Shawsheen Tech Stabilization Fund Request Tabled by Select Board

Plus more takeaways from last night’s meeting

The Select Board met last night without members Mark Kratman or James Mackey.

Michael Columba appeared seeking a new common victualler license for the Brelundi Italian food outlet at 836 and 846 Main St., the former Mirabella’s. Food will be prepared on site in the second floor kitchen and sold on the first floor. Columba estimated a mid-February opening and said one side of the ground floor will be “almost like Chipotle, but Italian food,” while the other side will sell fresh or frozen individual and family-size takeaway items. There will be 18 seats available for patrons who wish to eat on site. In better weather, there will be patio seating at the side of the building.

The original Waltham Brelundi location is known for its arancini, to-go sauces and cannoli, and Columba said he is building another location in Billerica on his way to taking the brand nationwide. The license was approved unanimously.

The Select Board set the date for 2023 May Town Meeting as Monday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Tewksbury Memorial High School. Special Town Meeting will be Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m., also at TMHS. The warrants for both will open today, Jan. 10, and will close Friday, Feb. 16 at 12:30 p.m. Learn more about the process.

Shaw Tech Seeks Stabilization Fund

Chair Todd Johnson notified the board of a letter from Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational/Technical High School Superintendent Tony McIntosh.

“It’s our understanding, according to the correspondence, that the Regional School District is asking for the town’s support of an annual town meeting warrant article, the purpose of which would be to establish a stabilization fund specific to the regional school district,” said Johnson. A majority of the five communities that send students to Shawsheen Tech would need to vote to establish that account.

A stabilization fund is a reserve account that can be used for future spending, including emergencies or capital expenditures. A majority vote by Town Meeting is required to appropriate funds into the stabilization fund, and a two-thirds vote is needed to expend money.

The board had a number of questions. Johnson asked whether Town Meeting would need to vote to spend money from that fund, as is the case with the town’s other stabilization accounts. Town Manager Richard Montuori said he believed the plan would be for the School Committee to control that process.

“But I would have to hear more clarification from the Department of Revenue on that,” said Montuori.

Member Jayne Wellman asked what the source of cash for the stabilization fund would be. Montuori said he believed the money would come from free cash or Shaw Tech would ask for money within the assessments levied on the five sending communities.

Wellman also asked whether the effort was tied in any way to a future new building for Shawsheen Tech. In 2022, the school sent a letter of interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority expressing interest in constructing a new facility, citing severe overcrowding and obsolescence of the current facility.

“I’m guessing the the reasoning behind the stabilization fund is they have a certain amount of their excess and deficiency [free cash] each year,” said Montuori. “They have to use that to lower assessments. If they put that money into a stabilization fund and it’s not part of E&D and is rolling over each year, they would avoid that.”

The funds could instead be put aside for future expenditures.

Member Patrick Holland expressed interest in hearing from one of Tewksbury’s Shawsheen Tech representatives, Cheryl Bartolone and Patricia Meuse, a request echoed by Wellman, who asked Montuori to get more information from the Department of Revenue and explore whether any other technical school in the state has such a fund.

Montuori will invite Bartolone and Meuse to a future meeting; the discussion was tabled pending further discussion.

Note that Bartolone’s seat on the Shawsheen Tech School Committee is up this year. No one has pulled papers thus far.

Shawsheen Tech’s FY 2024 budget is $37,423,644. Tewksbury’s levy for the current fiscal year is $8,018,527. The school receives about $6.25 million in Chapter 70 funding.  

Last year, residents successfully petitioned for a Tree City designation for Tewksbury. Johnson renewed the required Arbor Day proclamation for 2024 to maintain the town’s standing. 

The Garden Club observes Arbor Day every year by distributing balsam fir saplings to third-grade students, a tradition that’s gone on for more than 40 years. For 2024, that will happen at the new Center Elementary School. 

Wellman motioned to adopt the proclamation, seconded by Holland and accepted unanimously.

The Mass. ABCC has set Tewksbury’s population at 31,342 for purposes of liquor licenses. Only Bobby & Jack’s Memphis BBQ and Skybox failed to renew — not unexpected as those eateries are now Three Amigos and (soon) Brothers Sports Bar and Grill, respectively. 

Johnson noted that Montuori requested an extra meeting, penciled in for Jan. 25, for the town budget presentation. That would be in addition to the scheduled Jan. 23 Select Board meeting.

Finally, Johnson commended the town’s DPW employees for their work in the recent storm, which resulted in a lot of downed trees and power outages that are outside the control of the town. 

“They acquitted themselves very, very well,” said Johnson, who called out DPW Assistant Director David Lizotte for his appearance last night on WBZ News.

“I want to make sure that we recognize that, as we speak and sit here, the weather is turning again this evening,” he said. “So they’re not getting any breaks.”

Holland echoed Johnson’s thanks to the DPW, as did Wellman, who said she would be attending a NMCOG annual planning retreat this Saturday. She also noted the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Monday and said the Tewksbury DEI Advisory Committee would recognize that with a day of service this spring, when the weather is more cooperative.

The next Select Board meeting will be January 23.