Town of Norwood Finance Director Jeff O'Neil and school and department leaders on the final information‑session night reviewed the 12 articles slated for Special Town Meeting No. 1, which the presenters said are primarily fiscal items for the current and upcoming fiscal years.

The articles include an internal transfer to cover a snow‑and‑ice overtime overrun; a contested request to top up the school district's special‑education reserve; a $70,000 spring capital request for school technology purchases tied to the federal E‑Rate reimbursement program; a $300,000 free‑cash appropriation to support three school positions intended to increase MassHealth billing; funding to implement additional Munis (UNIS) human‑resources modules; an additional borrowing authorization for the town's water‑tank replacement project; a transfer to a compensated‑absences reserve; creation of capital and pension reserve funds and a $1 million proposed seed appropriation for the pension reserve; and the annual unpaid‑bills article.

Why it matters: The warrant items would change near‑term spending authority, create new reserve tools and, in the water project case, authorize additional borrowing that town engineers said is time‑sensitive to avoid risk to the water system.

Details and debate

Special education reserve (Article 2): Officials said the Norwood School Committee has requested a transfer from free cash to the special‑education reserve to reach the 2% maximum allowed under Massachusetts law. School staff reported net school spending of about $79 million. Presenters said the current special‑education reserve balance is roughly $700,000 and the school committee requested a transfer of $880,959; the Board of Selectmen recommended a smaller transfer of $300,000. Jeff O'Neil said the Finance Committee will make the final motion and the amount could change when FinCom meets.

Sean Mannion, assistant superintendent for finance operations, described the reserve as a buffer for volatile special‑education costs and potential near‑term reductions in federal funding. "We currently don't expect any decrease in federal funding for next year, but we're closely watching things that are coming from the feds," Mannion said. He added the reserve could help the district absorb unexpected out‑of‑district placements or other special‑education cost spikes.

School technology (Article 3): The warrant requests $70,000 from free cash, the presenters said — $40,000 to replace iMacs and $30,000 for older Windows machines — to align purchases with E‑Rate timing so the district can order in the spring and receive federal reimbursement. Jeff O'Neil and Sean Mannion explained that E‑Rate reimburses a portion of eligible capital hardware and that timing of the federal program has generally dictated making this particular capital request in the spring rather than the fall capital cycle.

MassHealth / Medicaid positions (Article 4): The warrant includes a proposal to use $300,000 in free cash to fund three school positions for one year — two occupational therapists moved from the operating budget to this funding source and one new board‑certified behavior analyst (BCBA) — with the goal of increasing Medicaid (MassHealth) billing and thereby covering the positions in future budgets. Officials described the appropriation as "seed money" for the first year; if anticipated revenue does not materialize, the positions would need to be reconsidered in FY27 budgeting.

Foster‑care transportation MOU (Article 5): The schools seek one‑time town approval of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would make the town eligible for state reimbursement of foster‑care transportation expenses. Presenters said the one‑time approval would allow Norwood to claim prior fiscal‑year reimbursement (about $2,800 identified for FY24) and establish eligibility for future years.

Human resources / Munis modules (Article 6): The warrant requests up to $150,000 for consultant support and training to implement additional Munis (UNIS) HR modules for recruiting, onboarding and substitute management. Lisa Figueroa, Norwood's HR director, and others said the modules would consolidate multiple manual processes, reduce staff time spent on applications and substitute‑calling, and better integrate HR with payroll and finance. Audience members asked whether third‑party solutions (Bamboo, ClearCompany, Frontline) had been considered; presenters said they had evaluated alternatives but concluded integration with Munis offered accounting and workflow benefits. Officials also said the $150,000 is an estimate and unused funds would revert to free cash.

Water tank design and replacement (Article 7): The warrant seeks authorization for an additional $3.7 million for the water‑tank project beyond a previously approved borrowing authorization (originally $14.1 million) that was tied to a State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan. Presenters said bids returned this year were substantially higher (approximately $17 million and up to $22 million), and SRF funds were not available to cover the overage; if Norwood does not secure authorization and sign a contract by June 30 the previously approved $14.1 million SRF authorization could be at risk. Mark Ryan, director of public works, said one of the town's tanks is 85 years old and beyond its life expectancy and that delays expose the system to risk of tank failure and worsening water quality.

Compensated‑absences reserve (Article 8): Town officials described an existing compensated‑absences reserve that currently holds about $2.1 million against an estimated liability of roughly $4–4.5 million. The warrant proposes adding $250,000 from free cash to the reserve; presenters said the reserve reduces the general fund’s year‑to‑year budget volatility associated with payout of accrued vacation and sick time.

Capital stabilization fund (Article 9): The Finance Committee put forward a proposal to establish a capital stabilization fund to be seeded from free cash and project closeouts; the creation requires two‑thirds approval at town meeting, and any future spending from the fund would return to town meeting for appropriation. Officials described it as a tool to reduce borrowing for future capital needs.

Pension reserve fund and appropriation (Articles 10–11): Officials proposed creating a pension reserve fund and asked Town Meeting to appropriate $1 million from free cash to seed it. Presenters said the town's pension plan funding ratio is roughly 74% and that a reserve could be used either to offset annual operating costs or to make contributions after a market downturn to buy assets at lower valuations.

Unpaid bills (final standing article): The annual unpaid‑bills article was presented as a routine item to authorize payment for items that missed prior fiscal‑year processing.

Outlook: Presenters repeatedly told information‑session attendees that the Finance Committee (FinCom) will make motions and that numbers presented could change before the May 12 Town Meeting when voters will consider the articles. Jeff O'Neil closed the session by saying the motions made on Town Meeting floor will reflect FinCom recommendations and any final appropriation amounts.

Ending: The presenters encouraged town meeting members to review warrant materials and attend the May 12 Town Meeting to vote on the articles. No formal votes were taken at the information session.