Below is the exact wording of the articles as they appear in the Town Warrant for Town Meeting May 1, 2017.
Article 15.
Fund Major 1835 Town Hall Repairs
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, the sum of $610,000.00, or any other sum, to fund the roof and interior repairs to the Town Hall including the architectural design, project manager, construction, and all items and services related to the roof replacement and structural repairs, electric wiring and interior insulation and ceiling finish; provide design and connection to a septic system; provide design and installation of a wheel chair lift to make the building and second floor accessible and compliant with the Massachusetts Architectural Access Board; repair/replace the front columns; and design and install sprinkler system for the 1835 Town Hall; and that any premium received by the Town upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any premium applied to the payment of the costs of issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance with G.L. c. 44, §20, thereby reducing by a like amount the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs. Said sum to be expended by the 1835 Town Hall Committee with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen, with any unused funds to be returned to the town upon completion of the project, however, no amount shall be borrowed or expended hereunder unless and until voters approve excluding the amounts required to repay any borrowing pursuant to the vote from the limitation on total property taxes contained in Chapter 59, Section 21C of the General Laws (also known as Proposition 2 ½); or take any action in relation thereto.
Submitted by: Board of Selectmen
Recommendation: Board of Selectmen defers to town meeting.
Recommendation: Finance Committee does not support spending the full amount this year, but recognizes this is a phased project and that it will be appropriate to spend this amount over a period of years. The Finance Committee recommends passage of this article only if the project is financed as excluded debt.
Recommendation: The 1835 Town Hall Committee does not support this article.
Summary: The Sterling Town Hall, built in 1835, is the oldest Town building in Sterling and one of the most important to our culture, history and heritage. Constructed on property donated to the Inhabitants of Sterling for the public use, it has been the center of our community for 182 years and in 2011 was reaffirmed by voters our Community Center. It is used as a Community Center for civic, organization and private meetings and events and it is home to the Recreation Department which uses every square foot for many children and adult programs. The slate roof dates back to the addition of 1893 and is badly in need of replacement. In 2005 and 2012, engineers provided structural recommendations and plans for roof replacement. This project includes architectural design project management, structural repairs, sheathing and underlayment, architectural asphalt shingles, insulation, finish carpentry, interior ceiling and walls, architectural elements sealed and stained, painting, electrical wiring and lighting. The wheel chair lift is required to bring the building up to code and is a requirement triggered by even modest renovations. The septic system upgrade is necessary to meet anticipated used plans and the existing columns are in need of repair. A sprinkler system is also recommended by the Fire Department. This list of repairs and renovations will return the building to its former stature and use. This article is intended to show the long-term cost of preserving the building without any grant funding.
REQUIRES 2/3 VOTE
Article 16.
Fund 1835 Town Hall Roof Repairs Only – Fully Funded
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, the sum of $298,000.00, or any other sum to fund the roof repairs to the Town Hall including the architectural design, project manager, construction, and all items and services related to the roof replacement and structural repairs, electric wiring and interior insulation and ceiling finish for the 1835 Town Hall, said sum to be expended by the 1835 Town Hall Committee with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen, with any unused funds to be returned to the town upon completion of the project; or take any action in relation thereto.
Submitted by: Board of Selectmen
Recommendation: The Board of Selectmen defers to town meeting.
Recommendation: The Finance Committee supports this article with the conditions that the funding source will be raise and appropriate, quarterly progress reports will be provided by the 1835 Committee, and that the 1835 Committee will aggressively pursue grants and fundraising for all future projects. The Finance Committee recognizes that the potential total project cost is $610,000.
Recommendation: The 1835 Town Hall Committee supports this article.
Summary: The Sterling Town Hall, built in 1835, is the oldest Town building in Sterling and one of the most important to our culture, history and heritage. The slate roof dates back to the addition of 1893 and is badly in need of replacement. In 2005 and 2012, engineers provided structural recommendations and plans for roof replacement. This project includes architectural design project management, structural repairs, sheathing and underlayment, architectural asphalt shingles, insulation, finish carpentry, interior ceiling and walls, architectural elements sealed and stained, painting, electrical wiring and lighting. This article will provide funds to complete the roof repair/replacement work entirely. This article would make the second floor “usable space.” This article would require further financial investment in the 1835 Town Hall, sometime in the future, in order to comply with state and federal accessibility laws due to the amount of funds expended. This project is the preference of the 1835 Town Hall Committee for fiscal year 2018. This article will be moved “No Action” if the town votes affirmatively on Article 15.
Article 17.
Fund 1835 Town Hall Roof Repairs Only – Partial Funding
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, the sum of $150,000.00, or any other sum to fund the roof repairs to the Town Hall including the architectural design, project manager, construction, and all items and services related to the roof replacement and structural repairs for the 1835 Town Hall, said sum to be expended by the 1835 Town Hall Committee with the advice and consent of the Board of Selectmen, with any unused funds to be returned to the town upon completion of the project; or take any action in relation thereto.
Submitted by: Board of Selectmen
Recommendation: The Board of Selectmen defers to town meeting.
Recommendation: The Finance Committee does not support the passage of this article. If this article passes, the Finance Committee recommends raise and appropriate as a funding source.
Recommendation: The 1835 Town Hall Committee does not support this article.
Summary: The Sterling Town Hall, built in 1835, is the oldest Town building in Sterling and one of the most important to our culture, history and heritage. This project includes structural repairs, sheathing and underlayment, and architectural asphalt shingles. The work covered under this Article is intended to preserve the basic integrity of the building until further plans are developed and additional funding obtained. This Article would not provide the second floor as a “usable space.” This article would require further financial investment in the 1835 Town Hall, sometime in the future, in order to comply with state and federal accessibility laws due to the amount of funds expended. This article will be moved “No Action” if the town votes affirmatively on Article 15 or 16.
Article 18.
Fund 1835 Town Hall Maintenance and Conveyance
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, the sum of $15,000.00 or any other sum to fund for necessary building stabilization and preservation for the 1835 Town Hall and to transfer the control of the building to the Board of Selectmen of Sterling for the purposes of conveyance and to authorize the Selectmen to take any and all actions reasonably necessary to effectuate the transaction; or take any action relative thereto.
Submitted by: Board of Selectmen
Recommendation: The Board of Selectmen defers to town meeting.
Recommendation: The Finance Committee does not support the passage of this article. If this article passes, the Finance Committee recommends raise and appropriate as a funding source.
Recommendation: The 1835 Town Hall Committee does not support this article.
Summary: This article allows for minimal repairs to preserve the basic integrity of the Sterling 1835 Town Hall until the building and land are conveyed or sold and authorizes the Board of Selectmen of Sterling to enter into agreements for the sale of the property if it is deemed by the Selectmen that this would be the best course of action for the town. This article will be moved “No Action” if the town votes affirmatively on Article 16, 16, or 17.