* Acton Says: "IT'S MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY!"
Acton wants to borrow $35,220,690 for a new DPW facility, with ZERO DOLLARS BUDGETED FOR SIDEWALKS.
Ballot question #1 asks: "Shall the Town of Acton be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to pay for the designing, constructing, equipping and furnishing a new public works facility to be located at 14 Forest Road, including all other costs incidental and related thereto?"
You read that correctly. This is a "prop 2.5" override ask of $35,220,690, the year after an override passed by only about 42 votes!
The Acton Select Board has ignored the recommendation of its own Finance Committee, which is 100% opposed to this DPW project. The Acton Select Board has bought in to the "sunk cost" fallacy, namely that since it has already spent (wasted?) $1.2 million on the design, it should plow forward with the project. A better redesign could more than pay for itself.
The Acton Select Board has excluded SIDEWALKS from the project, an important SAFETY consideration for the neighborhood.
The Acton Select Board has excluded a SOUND BARRIER from the base project, an important feature that was supposed to mitigate SOUND AND LIGHT POLLUTION.
The Acton Select Board has excluded a WASH BAY from the base project, which was supposed to be an ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY way to wash large vehicles.
In short, the Acton Select Board has adopted an "IT'S MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY" approach to the proposed DPW project.
We can send a clear message to the Acton Select Board by VOTING 'NO' ON BALLOT QUESTION #1 on the April 29 election (https://actonma.gov/598/Elections-Voting). Don't let this flawed project go to Town Meeting, where anything can happen. You can also express your opinion by writing a letter to the editor of The Acton Exchange (https://www.actonexchange.org/policy-letters-to-the-exchange-draft/).
Thanks for your ongoing support!
Best,
Erik
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Erik J. Heels <heels@alum.mit.edu>
17 Forest Rd., Acton MA 01720-4508
cell: 978-761-7808
Actonian since 1995