[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6676361,"mediaKeyId","3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2","parentId",3585520,"title","Charlton approves multiple capital appropriations; town hears details on police firearm replacement and sewer headworks project","audioSeconds",1003,"startMs",1042000,"endMs",2045000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2&start=1042&end=2045","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2/thumbnail_1042000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6676361/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Charlton-approves-multiple-capital-appropriations-town-hears-details-on-police-firearm-replacement-and-sewer-headworks-project","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6676361-0ef0b658195285c33784a596db98ad5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178553&Signature=cE538PWTl1-JZLFy91c96YEQiwvMhvDV5VHd1RioV5DFz8uiNZK~9MVxvx01Ff9SxtaGRpQlT9iLfryzK1fhpQPhJaBR7ylSj8eCcduU-caXs9kLUnkNP70UKwMD87Qd0l4E1jP43Qpa6HXHnaFQvTBKwGZ7xKLuzfryeq3bIKD4Y~OoMPjIck7NMg-6UnFTGeBGUsGhl3ZohwSmO2JEVtvRC364-b1sV97HqhWAo9re~AHIZfyzIYzHOIEmqqK8~7hihXQswB8wW0Z6uilS07dDWJrm3l~s0ojn0oerHrh5ikSpqt1mCmpMl8buAhJGAPoMPHXCumPYfNtshGi8BQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Charlton, MA","date","2025-05-24T00:00:00Z","article","Charlton — Voters at the Town of Charlton meeting approved a slate of capital appropriations under Article 4 and separate borrowing and capital items across subsequent motions, covering building repairs, public-safety infrastructure, vehicles and sewer-plant improvements.

The first Article 4 motion bundled multiple capital items and was presented as a single table of separate appropriations. It included $200,000 from free cash for structural repairs to the Number 2 Schoolhouse (roof replacement, roof shoring, exterior improvements, chimney repointing and foundation work); $250,000 from free cash for a town-wide public safety radio system project; $50,000 for town hall improvements; $80,000 for technology replacements; $10,000 for library generator design plans; and $50,000 for replacement of the fire pond cistern pipe and screens. The finance committee and board of selectmen supported the motion. Voters approved the package by ballot; the transcript records 47 in the affirmative and 5 opposed (52 voters total).

A second motion under Article 4 authorized $255,000 from free cash for replacement police cruisers and related technology and $30,000 from free cash for replacement police firearms. That motion prompted a substantive public exchange. Resident Steppen Sage asked how many firearms the department proposed to replace and what would happen to the old weapons. Police Chief Dandau told voters the department planned to replace the sidearms for full-time officers, \"approximately about 24 firearms,\" and that the vendor typically participates in a buyback program to offset costs; the vendor must be a Federal Firearms License (FFL) dealer and handles disposition under federal law. Chief Dandau said the current firearms were about five years old and that the motivation included improved optics for quicker target acquisition. The finance committee and board of selectmen supported the motion; the transcript records the vote as 49 in favor, 6 opposed (55 total voters) and the motion passed.

A third Article 4 motion provided $75,000 from free cash for a fire station alerting system at Station 1. The finance committee and board of selectmen recommended approval; the recorded vote was 50 in the affirmative and 4 opposed (54 voters total).

A fourth Article 4 motion included several public-works and sewer items: $300,000 from free cash for a street sweeper, $30,000 for street-sweeper-related costs, $30,000 to repair or replace a salt-shed roof, $17,000 for a tractor replacement, $60,000 for an F-250 pickup truck, $50,000 from sewer retained earnings to upgrade the North Main Street pump station and $500,000 from sewer retained earnings for the plant headworks project. Russ Jennings, representing the Sewer and Water Commission, explained that the headworks is the plant's first point of contact for incoming sewage, described the existing deficiency and said the project would double capacity to better meet purification goals. The finance committee and board of selectmen supported the motion; the transcript records the vote as 50 in favor, 5 opposed (55 voters total).

Article 5, replacing Engine 2 (a borrowing article, $850,000), was moved to be passed over indefinitely. The selectmen and finance committee supported passing over for now, with the record noting that the need remains but that previously quoted prices had exceeded the $850,000 amount; the motion to pass over carried by ballot, recorded as 50 in the affirmative and 4 opposed (54 voters total).

Why it matters: The capital appropriations fund building repairs, public safety communications and equipment, vehicle replacements and significant sewer-plant infrastructure. The police firearms discussion provided procedural details about disposal and indicated the town plans to recoup some cost via vendor buyback; the sewer headworks explanation clarified the operational purpose of a major plant upgrade.

