COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

WORCESTER, SS:                          

 

To one of the Constables in the Town of Barre, in the County of Worcester.

 

Greetings:

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Barre, qualified to vote in town elections and town affairs to meet at the Ruggles Lane Elementary School, 105 Ruggles Lane, Barre, MA 01005.

 

TUESDAY, THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY OF JUNE 2025 AT 6:30 P.M.

 

then and there to act on the following articles:

 

ARTICLE 1                           CHOOSE TOWN OFFICERS

Sponsor: Select Board

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to choose all other town officers, agents and committees not elected by ballot or appointed, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 2                           REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES

Sponsor: Finance Committee

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to accept the reports of the Select Board, Finance Committee, School Committee and any other department or committee and act thereon, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 3               PAYMENT OF BILLS FROM A PRIOR FISCAL YEAR

Sponsor: Select Board

[Four-Fifths Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to transfer from available funds a sum of money to pay bills of a prior fiscal year, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 4                           FY 2025 BUDGET TRANSFERS

Sponsor: Select Board

 [Two-Thirds Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sums of $168,230.00 from Free Cash and $39,915.24 from the Stabilization Account for a total of $208,145.24 to fund the Snow Removal Deficit and $127,338.25 from the Stabilization Account to fund the initial payment on the Fire Truck Lease, for the Fiscal Year 2025, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 5                 FY 2026 WATER ENTERPRISE BUDGET

Sponsor: DPW Commission

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from Water Receipts a sum of money for the operations and maintenance of the municipal water system for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 6               FY 2026 SEWER ENTERPRISE BUDGET

Sponsor: DPW Commission

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from Sewer Receipts a sum of money for the operations and maintenance of the municipal sewer system for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 7                           FY 2026 OMNIBUS BUDGET

Sponsor: Select Board

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from any available source of funds a sum of money to pay Town charges and expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and vote to fix salary and compensation of all elected officials of the Town in accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, Section 108, effective July 1, 2025 and make all appropriations for the same; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 8                   FY 2026 OMNIBUS BUDGET- SCHOOLS

Sponsor: Select Board

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money to pay school charges and expenses for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and make all appropriations for the same; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 9                           FY 2026 OVERRIDE BUDGET

Sponsor: Select Board

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate an additional sum of money to defray Municipal Department charges and expenses for the fiscal year beginning on July 1, 2025 so as to supplement the amounts voted in the Article 7- FY 2026 Omnibus Budget, provided that the appropriation of funds and shall be contingent upon the passage of a Proposition 2 ½  override question on the ballot for a Special Election, in accordance with the provisions of General Laws Chapter 59, §21C(m); or take any action relative thereto.    

 

ARTICLE 10               PEG ACCESS AND CABLE RELATED FUND  

Sponsor: Select Board

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to transfer a Sum of Money from the PEG Access and Cable Related Fund to operate the Public, Educational, and Governmental (PEG) Access and Cable Related Fund established pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, Section 53F ¾ for fiscal year 2026, and for the purpose of funding capital projects relating to the operation of PEG and anything incidental or related thereto; or take any action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 11                                  REVOLVING FUNDS

Sponsor: Select Board

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see what spending limits the Town will establish for revolving accounts established pursuant to Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44, Section 53E ½ and the Town’s Bylaws Chapter 48, Section 1, for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

Revolving Fund	FY25 Spending Limit	FY26 Spending Limit
Library, Printing and Photo Copy Fees and Charges	$2,000	TBD
Board of Health, Percolation Test and Permit Fees	$11,000	TBD
Electrical Inspector, Charges and Fees	$50,000	TBD
Plumbing Inspector, Charges and Fees	$7,000	TBD
Gas Inspector, Charges and Fees	$4,000	TBD
Police Department, Civilian Firearms Safety Training Fees	$10,000	TBD
Police Department, Barre Falls Dam Contractual Revenue	$70,000	TBD
Police Department, Detail Fees	$16,000	TBD
Fire Department, Burning Permit Fees	$3,000	TBD
Council of Aging, Program and Event Fees	$2,000	TBD

