Rockland town meeting to consider $73 million budget, $13 million water loan on May 2
ROCKLAND – Residents will decide on a $73 million budget, including $13 million for improvements to the water system and $3 million in spending on various projects from free cash at the May 2 special and annual town meetings.
The meetings will be held at 7 p.m. at Rockland High School, 52 Mackinlay Way.
There is a total of 48 warrant articles.
The biggest capital outlay is $13 million for the Abington and Rockland Joint Water Works, to be borrowed from the state's revolving fund and repaid with money generated from water users.
Abington would levy its own $13 million in spending, for a total of $26 million, to remediate PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in the water system, a problem across the South Shore. Massachusetts lowered its standards to 20 parts per trillion, which is well below the federal standard of 70 parts per trillion.
Read the warrant: Rockland's May 2, 2022 annual and special town meeting warrants
The substances are considered "forever chemicals" because they don't break down and can accumulate in the body. In 2021, Rockland water tested just barely above the state limit.
Other proposed expenditures include $750,000 for a fuel management system for the highway department, $200,000 for curbs and walkways on Spring, Summer and Beech streets, and $84,000 for rail trail improvements from the Community Preservation Act funds.
Rockland PFAS problems: Rockland contends with PFAS - 'forever chemicals' - above state limits at treatment plant
Dec. 4, 2018: Rockland Rail Trail final section completed and paved
Using money from marijuana host community agreements
The fire and police departments could benefit from the town's marijuana dispensary host community agreements.
Town meeting 2021: Rockland residents reject federal flood insurance program, approve pot account
At the 2021 meeting, residents approved the $96,000 purchase of two police cruisers with marijuana money. At the May 2 meeting, voters will be asked to approve $618,000 in spending from the marijuana account: $275,000 for a new ambulance, $70,000 for a pickup truckp for the fire department, $98,000 for two police cruisers and $175,000 toward the purchase of a new fire engine, with the balance, $500,000, coming from free cash.
Mandating transparency in public meetings
Just one citizen's petition appears on the warrant. It would mandate the recording of all public meetings and make the recordings accessible on the internet.
Many, but not all, of Rockland's public meetings are recorded and posted to the WRPS Youtube page.
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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Rockland town meeting to tackle budget, transparency on May 2, 2022