Votes at a glance (selected Article 4 motions and Article 5)
- Article 4 (schoolhouse, radio, town hall, library generator, fire pond): Approved by ballot, recorded 47 yes, 5 no.
- Article 4 (police cruisers & firearms): Approved by ballot, recorded 49 yes, 6 no. Chief Dandau said ~24 firearms would be replaced; vendor buyback expected to offset some cost.
- Article 4 (fire station alerting System): Approved by ballot, recorded 50 yes, 4 no.
- Article 4 (street sweeper, salt shed roof, tractor, F-250, pump station upgrades, plant headworks): Approved by ballot, recorded 50 yes, 5 no. The plant headworks item carries $500,000 from sewer retained earnings and was described by Russ Jennings as doubling headworks capacity.
- Article 5 (replace Engine 2 borrowing $850,000): Motion to pass over indefinitely approved by ballot, recorded 50 yes, 4 no.

The votes on Article 4 were taken as several separate appropriations presented as individual items within motions; each item was considered a separate appropriation though several were bundled for the purposes of floor voting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Charlton: Special Town Meeting October 21, 2024","oneSentenceSummary","Charlton ' Voters approved a series of capital appropriations for building repairs, public-safety systems, vehicles and sewer plant upgrades, and heard detail on police firearm replacement and sewer headworks planning.","taxTitle","Town of Charlton, Worcester County, Massachusetts","taxId",54464,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6676366,"Charlton voters approve prior-year bills, multiple budget transfers and stabilization contribution",1908,395000,2303000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2&start=395&end=2303","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2/thumbnail_395000.jpg","/articles/6676366/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Charlton-voters-approve-prior-year-bills-multiple-budget-transfers-and-stabilization-contribution","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6676366-e8802749df0065c7977eb708325301fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178553&Signature=V8wB8CSvAq-Nm6Z-1-9kYJP62s-A8P4X9YXqD9RKM~7cEBasvttxed0K-g6I-YrFcAv129I5pYCLEemhBzx89c6MqbV~VEVLm-aNy~rGsLG7IgtIXrA0TvfWsDvokKEElaJO9cadREl7NvoBFexNvfouQPTtlRH2gZLpvrzWFTRH~IC6GDi-~I1OaacsYspNJoRddXLM~uERh~U-7Qy0~TbYV8h6ys5~61rP9~CabDU4HUKEyABteMBP7skP8ji1TUo-MuSxwemet3CobtVcB3OUzWxTaDLoteLrjLsdimVN2Mpl1ozI3nvVAhzVWgFwik1bFLxPuZ9THwaldJt0mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charlton — Town meeting voters on the floor approved payment of several unpaid bills from prior fiscal years, authorized multiple budget transfers for fiscal 2025 and voted to transfer $700,000 into the town's general stabilization fund.

The actions began with Article 1, a motion to pay four prior-year bills drawn from FY2025 accounts, which the moderator read aloud and voters approved by ballot. The vote was recorded as 53 in the affirmative, 0 in the negative; the motion carried unanimously.

The meeting then moved to Article 2, an inter- and intra-departmental transfer package that included: $15,000 from the building fines and enforcement fund to cover special counsel legal expenses; $150,000 from free cash to the town's OPEB (other post-employment benefits) trust; $84,000 to police wages to cover a dispatcher and an officer (each budgeted for half a year); $26,000 to group health insurance for those positions; and $750,000 to the capital stabilization fund. The motion was moved from the floor by a town speaker identified in the record as Borowski and carried by ballot, 51 in the affirmative and 1 opposed.

Article 3, an amendment to the FY2025 budget, was moved \"passed over indefinitely\" at the meeting; the finance committee and board of selectmen recommended passage over. The recorded vote on passing the article over was 51 in the affirmative and 2 in the negative.

Separately, Article 6 asked voters to transfer $700,000 from free cash to the general stabilization fund to meet the town's reserve policy. The finance committee and board of selectmen supported the transfer; the recorded vote was 48 in the affirmative and 3 in the negative, and the motion passed.

Why it matters: The votes authorize the town to pay prior obligations, make midyear budget adjustments and strengthen the town's reserve position ahead of future capital planning and financing. Several of the budget adjustments explicitly fund personnel and long-term liabilities (OPEB), which affect the town's fiscal profile.

Votes at a glance
- Article 1 (payment of prior-year bills): Approved by ballot, recorded 53 yes, 0 no.
- Article 2 (inter/intra departmental transfers & appropriations, FY2025): Approved by ballot, recorded 51 yes, 1 no. Items included OPEB funding ($150,000), police wages ($84,000), group health ($26,000), special counsel ($15,000) and $750,000 to capital stabilization.
- Article 3 (amend FY2025 budget): Motion to pass over indefinitely approved by ballot, recorded 51 yes, 2 no.
- Article 6 (transfer $700,000 to general stabilization fund): Approved by ballot, recorded 48 yes, 3 no.

Several items approved in this package were explicitly recommended by the finance committee and supported by the board of selectmen; where a midyear hire was budgeted, staff clarified the salary lines reflected half-year funding for each new position.

