My regular monthly selectman office hours are at The Center on the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM (this Friday).
Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters. Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on).
I can be reached via my cell phone at 508-359-9190 or my blog about Medfield matters, where any schedule changes will be posted.
Comments Off on Office Hours this Friday 9-10AM
Posted in Select Board matters
From Chris Gordon, Medfield Energy Committee.
I just wanted to give you our latest flyer that has updated information, including we will have EV BMWs for test drives, and what my kids are most excited about, an ice cream truck.
From Chris Gordon of the Medfield Energy Committee –
Posted in Select Board matters
From Tod Dimmick –
The Soles of Medfield 10K and the New Life 5K Trail Run are uniting! The New Life/ Soles of Medfield 5k/10k and Kids Fun Run will take place on Saturday, May 11th on the Medfield State Hospital grounds.
Against the backdrop of the iconic Medfield State Hospital, participants of all abilities – from seasoned runners to casual walkers – can enjoy a fun day out on routes that wind through the beautiful Charles River Reservation, the Rail Trail, and surrounding neighborhoods. Not a runner? No worries! Join us to soak in the vibrant atmosphere, enhanced by entertainment from Bellforge Arts Center. Whether you crave the challenge of a 10K race, a friendly 5K, or cheering from the sidelines, this event promises something special for everyone.
Registration is open at https://newlifefb.org/race/. An “early bird” discount of $30 for the New Life 5k Trail Run, and $40 for the Soles of Medfield 10k is available until April 29; after that registration online and race day registration will be $35 for the 5k and $45 for the 10k. On-site Kids Fun Run registration will be $5. On-site registration opens at 7:30 am on race day. Children ages 4-10 are invited to join us for the Kids Fun Run at 9:00 am, with the 5k and 10k starting at 9:30 am. Live music will follow the race. The sooner you register, the more likely it will be that you will receive a t-shirt on race day.
“Last year, New Life served over 700 households, and the demand for our services is greater than ever,” said Rich Purnell, New Life Executive Director. “This event is a fun and effective way to help us empower the individuals and families we serve with the means to furnish their homes.”
“Soles of Medfield is excited to collaborate with New Life to bring the New Life 5k Trail Run and the Soles 10k race together,” said Adam Graber of Soles of Medfield. “This is a community building event with an important purpose. Whether you are a runner, a walker, or just want to join the scene and enjoy some music, come be part of the fun.”
The New Life/ Soles of Medfield 5k/10K benefits New Life Furniture Bank of MA and its mission to provide gently used household furnishings to individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness. The Medfield-based non-profit organization operates a Walpole Donation Center and serves the MetroWest and Greater Boston area. New Life provides a meaningful option for folks who are downsizing, renovating or disposing of a loved one’s property. In addition, 10% of funds raised support the Medfield Pedestrian, Runner, and Cyclist Safety Fund.
Those interested in being a sponsor, volunteering, donating home furnishings, or making a financial contribution are encouraged to visit www.newlifefb.org.
From Helen Dewey –
Medfield Environment Action is excited to announce Medfield’s second annual Climate Week from Saturday, April 27th – Sunday, May 5th. A variety of unique events for all ages are taking place throughout the week at various locations around town. The goal is to have fun, spread awareness, educate, and network with neighbors. The full schedule of events can be found at MEAMedfield.org. Any questions please email meamedfield@gmail.com.
See on-line here https://meamedfield.org
MEA is excited to announce Medfield’s second annual Climate Week from Saturday, April 27th – Sunday, May 5th. A variety of unique events are taking place throughout the week at various locations around town. The goal is to have fun, spread awareness, educate, and network with neighbors. Any questions please email meamedfield@gmail.com.
Look for the MEA leaf at each of the Climate Week events!
Look for this sign at all participating Medfield businesses!
Events Ongoing Throughout the Entire Week
Children’s Climate Book Display at Medfield Library
468 Main St.
Butterfly Tree Shop
505 Main St.
Special discounts on sustainable and eco-friendly products/gifts
Park Street Books
504 Main St.
Climate Books on Display
Larkin’s Liquor Store
20 North St.
All during climate week, stop in at Larkins to enjoy 20% off any 3 or more bottles of organic or sustainable grown wine. A great selection of both red and white wines are available for this special sale.
Juice On Main
479 Main St.
10% discount during Climate week to anyone who does any of the following sustainable actions:
1. Shares a picture on social media and tags @juiceonmain for how they have reduced their carbon footprint.
2. Walks or bikes to Juice on Main and shares a picture of themselves and tags @juiceonmain
3. Brings their own smoothie cup and shares a picture of themselves and tags @juiceonmain
Medfield House of Pizza
10 North St.
Come in all week and take advantage of our meatless pizza special! Large 16″ cheese pizza only $10.
Take a walk or ride your bike along the new Rail Trail
Begins at Ice House Road. 1.3 mile multi-use trail, parking available across from the entrance (Friends of the Medfield Rail Trail)
Saturday, April 27th
Friends of Medfield Seniors, Inc FOSI Yard Sale to Benefit Council
on Aging
8 – 2 pm, Center at Medfield One Ice House Rd.
This is a major fundraiser for the COA. Furniture, glassware, toys, books and much more – includes a bake sale and a book sale. Donations of gently used items are welcome except no computer, printers or clothing. Donations for the yard sale will be accepted from Monday, April 22 – Friday, April 26. Hours for collection during those days are during our regular business hours or until the space is full. Any questions contact the Medfield Council on Aging (508) 359-3665. Reusing our ‘stuff’ and combating throw-away consumerism is vital to sustainability.
Fairy Walk at Bellforge
10 – 3 pm, 45 Hospital Rd.
Explore a world of magical fairy houses (fairy residences are known for having the lightest carbon footprint ever!) Fairy Walk at Bellforge
Sustainable Colonial Vegetable Garden
11 – 2 pm, Peak House, 347 Main St.
A sustainable Colonial vegetable garden with herbs and medicinal plants is to be planted next door to the Peak House. Come to the Peak House Heritage Center to see the new growth and find out more about volunteering as a gardener by growing Colonial vegetables which were vital to early Medfield families. You’ll have a small plot of your own, and can select from a Colonial seed list! Seeds and water resources are provided at no cost, as well as deer and rabbit protection. Throughout the growing season, you may harvest your own crops or donate them.
Household Hazardous Waste Day
9 – 1 pm, Highway Garage Building 55 North Meadows Rd.
Drive up, pop your trunk and we will unload the items to be discarded. Acceptable items include automotive based chemicals, oil based paint, cleaning chemicals, fertilizer and pesticides, car batteries, fluorescent bulbs and propane tanks 1 lb and 20 lb. Any questions, call DPW at (508) 906-3003.
Sunday, April 28th
Hike Up Noon Hill
Meet at 8:30 am, meet at the Noon Hill Reservation parking lot on
Noon Hill Ave.
Enjoy a 3 mile walk in the Noon Hill area, exploring some new and recently improved trails along the Charles River. Led by Blanche Teyssier in partnership with Friends of Medfield Forests and Trails FMFT. Expected duration is 2 hours. Wear comfortable shoes.
Solar Shingle Roof Open House
11 – 1 pm, 17 Loeffler Lane
My roof shingles are solar panels! Come view the roof shingle array from the outside and the system equipment from the inside – also includes explanation of the Inverter and Sunny Portal logins which show real time solar production (to the point where if a cloud goes over or moves away you easily see the changes) and production graphs from recent days – view David Baime’s detailed data from several years on production, % of total electricity, total cost/savings and average price of electricity each year – info on US cities and their average annual hours of sunshine – multiple electric bills “no payment due.”
Sustainable Colonial Vegetable Garden
11 – 2 pm, Peak House, 347 Main St.
A sustainable Colonial vegetable garden with herbs and medicinal plants is to be planted next door to the Peak House. Come to the Peak House Heritage Center to see the new growth and find out more about volunteering as a gardener by growing Colonial vegetables which were vital to early Medfield families. You’ll have a small plot of your own, and can select from a Colonial seed list! Seeds and water resources are provided at no cost, as well as deer and rabbit protection. Throughout the growing season, you may harvest your own crops or donate them.
