Swampscott Town Meeting to tackle 28 articles including energy, properties

SWAMPSCOTT-Town Meeting is scheduled to get underway this evening at 7:15 p.m. in Swampscott High School.There are 28 articles on the warrant this year and many are articles that appear every year, such as routine fund transfers and continuations of various accounts.Adoption of a new energy code, surplus town property and zoning bylaws are all on the Town Meeting warrant.Town Meeting will be asked to vote on loosening zoning restrictions for the former middle school on Greenwood Avenue. Article 5 asks Town Meeting to remove the requirement currently in place that any developer purchasing the property must retain and preserve the 1895 portion of the building. The article was put on the warrant because the town believes it would be easier to sell the property without that restriction.Selectman Jill Sullivan said she expects the stretch energy code to be one of the topics that would generate the most discussion at Town Meeting. Article 6 asks the town to adopt the stringent energy efficiency code that would apply to all new construction and renovations. According to the Renewable Energy Committee, which sponsored the article, the new energy code would increase the initial costs associated with new construction and renovation projects, but would save money in the long run.Capital articles on the warrant, which the Capital Improvement Committee is recommending, total $1.8 million. Capital improvement projects for the school department include $180,000 for paving projects, asbestos abatement and technology for the elementary and middle schools.The Department of Public Works is asking for funding for paving projects, public building maintenance, a water main project and open space improvements. The police department is seeking capital improvement funds to repair the station and purchase a new police cruiser. The fire department is looking for $25,000 for fire alarm replacement. There are an additional $1.1 million in capital requests that the Capital Improvement Committee recommends not funding at this time.Town Meeting is also scheduled to vote on whether it wants to be included in the proposed vocational technical school merger slated to culminate on the current Essex Agricultural School site off Route 62 in Danvers. The new school, expected to cost $132 million, would be a merger of the North Shore Technical High School, Essex Aggie and Peabody Vocational High School. The town needs to vote on whether to sign onto the project because the town would be required to assume some of the capital costs associated with the project.If Town Meeting is not wrapped on Monday it will continue at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday.