Record Five-Hour Town Meeting slashes $500,000 in Capital Requests to Curb Random Spending
Heading warnings of mounting financial burdens, a special town meeting last night spent only $14,090 of a possible $508,957
The body decisively killed warrant articles seeking about $230,000 for a high school addition and an additional $210,000 to rebuild the Pleasant Street bridge. The five-hour session completed action on all 25 warrant articles and adjourned at 1:14 a.m. Many present considered it the longest town meeting in Norwood‘s history.
The strict warnings to curb municipal spending came mostly from George T. Mahoney, chairman of the Finance Commission, who told the 130 members present: “We have no bright future… we cannot go on spending at this random rate.” George T. Mahoney also noted that Tuesday’s setting of the tax rate effectively prevented major capital expenditures, including advanced school planning lines. The Finance Commission had recommended total expenditures of $13,090. The meeting added just $1,000 to that baseline and strictly followed 16 of 17 financial board recommendations.
The single departure from the commission’s conservative ledger was a $1,000 compromise appropriation for drain construction to allow access to a proposed League field located next to Endean Park. The original article, which was not supported by the finance board, sought $17,000 to construct a full roadway and a dedicated water-line to the athletic field; that larger measure lost on the floor by an 80 to 50 margin. Another recreation item killed during the fiscal purge was a $3,500 request to bankroll preliminary plans and specifications for a municipally owned ice skating rink, which failed on a swift voice vote.
Furthermore, the town meeting refused to restore $21,800 that had been cut from the school administrators’ salaries back in March. However, the members completely reversed a 1968 zoning decision, voting to rezone 4.5 acres of land at Route 1, Neponset Street, and Nahatan Street to grant Carl A. Johnson a brand new commercial location for his Norwood Cadillac Co. dealership.
Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger
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Norwood Breaks Ground on $5.1 Million, 96-Unit Everett Street Housing Project-August 22, 1981
Officials used a bulldozer instead of shovels to break ground on the 96-unit Everett Street housing development for seniors and the handicapped, funded by a $5.1 million federal grant.
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Selectmen Demand Good Faith Deposit for Winslow School Sale-June 13, 1981
Board Votes 4-1 to Protect Town Interests Against Developer’s Office Condominium Project as blue Law Video Games Approved The Board of Selectmen have voted 4-1 to formally demand an $8,000 cash deposit from the prospective buyers of the former Winslow School to legally bind a proposed $325,500 real estate purchase. Town Counsel Justin C. Barton…
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Fate of Winslow School Property Uncertain as Selectmen Reject All Bids-September 17, 1980
Norwood selectmen reject all four development bids for the former Winslow School property, leaving the site’s future uncertain.
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Incomplete Sprinkler System Threatens Extended Half-Day Sessions at Norwood High School-September 9, 1976
Norwood High School may remain on half-day sessions due to incomplete sprinkler installation by ABC Sprinkler Co., prompting school committee threats of legal action.
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Norwood School Committee Urges High School Addition Plan After Nearly Seven Years-November 7, 1974
Moving past years of debate, the Norwood School Committee voted 5-2 to send a 15-classroom high school addition and field house proposal to the Permanent Building Construction Committee for architectural estimates.
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High School Addition Plan Okayed-June 20, 1974
Principal Monbouquette details structural upgrades and media center conversions to combat overcrowding.
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Permanent School Building Construction Committee Votes to Proceed with Permanent Roof Plans for Burned-Out Junior High South and Aaron Guild School-September 15, 1972
School building construction committee votes to proceed with permanent roof plans for Junior High South and Aaron Guild School, while Endean Park junior high plans secure SBAB approval.
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Committee Votes to Reroof Aaron Guild School Ahead of Winter Months-September 8, 1972
Norwood’s building committee votes to undertake immediate reroofing of the Aaron Guild School, eliminates skylights, and reviews Endean Park school construction and athletic field costs.
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Building Committee Votes to Relocate Endean Park Softball Fields for New Junior High South Project-August 11, 1972
The permanent building committee unanimously voted to relocate and lengthen two softball fields at Endean Park to accommodate the new Junior High South project.⠀
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Norwood School Committee Votes to Duplicate Junior High North-July 30, 1971
The Norwood School Committee voted 4-2 to abandon rebuilding fire-damaged Junior High School South, opting instead to duplicate Junior High North on a new site.
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