[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Richard McDonough
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
As spring approaches, the Finance and Warrant Commission are taking the time to square away all housekeeping as Town Meeting approaches. On March 16, the Finance and Warrant Commission met to discuss matters that were rescheduled from last Tuesday’s storm. As hard as it is to predict the weather, it is even harder to predict the future - and in essence, this is the Finance and Warrant Commission’s primary focus. Adjusting to modern times and anticipating the needs of the community before they are necessary are the challenges that face the Planning Board. Subjects discussed included the upcoming retirement of the Fire Chief, select budget items, and the overall state of Westwood.
One item of business that was discussed at Thursday night regarded the leadership of Westwood’s Fire Department going forward. Chief William Scoble is approaching mandatory retirement and despite his dedicated service to the community that has spanned over 20 years, the time has come to determine the an appropriate successor. At one point, the entire meeting room broke out into a round of applause regarding the dedication and professionalism that Scoble brought to the position. The shared sentiment is that whoever replaces him - whether from within the department or an outside hire - is going to be hard-pressed to match the sense of duty and purpose Scoble leaves behind. When the next chief is chosen, he or she will have plenty of work cut out, with the added tasks of developing the new Islington station and managing the recent increase in calls due to Westwood Station.
Though the tax revenue from Westwood Station should level off and stabilize after years of unprecedented surplus, Westwood will still remain in a beneficial financial situation. One point of interest touched upon was how the Department of Public Works is making strides to gradually increase the snow removal budget. The funds allocated for snow removal for this winter have already been spent following winter storm Stella. While the town reserves the right to add funding in extenuating circumstances, the DPW is making strides to increase the budget so that they will better equipped to deal with the unpredictability of New England winters going forward.
Other budget items discussed included the proposed school budget, which was originally intended to be voted on during a meeting of the School Committee. Unfortunately, the vote was delayed and the budget is still undecided.
Reservations about the budget stem from the ability of the Superintendent’s office to repurpose salary funds to different departments as needed. The main reason for this power comes from the need to hire more teachers based on the needs of the student body. Though it has been noted the budget request has increased from past years, some have noted that Westwood’s School system remains one of the load-bearing pillars that holds the town up. Given Westwood’s recent increase in tax revenue, many advocate reinvesting those funds in the school system to ensure continued growth and development among the youngest members of the community.
While many issues still need to be resolved, the Planning Board works tirelessly to develop effective strategies to maintain the character and standards the town of Westwood personifies.
For a full account of the March 16 meeting, visit http://www.townhall.westwood.ma.us/
