Vehicle purchases head to Rowe Town Meeting vote

By MADISON SCHOFIELD

Staff Writer

Published: 01-18-2025 4:01 PM

ROWE — Residents will be tasked with voting on five articles, including proposals to buy a new truck for the Highway Department and cruiser for the Police Department, at an upcoming Special Town Meeting on Monday, Jan. 27.

Article 2 asks voters to appropriate $63,000 from the town’s Capital Stabilization Fund to purchase a new police cruiser and replace the department’s 2019 Chevrolet Tahoe.

For months, the Selectboard and Police Department have been pondering what to do about the town’s cruiser needs, as the current vehicle has had significant issues since it was purchased in 2020. After multiple breakdowns and trips to the mechanic, the Selectboard told Police Chief C. Selmi Hyytinen to look into the costs of a replacement cruiser.

Hyytinen said the department will buy whatever vehicle it can find that meets state requirements for a police cruiser, but he would prefer to get another Chevrolet Tahoe. The department currently has a Chevrolet and a Toyota, and Hyytinen said he has found Chevrolets to be better at navigating the rural, hilly roads.

“That’s what we need in Rowe,” he said.

The Highway Department is also looking to purchase a new truck. Article 1 asks voters to transfer $50,000 from one of the Park Department’s accounts for the expense.

At last year’s Annual Town Meeting, voters approved using free cash to replace the 2011 park truck. However, the warrant explains, “the Park Commission feels that it would be a more appropriate use of town financial resources to revert back to the past ‘hand-me-down’ practice of having the Highway [Department] get a new truck and transferring the superintendent’s 2018 truck to the park.” Therefore, the Park Commission is offering some of its budget to the Highway Department in exchange for a truck.

Article 4 asks voters to transfer $746 from the Opioid Stabilization Account to the Board of Health Operations Account and, similarly, Article 5 asks voters to approve closing the Opioid Stabilization Account while transferring any remaining funds to a special revenue account.

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Board of Health Administrative Assistant Christine Bailey explained that Rowe opted to join forces with 15 other Franklin County towns that agreed to combine their opioid settlement funds for larger regional projects. For fiscal year 2025, member towns of the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ Cooperative Public Health Service chose to support three programs: The RECOVER Project, Moms Do Care and the Center for Human Development. The programs offer peer coaching and support for those struggling with opioid addiction.

Bailey said the invoice for Rowe’s share of the project was originally paid out of the Board of Health Operations Account, and Article 4 asks voters to reimburse the board for the expense.

Lastly, Article 3 asks voters to appropriate $7,700 to cover engineering and procurement costs for the elementary school oil tank replacement project. The school is in the initial stages of removing the underground tank and replacing it with a new one.

Town Meeting will be held Monday, Jan. 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Rowe Elementary School. The five aforementioned articles have all been recommended by the Selectboard and Finance Committee. To view the full warrant, visit tinyurl.com/RoweSTMJan27.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.