for fishermen, and a bike rack; stormwater drainage
improvements consisting of swales and bio retention areas; signage; electrical power conduit to allow for
future permanent bathrooms to be constructed; a widened, paved, and striped entry drive and parking area
with accessible parking spaces; a split rail fence will separate the access drive from the open lawn area and
to meet said appropriation Two Hundred Thirty Nine Thousand One Hundred Thirty Dollars ($239,130) be
transferred from Free Cash (Undesignated Fund Balance) in the Treasury of the Town; provided however,
this appropriation shall not take effect unless a grant from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Land &
Water Conservation Fund is awarded for this project to the Town in the amount of at least Two Hundred
Thousand Dollars ($200,000) in support of the Town's appropriation towards this project.
Revote – Article 37 – Amend Soil Erosion and Sediment Control By-Law
Note from Town Counsel: We are advised that the subject matter of this article is being withdrawn from the annual
town meeting, and instead a new comprehensive rewrite of the storm water Bylaws of the town is planned to be
submitted to the voters at a Special Town Meeting to be scheduled to take place within the Annual Town Meeting.
Proposed motion: Moved that the subject matter of Article 37 be indefinitely postponed.
Revote – Article 38 – Amend Stormwater Management By-Law
Note from Town Counsel: We are advised that the subject matter of this article is being withdrawn from the
annual town meeting, and instead a new comprehensive rewrite of the storm water Bylaws of the town is planned to
be submitted to the voters at a Special Town Meeting to be scheduled to take place within the Annual Town
Meeting.
Proposed motion: Moved that the subject matter of Article 38 be indefinitely postponed.
FINCOM 20200430 Agenda.doc (4/28/20)Source page 3
Finance Committee Agenda for April 30, 2020 – page 3
Revote – Article 52 – AMEND ZONING BY-LAW SECTION 9.1 FLOOD PLAIN OVERLAY DISTRICT (FPOD)
Note from Town Counsel - “The warrant contains a significant error, where Article 52 text as printed in the warrant
includes both a long warrant article but then continues without interruption to include a long "commentary" that goes
on for pages. Then the article closure language appears: Board of Selectmen for the Planning Board, making all of
those pages of commentary intermingled with the text of the article. Accordingly, we cannot do a motion to adopt
what is printed in the warrant due to this error. Instead, the following motion breaks down the article language into
the motion and deletes the commentary from the motion”
MOVED, that Zoning By-law Sections 9.1.4, 9.1.5, 9.1.6, 9.1.8, and 9.1.9 of the Flood Plain Overlay
District, be amended as follows:
1. 9.1.4 Canton Floodplain Districts. In order to reduce flood losses, to preserve and maintain ground
water table, protect the public health and safety of persons and property against hazards of flood water
inundation, to limit and control the development of flood prone areas and having taken into account flood
plain management programs in effect in neighboring areas, the following Canton Floodplain District
Regulations are hereby adopted and shall take precedence over any other By-law. The Floodplain District
is herein established as an overlay district. The District includes all special flood hazard areas designated
on the most recent version of the Town of Canton Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) issued by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the administration of the NFIP, as Zone A, AE,AH, AO,A1-
30, and A99. The exact boundaries of the District may be defined by the 100-year base flood elevations
shown on the FIRM and further defined by the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report in the most recent
version. The FIRM and FIS report are incorporated herein by reference and are on file with the Planning
Board, the Conservation Commission, the Department of Public Works and the Building Department.
2. 9.1.5 Canton Floodplain Districts; Development Regulations.
1. Where watertight flood proofing of a structure is permitted, a registered professional engineer
or architect shall certify to the Building Commissioner that the methods used are adequate to withstand
the flood depths, pressures and velocities, impact and up-lift forces and other factors associated with the
one hundred (100) year flood level. In all events construction shall conform to the minimum standards of
the State Building Code. The Building Commissioner shall obtain and permanently maintain the engineers
or architects certification of compliance with the elevation and flood proofing requirements for new
construction or for substantial improvements to existing sites.