The meeting proceeded afterward to a slate of capital appropriations and zoning matters.","At the Town of Charlton meeting, voters approved payment of several prior-year bills, multiple interdepartmental transfers and a $700,000 transfer to the general stabilization fund; one FY2025 budget amendment was passed over.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6676354,"Charlton approves zoning map changes and bylaw amendments including floodplain language and building-numbering policy",626,2344000,2970000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2&start=2344&end=2970","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3585520-ee81dc6db82ed68d1c945be0196996c2/thumbnail_2344000.jpg","/articles/6676354/Town-of-Charlton/Worcester-County/Massachusetts/Charlton-approves-zoning-map-changes-and-bylaw-amendments-including-floodplain-language-and-building-numbering-policy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6676354-a81f9e11233149310f3065edd1ff5e7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178553&Signature=WM8pDk~A14z8xGAvvTCkikZDjSu7qV4fp9lvD~INZNNJZg1dC0Bjx62z1l8ReeNp~pw93LP9TOMplaWcuRdwqR9JkJiFOTn9hwOoA501G0GHx8mZw7om8j-Tiu4vl-dacnwFWKE2uuvTgP97euAI4HnMclUyzM0~KUlskzmFAUOiFlFL27UiYpCbRbrOHV4zz8PG4rzlU276Kryp~6mrjTNV3ZTw5sNiU92LZvEudmbGs21J4rUYB2RG57iai4rDuSzGxDAD49JkqLLXd5CYkhrhtLBZuRvbF6QdUXOFidIuI5KAKChlca3HDS78SvfI57jYwWefjh02oD~OzIFo9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Charlton ' Town meeting voters approved a series of zoning and bylaw amendments addressing building numbering, zoning districts and subdivision review language.

Article 7 amended Chapter 115 (buildings and the numbering thereof) by adding a section that authorizes the Board of Selectmen to approve and amend a policy for assigning numbers to buildings. The motion was presented as \"accepted as written,\" carried by ballot and recorded in the transcript as 43 in the affirmative and 10 opposed.

Article 8 was a zoning map change sponsored by the property owner Waldo Eastman to rezone assessor's parcel Map 24 A-4.4 (about 4.8 acres on North Side Road) from Business Enterprise Park (BEP) to Agricultural/Rural Residential (AR-60). Eastman told the assembly the property historically hosted a family sawmill and that North Side Road is not a commercial corridor. The Planning Board recommended approval. The motion carried by ballot; the transcript records 51 in the affirmative (the record also indicates an \"opposed 1\" reference that the moderator read, see clarifying details).

Article 9 sought to remove three lots (Map 24, Block A, Lots 4, 4.1 and 4.4) totaling about 42.18 acres from the Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Overlay District. The Planning Board recommended the change; the moderator noted the overlay was established in 1998 and that the requested revision would better reflect underlying property uses. The motion carried by ballot, recorded as 49 in the affirmative and 2 opposed.

Article 10 amended Zoning Bylaw Section 6.9 (Subdivision Proposals) by adding language that \"all subdivision proposals and development proposals in the Floodplain Overlay District shall be reviewed to assure that\" (introductory words to ensure incorporation of existing wetland parameters). Planning Board members said the change was requested to satisfy state review and to introduce existing wetland provisions into the subdivision section. The motion required and received a two-thirds majority; the transcript records 48 in the affirmative and 2 in the negative.

Why it matters: These amendments change how certain parcels are zoned and how municipal staff and boards assign building numbers and review subdivision proposals in floodplain areas. Removing parcels from the wireless overlay does not remove the overlay district entirely; planning staff said large portions of the overlay remain unchanged.

Votes at a glance
- Article 7 (Chapter 115 building-numbering policy): Approved by ballot, recorded 43 yes, 10 no.
- Article 8 (Map 24 A-4.4 rezoned BEP to AR-60): Approved by ballot, recorded in transcript as 51 yes (see clarifying details for a minor reporting inconsistency noted on the floor).
- Article 9 (remove three lots from Wireless Telecommunications Overlay): Approved by ballot, recorded 49 yes, 2 no.
- Article 10 (amend Zoning Bylaw Sec. 6.9 to include floodplain review language): Approved by ballot, recorded 48 yes, 2 no (two-thirds majority achieved).","Voters approved several zoning and bylaw amendments: a building-numbering bylaw change (Chapter 115), multiple zoning map changes removing parcels from the wireless telecommunications overlay and changing a parcel from BEP to agricultural/rural residential, and a zoning bylaw insertion clarifying subdivision review in the Floodplain Overlay.","actionData","errors"]

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Charlton approves multiple capital appropriations; town hears details on police firearm replacement and sewer headworks project

Charlton voters approve prior-year bills, multiple budget transfers and stabilization contribution

Charlton approves zoning map changes and bylaw amendments including floodplain language and building-numbering policy