Hull Select Board Reviews Town Meeting Warrant, Debates Sewer Fee Increases
Board discusses affordable housing exemptions, HERO Act adoption, and creation of new town funds
HULL - March 19 - The Hull Select Board reviews the town meeting warrant, focusing on articles related to liquor licenses, sewer fees, and affordable housing during their recent meeting. The board grapples with how to support affordable housing through potential fee waivers for sewer connection costs.
The board examines an updated draft of the warrant containing 32 articles, including several annual "boilerplate" items and more complex proposals requiring detailed discussion.
Among the most debated topics is Article 30, submitted by the sewer department, which proposes increasing connection fees from $500 to $1,300 per bedroom.
"We haven't had an increase in this fee since 2000, and so if you look at the inflation rise from 2000 to over the 25 years, it's about $1,300," explains John Struzziery, Director of Wastewater Operations.
The increase aims to better reflect the cost of improving the sewer system, with Struzziery noting the department has identified over $16 million in collection system improvements still needed.
Select Board Chair Irwin Nesoff suggests adding an exemption to the increased fee for deed-restricted affordable housing units.
"I would like to see an exemption added to this for any homes, any buildings that are deeded affordable, that they would be exempt from the increased charge," Nesoff says. "It would be a small hit on the town and on the sewer department. It would be a way of making a statement that the town supports affordable housing."
Town Manager Jennifer Constable points out that the board already has authority to waive fees on a case-by-case basis without amending the bylaw.
"I don't feel it would have the same impact because it would be case by case," Nesoff responds. "This is at town meeting, and it's built into our bylaws that we're saying this is what we would like to do to support affordable housing."
Struzziery expresses concerns about the exemption, noting that all residents have contributed to the system's investment over time.
"We all have contributed to that, and why shouldn't anybody else get a discount because of that?" he asks.
Town Counsel Brian Winner notes that creating such an exemption would require specific language defining what qualifies as affordable housing.
"It's doable. It just requires that you create a vehicle that has enough specificity so that the department can administer it," Winner says.
Since the article was submitted by the Sewer Commission, the board cannot amend it directly. Any changes would need to happen at town meeting.
The board also reviews Article 19, which addresses the HERO Act, an act honoring, empowering, and recognizing service members and veterans. The Board of Assessors recommends adoption of both options within the act.
"The Board of Assessors does recommend to adopt both of those," explains Mackenzie MacCune, the Assistant Assessor. "The 22I would increase our veteran exemptions each year by the CPI COLA. We estimated that at 5% just to come up with our values."
The total additional cost to the town would be $33,695, bringing the total burden to $88,571.
Articles 20 and 21 propose creating several special funds, including a Special Injury Relief Indemnity Fund, a Workers' Compensation Fund, and an Employment Liability Reserve Fund, each with $100,000 allocated.
The warrant also includes a Grant Match Appropriation fund of $250,000, which generates discussion about the approval process for grants.
"On average, we get about $2 million most recently on an annual basis in grant funds," Constable explains. "Not all of those grants require a match. But the 250 represents about 12 to 13 percent of the grants."
Select Board member Jerry Taverna suggests including the board in the grant approval process, but Constable notes that grant applications fall under the Town Manager's authority according to the charter.
"Sometimes an opportunity or a need comes up that we don't anticipate," Constable says. "I would never forego, quite honestly, unless we just don't have the capacity or it's not that important to apply for a grant to address that need."
Other warrant articles include approval for the 2025 annual liquor license certification, authorization for the town to enter into contracts with the state, and amendments to the accessory dwelling units bylaw to align with state guidelines.
The board plans to sign the warrant at their next meeting, with some articles still requiring refinement before then.
"If you have articles that you would like the board to take a position on, let me know and we'll have them on future agendas," Nesoff tells board members. "We have up until town meeting to go through those."