2. In Zones A, A1-30, and AE, along watercourses that have not had a regulatory floodway
designated, the best available Federal, State, local, or other floodway data shall be used to prohibit
encroachments
in floodways which would result in any increase in flood levels within the community during the occurrenc
e of the base flood discharge.
3. In Zones A1-30 and AE, along watercourses that have a regulatory floodway designated on
theCantonFIRM,encroachments are prohibited in the regulatory floodway which would result in any increas
e in flood levels within the community during the occurrence of the base flood discharge.
3. Eliminate Section 9.1.6 Special Flood Hazard Areas and mark section as“9.1.6. Not used.”
4. In Section 9.1.8, remove items 1-4, and renumber items 5-7 to read as follows:
9.1.8 Special Flood Hazard Area; Special Permits. The Board of Appeals may issue
a special permit if it finds that the use of the lands deemed subject to periodic or seasonal flooding shall
not be used for residential, business, limited industrial or industrial purposes in such a manner as to
endanger the health, safety, or welfare of any persons or properties or adversely affect environmental
conditions within the Special Flood Hazard Area. In deciding applications for a special permit, but without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board of Appeals shall assure:
1. That safe vehicular and pedestrian movement to, over, and from the premises is provided
on ways having a minimum elevation of no less than forty nine (49) feet above said Mean Sea Level;
provided however, that the Board of Appeals may by special permit grant an exception to the
requirements of this Section to allow such ways to meet ways existing at the time of the adoption of this
Section.
2. That because of the location or elevation of the building or filling of the area, there will be
no danger of pollution to on site water facilities providing- water for human consumption.
3. That the methods of drainage are designed in accordance with accepted engineering practi
ce.
5. In Section 9.1.9, remove item 1, and renumber items 2-4 to read as follows:
Section 9.1.9 Special Flood Hazard Areas; Special Requirements.
FINCOM 20200430 Agenda.doc (4/28/20)Source page 4
Finance Committee Agenda for April 30, 2020 – page 4
1. Where public sewerage is not available, no building permit shall be issued until the Board of
Health has issued a permit under this section approving the proposed sanitary and storm drainage systems
or has allowed forty-five (45) days to elapse after receipt of the application for a special permit.
2. No occupancy permit shall be issued until the Board of Appeals, the Building Commissioner,
the Board of Health, the Planning Board and Superintendent of the Public Works Department have
received a certified plan showing the foundation and floor elevations, grading of the premises, elevations
of the completed construction and all elevations of the various elements that make up the sewage disposal
system, and that all requirements of all permits are satisfied.
3. Where public sewerage is not available, the Board of Health and the Board of Appeals shall
consider the minimum ground water level in the Special Flood Hazard Area to be fifty (50) feet above said
Mean Sea Level unless data indicates a higher ground water level.
Discussion of Special Town Meeting – June 22, 2020
Articles under the Special Town Meeting were pending at the time of the posting of this Agenda.
Special Town Meeting Article #_____ – Stormwater and Soil Erosion Control By-Laws
Note from Town Administrator: The first issue involves the revamping of the stormwater and soil erosion control
bylaws. There are two articles on the ATM warrant which would change the threshold of the amount of square foot
disturbance that kicks in the need for a permit from the Con Comm. The threshold would change from 5,000 square
feet to 20,000 square feet. The intent of the change is to lessen the regulatory burden for property owners who plan
to make changes to their property. These two articles were submitted in January 2020. Since then, Con Comm
staff has been working with DPW stormwater consultants to revamp the stormwater and erosion control bylaws,
consolidating the permit into one permit and also changing the thresholds as the original articles did. The STM
warrant article also includes changes which bring the town into compliance with the federal regulations pertinent to
Municipal Separate Stormwater Systems (MS4). The Selectmen have indicated they would like to act on this
regulation now rather than wait for next year, thereby insuring MS4 compliance and lessening the financial burden
on property owners.
