Pepperell Selectmen Close Town Meeting Warrant, Vote to Put Two Petitions on Ballot

PEPPERELL — April 17, 2018 — Pepperell selectmen closed the annual town meeting warrant and voted to place two citizen petitions on the town ballot if passed at the May 7 annual town meeting. The board approved sending to ballot both a $400,000 debt exclusion for a replacement ladder truck (Article 19) and a measure to fund additional police officers (Article 20), with Town Administrator Mark Andrews noting the police petition as written authorizes two total officers rather than two additional ones — effectively one net new hire at an estimated cost of approximately $100,000. The board also accepted a $5 million borrowing authorization for EPA-mandated wastewater plant upgrades to be financed through the state clean water revolving fund at roughly 2 percent interest over 20 years. The most contentious business was Article 15, authorizing sale of the Peter Fitzpatrick School — a 92,000-square-foot complex on 19 acres appraised at roughly $10 million — which drew more than a dozen public comments, including a plea from Stacy Thompson, president of the 300-member Pepperell Community Arts organization, to allow more time for a community-use proposal. A motion to table the article to fall town meeting failed 1-2, with the article remaining on the warrant.