Article 15:  To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for the purpose of funding a Hazardous Waste Collection Day, or take any other action relative thereto.

BY BOARD OF HEALTH

Finance Committee recommends approval of this article and recommends that Town Meeting raise and appropriate the sum of $ 5,000 for the purpose of funding a Hazardous Waste Collection Day in the Town of Abington.  Holding days such as these will allow the residents to dispose of any and all items considered hazardous in a safe and appropriate manner.  People will not have to dispose of hazardous items in other ways that can and will cost the town so much more money to clean up.  We support this effort by the Board of Health.

Article 16:  To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Water Commissioners to transfer from the water Reserve Account the sum of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and from the Systems Development Account the sum of Thirty Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000.00) to provide and install meters, or take any other action relative thereto.

BY BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS

Finance Committee recommends approval of this article and for the sum of $ 5,000 to be transferred from the Water Reserve Account and the sum of $ 35,000 to be transferred from the Systems Development Account for the purpose of purchasing and installing meters to users of water provided by the Joint Water Commission of Abington and Rockland.

Article 17:  To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Water Commissioners to transfer from the Water Reserve Account the sum of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) to be used with a like amount from the Town of Rockland for the dredging and disposal of the Sludge accumulated in the sludge lagoons at the Myers Avenue Water Treatment Plant, or take any action relative thereto.

BY BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS

Finance Committee recommends approval of this article and for the sum of $ 25,000 to be transferred from the Water Reserve Fund to be used with a like amount from the Town of Rockland for the purpose of dredging and disposing of sludge accumulated in the sludge lagoons at the Myers Avenues water Treatment Plant.

Article 18:  To see if the town will vote to appropriate the sum of Five Million Eighty Four Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($5,084,500.00) for the construction of two water storage tanks and upgrades to the Town’s water distribution system, and cost incidental and related thereto; to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing from the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust or otherwise; and to take any other action relative thereto.

BY BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS

Finance Committee recommends approval of this article to allow the Board of Water Commissioners to raise the sum of $ 5,084,500.00 by borrowing from the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust for the construction of two water storage tanks and to upgrade the Town’s water distribution system.

Article 19:  To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Water Commissioners to take from the Water Reserve Account the sum of Seventy Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00), to be used with a like amount from the Town of Rockland for replacing the roof at the Great Sandy Bottom Treatment Plant, or take any other action relative thereto.

BY BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS

Finance Committee recommends approval of this article and for the sum of $ 75,000 to be transferred from the Water Reserve Account to be used with a like amount from the Town of Rockland for the purpose of replacing the roof at the great Sandy Bottom Treatment Plant.

Article 20:  To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Water Commissioners to transfer from the Water Reserve Account the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) for the purpose of continuing the survey and testing in accordance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations governing cross connections to our water system (310 CMR 22.22), or take any other action relative thereto.

            BY BOARD OF WATER COMMISSIONERS

Finance Committee recommends approval of this article and for the sum of $ 15,000 to be transferred from the Water Reserve Account for the purpose of continuing the survey and testing of our drinking water in accordance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Drinking Water Regulations governing cross connections to our water system.

Article 21:  To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) for the purpose of offsetting the salaries and expenses of operating the Island Grove Swimming Area; or take any other action relative thereto.

BY PARK AND RECREATION COMMISSION

Finance Committee recommends passing over this article.  The Island Grove Swimming Area is one of the treasures of our town; however, the town is having a difficult time trying to raise funds for essential services and programs.  We are concerned that this may become an annual article for the purposes of raising funds from the general revenue of the town to support the operating costs of the summer recreation programs at Island Grove.  Since the Park and Recreation Department is a town department, the Finance Committee is able to offer the sum of money the Park and Recreation Department estimates its shortfall will be for the purposes of this article to come from our Reserve Fund line for this year only.  Programs like those at Island Grove need to be set up to operate as self-sufficient entities.  The town can not take on the responsibility of funding or providing some of the funds for these worthwhile programs.  The people who use these discretionary programs are the ones who should bear the burden of the costs of the operations of these programs.