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Finance Committee approves carry-overs as culvert deadline puts $500,000 grant at risk
Summary
At its June 4 meeting the Finance Committee voted to carry over multiple budget accounts ahead of a Special Town Meeting and was told a culvert on George Schnopp Road must be finished by June 30 or the town will forfeit a $500,000 grant, Town Administrator Bob Graves said.
The Finance Committee on June 4 voted to carry over a slate of budget accounts to the next fiscal year and was warned that work on a culvert on George Schnopp Road must be completed by June 30 to preserve a $500,000 grant, Town Administrator Bob Graves told the committee.
The committee approved carry-overs for Legal; Engineering and Infrastructure; Hazardous Trees; Tax Title Expense; and Tax Title Legal/Research, and unanimously approved transferring other specific items to a forthcoming Special Town Meeting (SPTM) warrant. Committee chair Shaun Galliher said the carry-overs will help the town manage pending expenses while final budget figures are confirmed.
Bob Graves said the culvert project is on a tight schedule: "the culvert on George Schnopp Road must be done before the June 30th deadline or we will lose the 500K grant," and that construction is hoped to begin as soon as possible. Graves also said the town expects to learn next week whether it secured a separate grant for the New Windsor Road project.
The committee discussed the Town Buildings General Expense, which Graves said is trending over and may need to be placed on the SPTM warrant. The committee unanimously voted to carry over $25,000 for a police evaluation and audit and to carry over the Tree Warden General Expense. Graves reported the Vocational Tuition account fell slightly after one student was removed from the list and noted a remaining balance in the "Engineering Art 20" account from the Schnopp Road project that could be transferred to Roads Stabilization at the SPTM.
Lake Management accounts were carried over unanimously; the committee recorded that herbicide treatment at Ashmere is scheduled for June 11, 2026. Graves also flagged that Street Lights and Veterans Services accounts may be trending over and will need attention; Chair Galliher reminded department heads they cannot authorize payments without available funds.
On water and sewer finances, the committee discussed accounts that may be trending over and noted that, while surplus funds exist, transfers from surplus require a Town Meeting vote. The committee also voted unanimously to carry over the Belmont Reservoir Dam Match and the MA/DEP Water Grant Match.
The committee directed Bob Graves to convene a meeting with Dave Prickett, the Water Sewer Commissioners and the Water Sewer Committee by the end of June to evaluate potential additional sewer fees tied to recently discovered buildings at two camps, which assessors found were not added to taxable records despite having building permits.
The committee adjourned at 7:43 p.m.; the Special Town Meeting date was not set in these minutes. The Finance Committee next meets July 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Community Room.