Adorable grazing baby Goats, Robot Mowers, Chickens and family friendly activities!
1 – 3 pm, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 North St.
Jenga Blocks for Extinct Species
1 – 3 pm, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 North St.
Sponsored by Extinction Rebellion
Check out an oversized game of “Extinction Jenga” and playfully learn about biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse with the endangered species Jenga Blocks.
As species become extinct (they are removed from the tower) the tower becomes less stable.
A Climate-Themed Interfaith Labyrinth Walk
3 – 5 pm, Church of the Advent 28 Pleasant St.
Walkers may arrive anytime between 3-5 pm
See flyer at adventmedfield.org
You are invited to:
Hosted by Church of the Advent Creation Care Ministry Team. Contact: Jill Seiler-Moon (508) 241-5796, Veriditas Labyrinth Facilitator and Lay Eucharistic Minister
Visit a Diverse and Naturally Landscaped Lawn and Enjoy
a Fiddle Concert
7 pm, 84 Bridge St.
Come by to see Andy Costello’s yard with almost no grass (ground covering, trees and shrubs instead) and enjoy an outdoor fiddle concert at the same time. WEATHER PERMITTING
Monday, April 29th
Ground Source Heat Pump Conversation
7:30 pm via Zoom
Good for the ‘Burbs: Our Ground-Source Heatpump Systems (Geothermal)
Medfield residents will chat about their respective homes’ high-efficiency ground-source heatpump, aka geothermal, systems. Providing both heating and cooling, they run clean and green. Kirsten and Glen Dabate will share their recent experience installing a Geothermal HVAC system to replace their aging gas furnace. For Fred and Lucinda Davis, it’s now been three heating seasons since they said goodbye to their oil system.
GSHP technology makes sense for Medfielders who anticipate needing to replace their oil or gas furnaces with a comfortable, all-electric, zero-carbon HVAC system. We’ll also mention how every Medfielder can now profitably opt-up to 100%-clean electricity. Here is the link to the Zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4165522763?omn=83858241993
Tuesday, April 30th
Beginner Mountain Bike Ride
5:00 pm, Bellforge Cultural Center front lawn
Rain date Wed. May 1
Beginner mountain bike ride along Charles River in Medfield Charles River Reservation. Meet at Medfield State Hospital Bellforge Cultural Center front lawn. Led by George Lester in partnership with the SE Mass chapter of New England Mountain Bike Association
Solar Power and the Value of Your Home
6:30 pm, Medfield Library, Meeting Room in the lower level
Have you thought about adding Solar panels to your home? Is there always a financial outlay required right up front? Worried about the return on investment time frame, and what if you decided to move? What will Solar panels do for the value of your home someday when you do sell? In this presentation, David Derian of Berkshire Hathaway Page Realty offers an overview of Solar installation options, and gives answers to these and other questions. Please email davidderian@bhhspagerealty.com if you’re interested in attending so we can plan refreshments.
Wednesday, May 1st
Swap Opens
9 – 3, Transfer Station
Come see what’s happening this season to save our planet! The purpose of the Swap Area is to divert items from going into the waste stream. The SWAP AREA is a convenient drop-off spot for unwanted items or a unique “shopping experience” at a bargain price, it is FREE! Items are NOT disposed of at the end of the day (as was done in the past), items generally remain at the SWAP for a few weeks to give them a chance to be seen and taken before recycled/repurposed.
The Swap is open to Medfield residents who have a Transfer Station sticker. It is open through late September every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 9-3. Some items when requested go to New Life, The Center, the Animal Shelter, High School Theater Group, All Night Graduation Party, and Hinkley Playground. The area is decluttered daily and packed up items go to Big Brother/Big Sister, MADD or St. Vincent de Paul.
Medfield Community Electricity
10:30 am, Center at Medfield, One Ice House Rd.
A community meeting to learn about Medfield Community Electricity, a town-run program launching in June of 2024 that seeks to offer new electricity supply options that provide more renewable energy and stable prices for all Medfield residents and businesses. Committee members will be on hand to answer any questions.
Demo/Display of Temperature Blanket (knit and crochet)
2 – 3 pm, Medfield Library
The Temperature Blanket originated with the Tempestry Project to represent global warming – a way to visualize temperature change in fiber Art. This is a knitted or crocheted blanket that uses different colors of yarn to record each day’s temperature over the course of a year. It is a visual representation of climate change. Come hear how the Tempestry Project began as a data art movement. Donna Luft will talk about the project and show how to start a blanket of your own. History and instructions will be shared. A knitted and a crocheted blanket – both in progress will be on display.
Complete Guide to Making Temperature Blankets
A Year In Yarn: How To Knit or Crochet A Temperature Blanket | Lion Brand Notebook
Temperature Blanket As Climate Change Activism
Solar Panel and Electric Vehicle Charging Open House
4:30 – 7:00 pm, 3 Hospital Rd.
Come chat with Heidi and Tripp Johnson if you’re considering solar, an EV or heat pumps and would like to ask any questions about the benefits of each or to see 7 years’ worth of $0 electric bills! Check out the 45 solar panels on our roof and the corresponding net meter equipment for the electric company reading as well as the Solar Edge data collection dashboard. Also see our Tesla Y with installed Tesla charger in our garage and an additional 240V outlet that we also installed to help charge our daughter’s Chevy Bolt when she visits. We also can speak to our heat pump heating/cooling solution at our paneled house in Maine.
Talk Tesla
5:30 – 6:30 pm, 36 Whichita Rd.
Come kick the tires (not literally!) of a 2022 Tesla Model Y. Have an up-close look at the electric vehicle and check out the frunk. Megan Sullivan will share her charging set-up and personal experience driving to and from Florida.
Thursday, May 2nd
Walk or Bike to School Day – Dale Street School
Meet at Hinkley Pond at 7:30 am
Raindate: Friday, May 3rd
Participating students will be entered in a raffle to win tokens for the school’s new book vending machine! Students are welcome to meet at Hinkley Pond at 7:30 am to join a “bike train” which will proceed to the school. Sign up by April 30th (see flyer Climate Week flyers for QR code or email medfieldbike2school@gmail.com). Bus transportation will still be available and follow the normal route and schedule.
Children’s Library Storytime
10:40 – 11:00 am Medfield Public Library Children’s Room
Storytime for ages 18 months – 5 years with a caregiver. Join Miss Andrea for songs, stories, handplays & movement activities with an Environmental theme for Medfield Climate Week. This is a great opportunity for caregivers to model singing, playing & sharing the early literacy experience with their littles! Caregivers should plan to sit with their child and participate. There will also be an Earth Month Display of books.
Fabric Scrap Wreath Workshop for Adults
6 – 8 pm Medfield Public Library
Celebrate Medfield Climate Week by helping the librarians use up their fabric scraps! Sign up to make a fun and colorful wreath made of scraps leftover from library sewing classes – or bring your own scraps from home!
Supplies are limited. Please visit the May Events page at MedfieldPublicLibrary.org/EVENTS starting April 16th to register.
Friday, May 3rd
Children’s Library Storytime
10:40 – 11:00 am, Medfield Public Library Children’s Room
Storytime for ages 18 months – 5 years with a caregiver. Join Miss Andrea for songs, stories, handplays & movement activities with an Environmental theme for Medfield Climate Week. This is a great opportunity for caregivers to model singing, playing & sharing the early literacy experience with their littles! Caregivers should plan to sit with their child and participate. There will also be an Earth Month Display of books.
Swap Is Open
9 – 3 pm, Transfer Station
Come see what’s happening this season to save our planet! The purpose of the Swap Area is to divert items from going into the waste stream. The SWAP AREA is a convenient drop-off spot for unwanted items or a unique “shopping experience” at a bargain price, it is FREE! Items are NOT disposed of at the end of the day (as was done in the past), items generally remain at the SWAP for a few weeks to give them a chance to be seen and taken before recycled/repurposed.
The Swap is open to Medfield residents who have a Transfer Station sticker. It is open through late September every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 9-3. Some items when requested go to New Life, The Center, the Animal Shelter, High School Theater Group, All Night Graduation Party, and Hinkley Playground. The area is decluttered daily and packed up items go to Big Brother/Big Sister, MADD or St. Vincent de Paul.
Saturday, May 4th
Swap Is Open
9 – 3 pm, Transfer Station
Come see what’s happening this season to save our planet! The purpose of the Swap Area is to divert items from going into the waste stream. The SWAP AREA is a convenient drop-off spot for unwanted items or a unique “shopping experience” at a bargain price, it is FREE! Items are NOT disposed of at the end of the day (as was done in the past), items generally remain at the SWAP for a few weeks to give them a chance to be seen and taken before recycled/repurposed.
The Swap is open to Medfield residents who have a Transfer Station sticker. It is open through late September every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 9-3. Some items when requested go to New Life, The Center, the Animal Shelter, High School Theater Group, All Night Graduation Party, and Hinkley Playground. The area is decluttered daily and packed up items go to Big Brother/Big Sister, MADD or St. Vincent de Paul.
Electronics Recycling
9 – 12 pm, Church of the Advent, 28 Pleasant St.
Donation based Electronics Recycling Event in Partnership with Data Recycling New England. See flyer at adventmedfield.org for details.
Demo/Display of Temperature Blanket (knit and crochet)
10 – 10:45 am Medfield Library
The Temperature Blanket originated with the Tempestry Project to represent global warming – a way to visualize temperature change in fiber Art. This is a knitted or crocheted blanket that uses different colors of yarn to record each day’s temperature over the course of a year. It is a visual representation of climate change. Come hear how the Tempestry Project began as a data art movement. Donna Luft talks about the project and shows how to start a blanket of your own. History and instructions will be shared. A knitted and a crocheted blanket – both in progress will be on display.
Complete Guide to Making Temperature Blankets
A Year In Yarn: How To Knit or Crochet A Temperature Blanket | Lion Brand Notebook
Temperature Blankets as Climate Change Activism
Spring Dance Party at Expresso Yourself Coffeehouse
7 – 10 pm, First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 26 North St.
Join us for International Folk Dancing with The Larger Circle Band and professional dance caller Jacob Bloom. Complimentary desserts, coffee & tea. Share a song, story, or poem in the open mic. Learn to do international folk dances! Join in the fun! Adults, teens, and children welcome. Tickets in advance: $10. Tickets at door: $12. Children $5. Funds collected will go to an environmental justice organization.
Sunday, May 5th
Electric Vehicle Car and Truck Show, Kids Craft,
and Rail Trail Ride or Walk
1 – 3 pm, Sunday, The Center at Medfield parking lot – One Ice House Rd. Medfield Energy Committee, Medfield Park and Recreation, and Sustainable Medfield
Join fellow drivers and learn about their experiences with their electric cars and trucks. We have an assortment of vehicles including battery-only and hybrid models. Have you checked out the versatile Lightning pickup truck? Come on by!
The kids can create a gel leaf imprint, learn about nature and have a fun craft to take home.
Walk or ride the Rail Trail while you are there. Entrance is on Ice House Rd.
Textile and Sewing Machine Mending Clinic
1 – 4 pm, Medfield Public Library
Extend the life of your clothing and household textiles! Bring your ripped, torn, stained, and deteriorated clothes, cushions, and linens to the Mending Clinic at the library to work with a volunteer Mender for some hands-on assistance. We’ll also have folks available to look at that old sewing machine you’ve got gathering dust in your attic. We’ll help you fix it if we can and show you how to maintain it going forward. Drop in anytime to visit the Button Station to find and sew on replacement buttons. Don’t know how to sew on a button? We’ll teach you!
Registration for Mender Appointments is required. Click the links below to reserve your spot!
To register for Textile Mending, click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://forms.gle/J4Uvr6s6cewrxFfc9
To register for Sewing Machine maintenance or repair, click here or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://forms.gle/6Y4FQdAR36yVNv7w5
Private Events Happening Around Town
Children’s Clothing Swap at Medfield Children’s Center
Jenga Blocks for Extinct Species 4 – 6 grade MAP
Other Climate Awareness Activities
Annual Medfield Clean-Up Days
Sat/Sun April 20 and 21, 8 – 3 pm
Call Medfield DPW to volunteer (508) 906-3003.
The Bellforge Arts Center (Bellforge) in partnership with local State Rep Marcus Vaughn is planning a sustainability fair in Medfield, MA on April 20 (10am-2pm). This event will be part-recycling drive and part-environmental and social action fair. The Green Team in partnership with Eversource will be on site hosting a recycling drive for unusual items like dehumidifiers, mattresses, etc.
The goal of this event is to raise awareness in our community about ways to get involved in social and environmental action.
There will be music and other family-friendly entertainment, food, lawn games and lots of fun!
Holistic Wellness Center
18 North Meadows Rd.
The shop employs numerous sustainable practices every week of the year. They use paper or reusable gift bags. They serve water from a 5 gal jug in compostable cups and use the same cups for lotions during treatments. Sustainable needles are used for acupuncture and mylar blankets are used and saved for each client to cut back on the need for laundry. They sell certified Fair Trade products. They have insulation made from recycled blue jeans and most lighting is LED.
****************
Thanks for your interest and support of Medfield’s Second Annual Climate Week!
Look for the MEA leaf at each of the Climate Week events!
The Massachusetts Municipal Association emailed this afternoon about what is in the House version of the budget, which was released this afternoon. The Governor proposed raising our UGGA by 3%, but the House only came through with a 1% increase. Medfield’s draft Cherry Sheet based on these House numbers will be available later this week.
In general, state aid to Medfield has been declining for years, meaning that more of what the town needs to provide for its citizens must be done with property taxes.
| House Ways & Means Committee Files $57.9B FY2025 Spending Proposal April 10, 2024 Earlier today, the House Ways & Means Committee released a $57.9 billion state budget plan for fiscal 2025. The proposal includes several important investments in schools and municipalities, despite more modest state revenue expectations than in recent years. The House Ways & Means Committee budget, H. 4600, offers important progress on a top local aid priority, by adding $37 million to lift the per-pupil minimum aid amount from $30 per student to $104. This is welcome news for 228 districts across the Commonwealth that were statutorily set to receive an increase of less than $104 per student in Chapter 70 aid funding. The HWM budget includes a 1% increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) over last year, lower than the 3% increase offered by the Governor. During the budget debate and legislative session, the MMA will work to build on this figure, and will continue to advocate strongly for a further increase in Unrestricted General Government Aid as well as other key municipal aid accounts. The state’s changing revenue landscape underscores the need for collective advocacy from local officials in several essential areas. The MMA will reach out in the weeks ahead with more information on critical advocacy opportunities during the House budget debate. The following are key components of the HWM proposal for municipalities: Unrestricted General Government Aid – $12.7 million increase The HWM budget includes a $12.7 million increase in the Unrestricted General Government Aid account, a 1% increase over fiscal 2024. This is below the Governor’s recommendation of a 3% increase for fiscal 2025. Chapter 70 School Aid – $308.7 million increase lifts Minimum Aid to $104 Per Student The HWM budget recommendation continues implementation of the funding schedules in the 2019 Student Opportunity Act to stay on track with the law’s intended schedule. The proposal represents funding year four of the law’s six-year rollout. In a major win for cities and towns, the House Ways and Means proposal increases per-pupil spending for Minimum Aid districts from $30 to $104 per student, leveraging surtax revenues to increase the total for Minimum Aid districts by $37 million. This would benefit the 228 out of 318 districts that were set to receive an increase of less than $104 per student for fiscal 2025. Charter School Reimbursements – $199 million The HWM budget would fund the charter school reimbursement account at $199 million, intended to meet the commitment to fund the state’s statutory obligation to mitigate Chapter 70 losses to charter schools. Rural School Aid – $7.5 million The HWM budget would fund Rural School Aid at $7.5 million for eligible towns and regional school districts. The grant program helps