 

 

ARTICLE 12                                   CHAPTER 90 GRANT

Sponsor: Select Board

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to accept any and all state highway assistance funds authorized by the state legislature and approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation- Highway Division under the so-called Chapter 90 Highway Assistance Program to be expended for the maintenance, repair and construction of Town roads in anticipation of reimbursement under the direction of the Select Board for work on roads located on the State Aid Primary System as approved by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation-Highway Division, and further to authorize the Treasurer/Collector, with the approval of the Select Board, to borrow money from time to time during Fiscal Year 2026 up to the reimbursable amount, for the period from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, in anticipation of reimbursement of said highway assistance in conformity with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 6A, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 13                       LOCAL OPTION MEALS TAX

Sponsor: Select Board

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 64L, Section 2 so as to impose a local sales tax upon the sale of restaurant meals originating within the town by a vendor at a rate of 0.75 per cent of the gross receipts of the vendor from the sale of restaurant meals, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 14          DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS SPECIAL ACT

Sponsor: Select Board

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to petition the General Court for special legislation to reorganize the department of public works so as to abolish the Public Works Commission and to make the Superintendent of Public Works a position appointed by the Select Board, by repealing Chapter 56 of the Acts of 1988 and replacing it with a new Department of Public Works Act, as shown below; provided, however, that the General Court may make clerical or editorial changes of form only to the bill, unless the Select Board approves amendments to the bill before enactment by the General Court, and authorizing the Select Board to approve any amendments which shall be within the scope of the general public objectives of the petition; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS IN THE TOWN OF BARRE

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

 

SECTION 1. Chapter 56 of the Acts of 1988 is hereby repealed and the public works commission established by said act is hereby abolished.

 

SECTION 2. There is hereby established in the Town of Barre a department of public works, hereinafter called the department. Said department shall be composed of the water commissioners, sewer commissioners and road commissioners, or select board in place of any commission not established. Said commissions shall continue to be elected in accordance with the General Laws and the by-laws of said town and they shall continue to have all the powers and responsibilities vested by the general or special laws or town by-law, except with respect to the appointment of a superintendent and subordinate employees. The department shall have all the powers and duties previously vested in or exercised by any of the following departments: the highway department, water department, sewer department, and the parks and recreation department.

 

SECTION 3. The department shall be supervised by a superintendent appointed by the select board, subject to the by-laws of the town that provide for the appointment of officers. The town administrator in consultation with select board may establish an employment contract with the superintendent for salary, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, severance pay, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of office, liability insurance and conditions of discipline, termination, dismissal, reappointment, performance standards and leave. The superintendent shall hold no other elective or appointive office in the town without approval from the select board and shall not be engaged in any other business that would constitute a conflict of interest as defined by Massachusetts General Laws. The superintendent shall report to the town administrator as to the doings of the department at such times as the town administrator may require.

 

SECTION 4. The superintendent shall exercise and perform, under the direction and supervision of the town administrator, all of the powers, rights and duties to be exercised by the department under this act, and the superintendent shall appoint such subordinate employees as may be necessary to operate the department, subject to any policies and procedures established by town administrator. The compensation of any such subordinate employees shall be established pursuant to the personnel policies and practices, rules and regulations of the town and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

 

SECTION 5. No contracts or liabilities in force upon the effective date of this act shall be affected by the repeal of chapter 56 of the acts of 1988, and the department of public works and the superintendent of public works created in this act shall in all respects be the lawful successor of the offices and departments that were abolished by the repeal of said chapter 56. All records, property and equipment of any office, department or part thereof assigned under said chapter 56 shall, by operation of law, be assigned to the department of public works and the superintendent of public works.

