Special Town Meeting Overrides Finance Commission to Fund Firefighter Contract and Purchase Town Ambulance-November 9, 1976

Voters Approve Retroactive Pay Raises, New Modular Ambulance, and West School Sale to Dr. John J. Finn

NORWOOD — The fire department won decisive support at a special town meeting last night as voters overrode Finance Commission objections to fund a two-year labor contract with full retroactivity, while also authorizing $35,000 for a new modular town ambulance to meet stringent upcoming state standards.

The appropriated sum of $164,450 guarantees firefighters a six percent pay raise for each year of the 1975–1977 contract, retroactive to July 1, 1975 (compounded to a 12.36 percent increase over 1974–1975 pay levels). The Finance Commission, led by Chairman Joseph R. Adakonis, had opposed both the compounding and the first-year retroactivity, advocating instead for a flat 12 percent raise for the current 1976–1977 fiscal year to save the town $65,721. However, Selectmen Chairman Joseph F. Curran and Town Manager John P. Mogan argued successfully that firefighters were legally entitled to the same terms received by other town employees and warned that rejecting the agreement would force a disruptive return to the bargaining table.

New Town Ambulance & Jaws of Life

Confronting new state ambulance service regulations taking effect July 1—which carry potential legislative penalties and daily fines—Fire Chief Leo Coughlin made a compelling case for acquiring a modern modular or van-type vehicle. Chief Coughlin noted that town-operated ambulance service handles approximately 1,000 emergency calls annually at a far lower cost to patients than private alternatives, supported by more than $19,000 already invested in training department personnel as emergency medical technicians. Town meeting overwhelmingly backed the purchase, alongside the FinCom’s endorsement of $5,400 for a “jaws of life” extrication tool.

West School Rezoning and Sale

In other major business, the three-hour special session addressed the former West School property at Walpole and Elliot Streets:

• Rezoning: Voters approved a 93–29 vote to rezone the half-acre site from general residence to local business use, allowing the former school administration building to be converted into professional offices restricted to physicians, dentists, lawyers, or accountants.
• Sale Approved: Town meeting unanimously ratified the selectmen’s sale of the property for $80,264 to local dentist Dr. John J. Finn, whose bid was selected over lower offers due to practical bidding compliance.

Additional Town Meeting Appropriations:

• Police Radio: Appropriated $14,050 to upgrade the police radio system to ultra-high frequency bands.
• Sewer Extension: Appropriated $24,500 to sewer a 14-lot subdivision extending Hazelwood Drive.
• Building Department Clerk: Granted Building Inspector John E. Grover authorization to hire a part-time junior clerk ($3,845).
• Planning & Zoning Actions: Rejected a broad planning board zoning amendment concerning non-conforming homes in manufacturing zones, but successfully rezoned a small Everett Street parcel for Badger Brothers Realty Trust.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger