Long-awaited opening back on track
Eryn Dion
News Staff Writer
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| Sen. Stephen Brewer, middle, Senator-elect Anne Gobi, left, and Rep. Denise Andrews, announced Wednesday that funds were included in the state’s supplemental budget to finish construction on the new senior center. |
“I saw an opportunity as chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means to help this community that I hold in very, very high regard,” Sen. Brewer told residents during Wednesday’s special town meeting.
Several months ago, it became clear that the original $680,000 budget for the project would not be enough to finish the building or obtain an occupancy permit for the first floor. The Senior Center Oversight Committee, along with Council on Aging Director Bethany Loveless, put forward an article for the special town meeting warrant requesting a $350,000 debt exclusion to finish the project. On town meeting floor, Doug Morrison, who is the chairman of that committee, requested no action be taken on the article and moved to allow the senator to speak.
Sen. Brewer commended the hard work, dedication, and money put forward by the town toward the project and said that, after taking a tour of the center, he knew it was time for their representatives on Beacon Hill to step up to the plate.
“This community built this with some of the most frugal, common sense efforts that I have ever encountered,” he said. “You guys can squeeze a nickel on both sides of the buffalo.”
Rep. Andrews described the new center as one of the town’s “legacy items” – something for residents to be proud of for years to come, and said she was moved by Ms. Loveless’ passion and zeal for the town’s seniors. Senator-elect Gobi agreed, saying that after Ms. Loveless took the team out to tour the new center, there was no way they could turn her down for the funds.
“There was no question that it was number one on the list of things to get done and I’m so pleased that we’re able to be here today and help out this community,” she commented.
The state’s supplemental budget is a bill filed annually to close the state’s financial books for the previous fiscal year and undertake last-minute account transfers or funding ventures. As with the operational budget, both the House and Senate present their versions, which must be negotiated into a compromise bill. The Senate passed its version earlier in October with the senior center funding included; however, the language was met with resistance by House Republicans, who threatened to hold up the allocation. Sen. Brewer said he went down to Boston last Friday to advocate for its inclusion, and the document was passed and signed into law later that day. The governor now has until Dec. 31 to release the funds.
Ms. Loveless, who recently announced she will be leaving the director position later this month for an opportunity in the town of Dracut, was thrilled at the inclusion of the funding and also wished to thank the building oversight committee, Mr. Morrison and Dianna Morrison, and the Friends of the Templeton Elders for their tireless efforts.
I would like to thank our reps for the work on this and many other issues our town has faced. They may look at this senior center as how our town comes together to do a project but the real credit is the people who time and time again donate their time and hard work to make it all come to a final conclusion. Soon we will all see after all the hard work what can happen even under the stress of the people who would have liked to see this fail. As with the new town hall the people who stood in the way time and time again were put in their place and the public picked the correct path for the new town hall.
ReplyDeleteI am proud to see the people who started the process years ago still motivated to help and take pride in the work we have done to better our town. Little do our reps know at this Special town meeting they did more to take away the stress of another tax burden vote from us to have to do. We were spared the results of another no vote and will be able to relaxe our votes. I hope all the seniors know this means a great deal to us all and for them to use it as much as they can. I thank all who involved themselves is the senior center and wish them the very best.