Town Meeting 2024: 38 of 41 Articles Approved on Night 1, Most Unanimously

Tewksbury will spend $5.6 on school upgrades as citizen petition for sidewalk clearing fails

Moderator Dustin Weir kicked off Tewksbury’s Spring 2024 Town Meeting on Monday at 7:30 p.m. with VFW Post 8164 leading the Pledge of Allegiance. There were 146 voters and 17 guests in attendance.

Town Manager Richard Montuori withdrew Articles 5 and 7, which related to FY25 labor agreements with the Tewksbury Police and Fire Departments. 

Article 2, which sets the salaries of elected officials for FY25, and Article 4, the $168 million FY25 town and school budget, passed unanimously with minimal discussion. Also flying through were Articles 9, 10, 11 and 12, which fund the town’s sewer, water, stormwater and Tewksbury Telemedia programs.

Article 14 drew some discussion. It allocates $5.6 million from the town’s stabilization fund for improvements to school buildings, including HVAC at the Wynn and Ryan and work on the Heath Brook School to fix flood damage not covered by insurance. 

Resident Bruce Panilaitis, who submitted an op-ed explaining his position, rose in opposition to spending money renovating the Heath Brook, saying Tewksbury schools overall are operating at less than 70% capacity, and reshuffling of grades could allow the town to close that school and avoid about $1.1 million in repairs as well as $500,000 in annual operating costs going forward. 

“Seven of my 10 boys went through the Heath Brook — I have fond memories of that school,” said Panilaitis. “But I’ve looked at enrollments.”

He pointed out that the Tewksbury Public Schools currently serve 3,200 students in district. 

“That number has been flat for four years,” he said. “It’s been in steady decline since a peak of 4,841 in 2005.”

School Committee vice-chair Rich Russo rose to address the motion.

“Yes, capacity and student levels are at 3,200 and it will probably remain steady based on data,” said Russo. “That’s why the whole Long Range School Space Planning Committee has agreed to form.”

That LRSSPC was recently authorized by the Select Board to study current and future use of space. Russo and School Committee Chair Bridget Garabedian will serve on that committee along with James Mackey and Eric Ryder from the Select Board and parent, staff and community representatives.

TPS Superintendent and resident Brenda Theriault Regan, above, also addressed voters, saying that how we educate children has changed significantly since the town’s lower elementary schools were built.

“We currently do not have enough classroom space at the Heath Brook for our academic programming and our support services,” said Theriault Regan. “We have STEM programs, STEAM programs and much more additional Special Ed support services and room needs in our schools. Just last year we developed a paralleled Special Ed preschool program at our Heath Brook school to mirror what we do at our Dewing school.” 

Garabedian called out a space crunch that belies stagnant enrollment.  

“The Heath Brook right now has five to six classrooms that are not able to be used,” said Garabedian. “So based on Mr. Panilaitis’ breakdown, we should be able to function okay in that school without those classrooms — but we can’t. We have art teachers on carts, music teachers on carts, we have classrooms in unconventional spaces.”

She asked voters to back one-time funding to support students, teachers and staff and ensure their working conditions are acceptable.

While Planning Board member Jonathan Ciampa rose to support Panilaitis’ motion, voters rejected the amendment and overwhelmingly supported Article 14.

Voters also signed off unanimously on Articles 15, 16 and 17 to authorize the Town Manager to spend money from retained earnings for equipment and improvements; on Articles 18 and 19 to replace water lines and undertake a meter replacement project; and Article 20 to use revenue from bond premiums to pay down our debt principal.

Next up were Community Preservation Fund articles related to spending CPA and Affordable Housing Trust funds.

Tewksbury voters are historically supportive of recreation, and Monday was no exception as all CPA articles passed unanimously. Notably, the town will construct two lengths of boardwalk on the Chandler Well Fields that will create a two-mile loop trail, including two viewing platforms to stop and overlook surrounding natural habitats of freshwater wetlands and pine forests. 

Watch the full meeting here courtesy of Tewksbury Telemedia

General articles included a mixed bag of items. Articles 26 through 31 were approved unanimously. Control of the North Street Elementary School transfers from the School Department to the town, while Article 31 creates a Shawsheen Valley Regional Vocational/Technical School District Stabilization Fund. 

On that matter, voters heard from Shawsheen Tech Superintendent Tony MacIntosh and Tewksbury Shaw Tech School Committee member Patricia Meuse. The stabilization account will be funded with the excess and deficiency — surplus or deficit — monies certified at the end of every fiscal year. Regional schools may carry up to 5% of their budgets in an E&D fund.

Meuse recounted a wall falling down at the school as a reason to establish a stabilization fund to be expended on capital projects, and voters agreed.

Article 32 asks the Mass. legislature to revise the deed restriction on a parcel located on Chandler Street, East Street and Livingston Street to allow for a wider variety of recreation uses, including pickleball. Resident Susan Young rose to note that there may be noise and environmental issues.

“There was also a specification in the deed that the existing growth of pine trees would remain,” said Young. “The sound of pickleball being played is louder than tennis due to the vibration of the racket and the type of ball used. With town space that is available, it would make more sense to locate a pickleball court away from residences to avoid what has been described as ‘as an annoying sound.’” 

She specifically suggested the Frasca Soccer Fields or the rear of the North St. school property. While 25 residents agreed, 84 voted to adopt the article as presented. 

Article 33 will update the town’s Wetland Protection Bylaw. According to Conservation Commission Chair Dan Ronan, changes will streamline the application process and reduce costs and effort for residents. That passed with only two voters opposed.

Article 34 sought to implement a bylaw requiring property owners, both residents and businesses, to clear their sidewalks of snow within 24 hours. Despite the proponent successfully offering an amendment to authorize the Select Board to issue waivers, the effort failed, making it the only article to be defeated. 

Speakers both pro and con did give kudos to resident Kyle Parker for bringing the concept forward, but issues including plows that reportedly push snow onto our sidewalks and the number of senior citizens in town led to a no vote.

Article 35, authorizing the Select Board to accept an easement for sidewalks at 1023 East St., and Article 36, which provided pay raises for non-union employees passed, as did consent agenda article 3-39, which was held up by a voter who said she was unable to make Finance Committee meetings,  where budget articles were discussed in depth. 

Town Meeting adjourned at approximately 10:15 p.m. It resumes Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., immediately following Special Town Meeting, which convenes at 7 p.m. Only two items are on that warrant, Articles 41 and 42. More information is available here.