districts facing the challenge of declining enrollment to identify ways to form regional school districts or regionalize certain school services to create efficiencies. This amount reflects a decrease from fiscal 2024, which was funded at $15 million. Special Education Circuit Breaker – $492.2 million The HWM budget would fund the Special Education Circuit Breaker program at $492.2 million. By leveraging $75 million from a recently passed fiscal 2023 supplemental budget, total funding in fiscal 2025 would be $567 million via this proposal. Regional School Transportation – $99.4 million The HWM budget submission would fund regional transportation reimbursements at $99.4 million for fiscal 2025. According to updated cost projections from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, this represents an 87% reimbursement of anticipated claims. McKinney-Vento Reimbursements – $28.6 million The HWM budget would fund reimbursements for the transportation of homeless students at $28.6 million for fiscal 2025. The impact of this funding level by community will depend on the number of homeless families that remain sheltered in local hotels and motels. According to updated cost projections from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the HWM proposal represents 74.4% of anticipated claims for fiscal 2025. The HWM budget does not have a line item for out-of-district vocational transportation, which was funded at $1 million in fiscal 2024. Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) – $51.8 million The HWM budget would fund PILOT payments at $51.8 million, an increase of $334,000. This amount should hold communities harmless from recent valuations. Surtax Investments Fiscal 2025 is the second year that revenue from the Fair Share amendment will be allocated. The HWM budget proposes $1.3 billion in Fair Share investments in education and transportation needs, including the following of note to municipalities: Supplemental Local Road and Bridge Funding – $25 million The HWM budget proposes an additional $25 million of surtax revenue for supplemental local road and bridge funding. This amount would be separate from the annual Chapter 90 bond authorization. This funding would be put to use immediately by cities and towns to repair crumbling local roads, advance critically needed projects, and improve safety on our neighborhood roadways. Green School Works – $10 million The HWM proposal includes $10 million for the Green School Works grant program that was launched during fiscal 2024. This program, administered through DESE, provides financial support to K-12 districts to install or maintain clean energy infrastructure. Universal School Meals – $190 million The HWM proposal includes $190 million to continue the Universal School Meals program, allowing all Massachusetts students to eat for free at school, regardless of household income. Outside Sections Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund The HWM budget includes an outside section (Section 37) to establish a permanent Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund, which intends to provide relief to municipalities impacted by extreme weather events. Outside Section 92 directs the state’s comptroller to transfer $14 million from any consolidated net budget surplus for fiscal 2025 to the Disaster Relief and Resiliency Fund. Creation of an iLottery, Dedicated to Early Education The HWM budget includes an outside section that would allow the Massachusetts State Lottery to create an online platform, or iLottery, with the resulting new revenue targeted to early education and care programming. While these are very worthwhile programs, they are not the intended mission of the Lottery for more than 50 years, which is to fund aid to cities and towns. Next Steps Members of the House have until 5 p.m. on Friday to file budget amendments. The House is expected to begin debate on its fiscal 2025 state budget proposal on April 24. The Senate will take up its budget process in May, with the goal of having a final bill on the governor’s desk in time for the July 1 start of the fiscal year. The MMA will continue to reach out to local officials in the weeks and months ahead to engage in advocacy efforts on behalf of many critical municipal and school aid programs. Helpful Links: The Division of Local Services will update the Preliminary Cherry Sheets to reflect the House Ways & Means proposal later this week. Click here to see the full text of the House Ways & Means budget proposal. |
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From Chris Gordon of the Medfield Energy Committee –
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I hold regular monthly office hours at The Center on the first Friday of every month from 9:00 to 10:00 AM.
Residents are welcome to stop by to talk in person about any town matters.
Residents can also have coffee and see the Council on Aging in action (a vibrant organization with lots going on).
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Medfield Select Board member
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
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