TOWN OF PRINCETON, MA Princeton Advisory Board Meeting Minutes
October 19 2015
AB John Shipman chair called the AB meeting to order at 8:20 p.m.
AB members in attendance were: John Shipman, Jimmy O'Coin, George Handy, Dave Cruise, Bill Lawton, Christine Trudeau, and Wayne Adams
Guests were: Nina Nazarian (Princeton TA), WRSD Holden School Committee Rep Stacey Jackson
Agenda AB only
- Advisory Board Positions to be voted Chair and Secretary
- Discuss Chapter 70
- Fieldstone Farm Update
- New Business
Advisory Board Positions
George Handy nominated John Shipman for Chairman; seconded by Jimmy O'Coin. No other candidates nominated. Vote was 6-Y, 0-N, 0-A.
Dave Cruise nominated Wayne Adams for Secretary; seconded by Jimmy O'Coin. Vote was 6-Y, 0-N, 0-A.
John Shipman nominated Bill Lawton to be Secretary in the absence of Wayne; seconded by George Handy. Vote was 6-Y, 0-N, 0-A.
Chapter 70
Dave Cruise and George Handy provided updated materials to the AB members, guests, as well as State Senator Harriette Chandler and State Rep Kim Ferguson. Dave and George led a discussion on how the Chapter 70 program, formula, and policies have harmed the town of Princeton since 2010. Highlights of the discussion were:
- In 2014, Dave and George delivered a presentation to the MA Special Committee, chaired by State Rep Alice Peisch, reviewing Chapter 70 inequalities; no status of action by MA co-chairperson
- Estimated town of Princeton funding loss approaching $2.7M aggregated over the school years 2011- 2015.
- Towns within a regional school district are not held harmless, only the district is held harmless.
- More discussion and analysis will be requested of Roger Hatch State of MA School Finance and reviewed by MA DESE (MA Dept of Elementary and Secondary Education) for other regional districts, if a policy for hold harmless for towns in a district is to be pursued
Stacey Jackson led a discussion about an ad-hoc, grass-roots project to review the Chapter 70 formula and trends for Minimum Contribution Level (MCL) calculations and how they have effected Paxton and Rutland year over year to meet regional contributions
and the correlated Prop 2 1/2 override votes in their respective towns. Findings were shared with the State Ways and Means Committee. MCL is based on wealth formula calculations.
In the near future, the Princeton BOS and AB will meet with State Senator Harriette Chandler and State Rep Kim Ferguson.
Fieldstone Farm
Town of Princeton requested to fund $650K of the $3.1M desired purchase price. $400K of the $650K would be reimbursed through a state land grant program.
- Town has worked up 3 funding and payback options; estimated real estate tax implications for the average homeowner to pay for the $250K (of the $650K).
- Special town meeting scheduled for December for town to vote on the $650K funding. Advisory Board will need to form a position
- Informational meetings being held as follows:
- 10/21, 7.30PM Town Hall, where Audubon and Princeton Land Trust to hold open town forum
- 10/22, 10AM, Town Hall, where State Agricultural Commissioner John LeBeaux and State Rep Kim Ferguson to review types of farming restrictions and answer questions.
Lots of questions are surfacing. John Shipman to pull together a list of AB questions to be submitted to Princeton TA - to be forwarded onto Audubon and PLT to be addressed on 10/21, where answers exist.
New Business
None
9:10 AB Adjourned. Motion by John Shipman, seconded by George Handy. All in attendance voted in favor, 6-Y, 0-N
Reference documents handed out by AB members:
- Chapter 70: PowerPoint Presentation titled Princeton Seeks Fair Allocation of Chapter 70 Funding; Excel tables and graphs contrasting 8 MA towns including Princeton
- Fieldstone Farm, from the BOS meeting 10/19: Treasurers assessment of property tax impact to fund $250K; Backgrounder on Town of Princeton funding Options for $650K
Respectfully submitted,
Wayne M. Adams, AB Member
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