Special Town Meeting Article #______ – Appropriate $500,000 for Metropolis Rink Project
Note from Town Administrator: The second issue the STM is needed is an appropriation of $500,000 for the
Metropolis Rink Project. Subsequent to the ATM warrant being posted we learned that although our legislators
obtained $500,000 in the state’s general appropriation for the Rink project, the overall project budget was limited to
the original $10.5 million dollar appropriation. Since the adoption of the original appropriation, the BRC has found
that we need the full borrowing authority and this additional state funding to complete the project due to unforeseen
conditions. One of these unforeseen conditions includes closing the project down for an expected 3 week period
resulting from Governor Baker’s COVID-19 nonessential construction closure orders.
Special Town Meeting Article #________ – Amend Zoning By-Laws to change any references to “Board of
Selectmen” to “Select Board” etc.
Note from Town Administrator: Third, Article 42 of the ATM proposes changes to the General Bylaws renaming
the Board of Selectmen to Select Board. We have found references in the Zoning Bylaws which also refer to the
Board as the Board of Selectmen. An article is needed to change the Zoning bylaws to be consistent with the
proposed changes in Article 42. Otherwise the General Bylaws would refer to Select Board but the Zoning bylaws
would refer to Board of Selectmen. Please note that Town Counsel has advised motion changes to the ATM
General Bylaw amendment; notably the use of the word “Chair” instead of the word “they”.
FY21 Budget Review/Changes:
Vote FY21 Budgets:
Transfers
Municipal Departments
School Department
Fixed Costs
Water Enterprise
Sewer Enterprise
Rink Enterprise
FINCOM 20200430 Agenda.doc (4/28/20)Source page 5
Finance Committee Agenda for April 30, 2020 — page 5
Vote - Article 54 Motion 1: That the following sums of money be transferred to the General Fund in Fiscal
Year 2021 in order to fund the Town’s annual operating budget:
Vote to Transfer Available Funds
WITH A VOTE THAT $2,659,918 BE TRANSFERRED AS FOLLOWS:
TRANSFER FROM AMOUNT PURPOSE
AMBULANCE SERVICE $900,000 FIRE DEPARTMENT
WATER ENTERPRISE FUND 632,564 FIXED COSTS
SEWER ENTERPRISE FUND 378,855 FIXED COSTS
SOLAR FACILITY 465,521. TOWN-WDE ELECTRICITY
AMBULANCE SERVICE 160,740 DEBT SERVICE
SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE ft)
GREENLODGE STREET PARKING FEES 70,000 EXECUTIVE OFFICE
OVERLAY SURPLUS 27,500 REVALUATION COSTS
SALE OF LOTS/GRAVES 10,000 CEMETERY MAINTENANCE
BOND PREMIUM FUND 9,278 DEBT SERVICE
RINK ENTERPRISE FUND 5,460 FIXED COSTS
TOTAL __ $2,659,918 _
Review of Town Meeting Articles — Discuss narratives.
Review of Finance Committee Report — Discuss report.
Other Budget and ATM and STM items.
Minutes to be approved: None at this time.
Next Finance Committee Meeting Date: To be determined.
Ifa topic becomes known prior to 48 hours before the scheduled meeting, the Committee will update this posting. The Committee may also
discuss a topic or topics not reasonably anticipated by the Chair 48 hours before the meeting.
FINCOM 20200430 Agenda.doc (4/28/20)
[Original embedded text, retained for comparison]
Finance Committee Agenda for April 30, 2020 – page 5
Vote - Article 54 Motion 1: That the following sums of money be transferred to the General Fund in Fiscal
Year 2021 in order to fund the Town’s annual operating budget:
Review of Town Meeting Articles – Discuss narratives.
Review of Finance Committee Report – Discuss report.
Other Budget and ATM and STM items.
Minutes to be approved: None at this time.
Next Finance Committee Meeting Date: To be determined.
If a topic becomes known prior to 48 hours before the scheduled meeting, the Committee will update this posting. The Committee may also
discuss a topic or topics not reasonably anticipated by the Chair 48 hours before the meeting.
FINCOM 20200430 Agenda.doc (4/28/20)