Articles include additional money for schools, union contracts, plastic bag bylaw, citizens’ petition regarding radio frequencies

Millis Annual Town Meeting will be held on Wed., May 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Millis Middle/High School Auditorium. 

The warrant consists of 20 articles related to funding unpaid bills; setting the FY24 operating budget; making transfers ($938,000) to the school district; transferring funds to sewer enterprise fund, water enterprise fund, and stormwater enterprise fund; transferring $35,000 for the Oak Grove Farm Trail Improvement Project; borrowing for the lease or purchase of up to six buses for the Millis Schools ($614,605 ) and/or one police cruiser ($66,911); developing a Net Zero Action Plan intended to decrease gas emissions in town by 2050; and ratifying union contracts. 

There is an article to transfer the amount of $658,757 to fund various capital items, including a dump truck with plow and sander ($95,527), heavy duty 10-ton trailer ($23,000), library building repairs ($30,500), school wireless upgrade ($68,000), sewer enterprise infiltration and inflow investigation ($137,630), water well #3 PFAS final design ($272,900), water chlorine/PH analyzer replacement ($31,200), and to authorize the board to dispose of old vehicles or equipment; transfer money to the town’s unemployment insurance fund; establish a Special Education Stabilization Fund; and transfer money for the Stabilization Fund. 

There is a “consent article” to see if the town will vote to adopt amendments to the Millis Personnel Plan; authorize the Board of Health to appoint any of its members to another town office or position for which it has appointment authority; establish spending limits for various revolving funds; and/or make various appropriations from the Community Preservation Fund, totalling approximately $225,000.

The Board of Health is asking the town to amend its bylaws with a “Plastic Bag Reduction” bylaw, the purpose of which is “to eliminate the usage of plastic checkout bags by all stores in the Town of Millis and to promote the use of reusable bags.” 

There is also a citizens petition related to radio frequencies which asks “that the Town of Millis pro-actively advocate for its residents, supporting similar efforts in Pittsfield, MA,” by sending correspondence to various state officials and governing bodies indicating Millis residents have “urgent concerns regarding the safety of wireless infrastructure for human health and the environment.” 

For the full text of the warrant, visit bit.ly/MillisATM2023.