Voters at Manchester’s Annual Town Meeting Wednesday overwhelmingly approved groundwork for two big, long-awaited projects: a senior center at the Masonic building behind Town Hall and formal planning for a new Essex Elementary School building.
They also approved significant upgrades to Manchester’s water and sewer operations, including the move to home “smart meters” and funding for PFAS mitigation while also approving a town plan to take over a fee-based private harbor boat launch service for mooring holders.
These items were among the 21 warrant articles taken up in just over three hours by 317 voters at Manchester Memorial Elementary School.
All articles were approved—none unanimously, but nearly all easily—and included funding the town’s largest annual financial obligations. Manchester’s annual FY25 municipal operating budget ($16.818 million) was approved, as was the town’s $16.339 million share (up 1.84% from last year) of the $31.1 million FY25 operating budget for the Manchester Essex Regional School District.
Anna Lin Mitchell of the ME Regional School Committee introduced the district’s FY25 budget. A fiscal hawk, Mitchell surprised her own committee two years ago by telling Annual Town Meeting (ATM) attendees she didn’t support that year’s district budget.
This year, Mitchell was a budget booster. She said MERSD is among the highest-performing school districts in the Commonwealth, ranked in the top 2.6% of all public high schools in America, according to the US News & World Report. Mitchell said the district’s financial performance significantly beats the state’s average among local schools and districts. Voters agreed, approving Manchester’s share of the MERSD FY25 budget easily (271 to 18).
Another highlight of the evening occurred during discussions on Article 6, seeking $1 million to purchase a 2/3 portion of the Masonic Hall to establish a new Senior Center.
Selectman Brian Sollosy said the funding would allow the purchase under a condominium structure, and the estimated $2.4 million renovation costs would be raised privately. He called the deal a “win-win” for the town, the COA, and the Masons, since the new design would give the town a new space for large public meetings.
But in case anyone missed it, Margaret “Peggy” Coleman of Friend Street reminded attendees that the idea of creating Manchester’s first senior center has been a wish that goes back decades. Coleman captured voters’ hearts by sharing that she was the last living founding member of the Council on Aging, as she nostalgically recounted the group’s journey from 1986. Voters passed Article 6 (326 to 28) and offered the night’s only moment of applause.
Article 12 stirred animated debate seeking $660,000 as Manchester’s contribution to a $1.2 million feasibility study on the future of Essex Elementary School (EES). ME School Committee member John Binieris introduced the measure. He said the EES project was formally activated by the Massachusetts School Building Authority earlier this year, triggering a two-year window to formally study the project or lose grant funding that would defray 30% of the cost.
Pushback focused on the year 2034 when debt service on the ME Regional Middle High School building project will finally be retired. Voters wondered if the EES project could be delayed to avoid three to five years of juggling three school building bonds? No, said Binieris. It’s how the state’s funding works.
It’s not an option, said Binieris. “It is a requirement.”
FinCom Chair Sarah Mellish insisted the school district must consider the option of merging the elementary schools in its EES study. Tom Kehoe of Lincoln Street said voters shouldn’t support the EES project at all right now, saying Manchester should look at “the big picture of indebtedness, now and in the future.”
This prompted a strong response. Sarah Creighton, former SC Chair who served on the construction committees of both the high school and Memorial, said promises of mutual support were made 25 years ago when Essex and Manchester regionalized.
“We need to keep our promise to Essex,” she said.
Lindsay Banks of Forest Street agreed, pushing back on Mellish and Kehoe. She said a new EES was always in the plan. Besides, she said, Essex voters supported “this beautiful building we are in today,” referring to the new, $56 million Memorial School that opened three years ago. Article 12 passed 244 to 42.
Moving onto other ATM highlights. First up, a private harbor boat launch service will now be under town management after voters approved $175,500 to purchase two boats and materials and run the Manchester launch service.
The idea is to recoup nearly all of the investment and annual operating costs through membership fees, said Selectwoman Cathy Bilotta. She said between 70 and 80 mooring holders will have to enroll and pay $550 each by May 6, 2024 in order to appropriate the money. Voters approved the article, 309 to 34.
Then, Article 8 asked voters to approve $7.55 million in new borrowing to pay for major upgrades at the sewer treatment plant, advance the design and testing of new filtration systems to remove PFAS from our drinking water, upgrade a stretch of water main and replace all water meters with new home “smart” meters that will provide real-time consumption data and make leak detections timely and efficient.
Interestingly, it was the $1 million smart meter line item of that drove most of the article’s debate. Morgan Evans of Boardman Ave. questioned if the $500/home was not a good ROI, and moved to remove it from the ask. Caitlin Eppes of Proctor Street said she signed up for the smart meter pilot program after a water leak in her family home brought in a $3,000 water bill in just one quarter. She said the smart meters are amazing insurance in case of a leak like hers. She recommended supporting the smart meters. MBTS DPW Director Chuck Dam said the state already requires water usage meters, and Manchester’s meters are more than 20 years old. The amendment to remove the line item failed, and then Article 8 passed easily, 290 to 33. Because Article 8 requires capital borrowing, it must be ratified by a successful ballot vote at the Town Election on May 21.
Finally, voters approved all Community Preservation Committee recommended projects totaling $481,670 that include Winthrop Field Drainage ($10,000), Masconomo Park ADA Accessibility Study ($10,000), Powder House Hill Parking and Access Easement ($20,000), Resurface Basketball Court at Sweeney Park ($28,500), Double Lifeguard Chair for Singing ($4,500), Restoration of Town Cemeteries ($25,000), and funding for the Manchester Affordable Housing Trust Project Funding ($200,000).
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