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Town administrator: Affordable Housing Trust Zoom set; grants underpin budget discussions
Summary
Town Administrator Allison announced a March 31 Zoom on establishing an Affordable Housing Trust, urged resident participation, and summarized that the town averages about $1 million annually in grant funding; she noted the proposed $1 million override budget largely reflects personnel requests from the fire department.
The town administrator told the Board of Selectmen March 25 that Nahant will host a Zoom presentation about establishing an Affordable Housing Trust on March 31 at 6:30 p.m., led by Shelly Gearing of the Massachusetts Housing Partnership, followed by a question-and-answer session.
"There's an article on the town meeting warrant to establish an Affordable Housing Trust in Nahant," Allison said, encouraging residents to attend and review the draft bylaw; she said town staff and a consultant will be available to answer questions and the event will be promoted on town social media.
Allison also briefed the board on grant activity and budget options leading up to town meeting. She told the board the town has received roughly an average of $1 million a year in grants since FY2018 for a mix of capital and operating needs, naming recent congressional earmark funding for a Wharf Street pump station and planned low-interest borrowing for a water meter project. She said most grants are used for capital projects rather than ongoing personnel costs and cautioned against relying on grant funds to staff recurring positions.
The board discussed two budget scenarios under consideration for the upcoming town meeting: a level-services budget and a $1 million override budget, the latter driven in significant part by additional personnel requested by the fire department. Allison said department heads and staff continue to pursue external funding and grants where appropriate but that personnel costs present longer-term sustainability considerations.
The Selectmen's regular meeting will continue next week; the Zoom presentation and the Advisory and Finance Committee's recommendations are scheduled in advance of the May 16 town meeting.