 

SECTION 6. This act shall take effect upon passage

 

ARTICLE 15               RESCIND PRIOR TOWN MEETING VOTES

Sponsor: Finance Committee

 [Majority Vote Required]

To see if the Town will vote to rescind the votes taken at prior town meetings and return the unspent balances to the general fund; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 16      APPOINTMENT OF PAID PART-TIME ASSESSOR

Sponsor: Board of Assessors

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Assessors to appoint one of its members to a paid part-time position under their supervision as allowed by G.L. Chapter 268A, Section 21A, to fix the compensation of such appointee and to raise and to appropriate or transfer from available funds a sum of money to fund such position; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

 

ARTICLE 17         ASSESSORS RECERTIFICATION OF PROPERTIES

Sponsor: Board of Assessors

 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds, a sum of money to pay for costs associated with the Assessors Recertification of properties, Special Appraisal Expenses, Cyclical Re-Inspection and Annual Interim Adjustments and anything incidental or related thereto; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 18                          PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE

Sponsor:  Select Board

[Two-Thirds Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote amend the Zoning Map of Barre, dated October 28, 2019, to change the zoning  district on said parcel identified on the Town of Assessors map G 356 and shown as the registry of deeds in book 2048 page 0007 (former Roger Langley School) from R15 (General Residence Business) district to  R80 (Rural Residence) district (total acreage of said parcel is 1.997 acres), or take any other action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 19                        PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE

Sponsor:  Select Board

[Two-Thirds Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning Map of Barre, dated October 28, 2019, to change the Town’s zoning district on said parcel by changing the Zoning District of 14.408 acres, more or less, of land on the east side of South Barre Road, consisting of portions of land owned by Caruso Construction Corp. as recorded with the Worcester District Registry of Deeds in Book 57471, Page 272; Book 57730, Page 289; Book 59014, Page 340; Book 61556, Page 226; Book 65312, Page 392; and Book 68117, Page 277; and being shown on Assessors Maps H-120K, H-120P, and H-120Q, from R-80 (Rural Residence) district to R-20 (Open Residence) district; or take an action relative thereto.

 

ARTICLE 20                        PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE

Sponsor:  Select Board

[Two-Thirds Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning Map of Barre, dated October 28, 2019, to change the Town’s zoning district on said parcel located at Worcester Road, Assessors Map H, Lot 218 and Map H Lot 219 and being described as tracts one and two in the Worcester District Registry of Deeds Book 48345 Page 121 from R-20 Open Residence district to B-C (business commercial); district; or take any other action relative thereto.

 

 

ARTICLE 21                         BAN ON SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS

                                                                     Sponsor: Select Board

                                                                 [Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre by inserting a new section “Plastic Bag Ban” as follows, and to authorize the Town Clerk to assign such numbering and to make non-substantive changes to the format of this bylaw in order that it be in compliance with the numbering format of the Code of the Town of Barre:, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

1. Purpose and Intent

 

The purposes of this bylaw are to protect and conserve Barre’s natural and economic resources, enhance the Town’s natural beauty, reduce land pollution, advance solid waste reduction, and encourage the use of reusable and recyclable bags within the Town. Therefore, the Town of Barre will implement this bylaw to phase out the use of thin-film plastic bags by all Barre business establishments by February 1, 2026.

 

1. Definitions

 

                 i.          Thin-film plastic bags: Typically with plastic handles, these are bags with a thickness of 4 mil. or less and are intended for transport of purchased products and for one-time use.

               ii.          Establishment: Any business facility that sells or provides goods, articles, food or personal services directly to the consumer whether for profit or not for profit, including, but not limited to retail stores, restaurants, pharmacies, liquor stores, convenience and grocery stores and seasonal and temporary businesses.

 

1. Use Regulations

 

                           i.          Thin-film plastic bags shall not be distributed, used, or sold for checkout at any Establishment within the town of Barre as of the Implementation Date.

 

                         ii.          Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable or biodegradable shopping bags to stores. Establishments are strongly encouraged to provide reusable checkout bags with or without charge to customers.

 

                       iii.          Thin-film plastic bags that are used to contain dry cleaning, newspapers, produce, meat, bulk foods, wet items and other similar merchandise, to the point of sale, typically without handles, are still permissible.

 

1. Enforcement

 

The provisions of this Bylaw may be enforced by any Police Officer of the Town of Barre or agent of the Board of Health through Non-Criminal Disposition pursuant to G.L. c. 40, §21D and the Town’s Noncriminal Disposition Bylaw, and/or by any means available in law and in equity. If Noncriminal Disposition is used, the following penalties shall apply:

 

First Offense                     Written Warning

Second Offense                $50 fine

Third Offense                   $100 fine

Subsequent Offenses        $200 fine

 

1. When Effective

 

This bylaw shall take effect upon approval by Town Meeting and in accordance with the provisions of MGL c. 40, Section 32.

 

During the time period between the effective date of this bylaw and February 1, 2026 (the “implementation date”) Establishments may use existing stock of thin-film plastic bags; provided, however, that as of the implementation date, such stock shall be removed from the Town and shall not longer be provided.

 

The Select Board or its designee may grant a deferment from compliance with this bylaw for a period of not more than six months upon the Establishment’s showing, in writing, that strict compliance with this bylaw would create an undue hardship or practical difficulty not generally applicable to other establishments in similar circumstances. The Select Board’s final written decision to grant or deny an exemption shall be at the Select Board’s sole discretion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTICLE 22                                OLD RESERVOIR DAM

Sponsor:  Citizens Petition

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to urge the Select Board to accept the offer from the Massachusetts Office of Dam Safety (ODS), in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (OCR), to access and remove the structure known as the Old Reservoir Dam, located within the Town of Barre, including all associated infrastructure, appurtenances, and materials necessary for safe and complete removal of the dam; and further to authorize the Select Board to execute agreements or instruments as may be necessary to effectuate the intent of this article, including but not limited to temporary construction easements, rights of entry, or agreements with state and federal agencies; or take any other action relative thereto. 

 

ARTICLE 23                     AUTHORIZATION TO MAKE PAYMENT

                                          FOR PREVIOUSLY APPROVED STIPENDS

Sponsor:  Citizens Petition

[Majority Vote Required]

 

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate from Sewer and Water Retained Earnings the sum of $2,500 each (for a total of $5,000) to compensate Shannon O'Connor for services performed as Administrative Assistant to the Department of Public Works during the DPW Superintendent vacancy, pursuant to votes previously taken by the Water Commission and the Sewer Commission, or take any other action relative thereto.

 

You are directed to serve this Warrant by posting an attested copy thereof on the bulletin boards at Ruggles Lane School, 105 Ruggles Lane; Barre Town Hall, 2 Exchange Street; Town Clerk’s Office, 40 West St. (basement), Henry Woods Building, 40 West Street – 1^st floor; Woods Memorial Library, 19 Pleasant Street; 50 Main Street; and Barre Senior Center 557 South Barre Road.

 

Hereof, fail not, and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon, to the Barre Town Clerk at the time and place of said meeting as aforesaid. Given under our hands this 16th day of June 2025 A.D.

                                                s/Dr. Maureen Marshall, Chair

 

                                         s/Mark Regienus, Vice Chair

                                               

BARRE SELECT BOARD

 

CONSTABLE’S RETURN OF SERVICE

 

Worcester SS:

Pursuant to the within Warrant, On June 16, 2025, I have notified and warned the inhabitants of the Town of Barre by posting up attested copies of the same on the bulletin boards at:

 

                                     LOCATION                                                             TIME

            Ruggles Lane School, 105 Ruggles Lane at:                         12:45   p.m.

            Barre Town Hall, 2 Exchange Street at:                               12:30   p.m.

            Town Clerk’s Office, 40 West Street (basement) at:             12:10   p.m.

            Henry Woods Building, 40 West Street 1st floor at:              12:15   p.m.

            Woods Memorial Library, 19 Pleasant Street at:                   12:20   p.m.

            50 Main Street at:                                                                   1:10     p.m.

            Barre Senior Center, 557 South Barre Road at:                     12:55   p.m.

 

June 16, 2025                                                             s/Joseph J. Jalbert

                                                                                       Constable of Barre

 

Returned to the Barre Town Clerk at 1:30 p.m. on the 16^TH day of June, 2025 A.D.

s/Ellen M. Glidden                                            s/Joseph J. Jalbert

Ellen M. Glidden, Barre Town Clerk                                    Constable of Barre