Highlights from Last Friday's Live Chat with Town Manager Dan Morgado

If you missed our live chat with Dan Morgado, you can check out the transcript or take a look at our recap below:

The Budget:

• When it comes to budget planning, the town is committed to being careful when spending money. It takes a conservative approach in both good times and bad.
• The $800,000 budget gap is definitely a concern and Morgado said it's a time of contraction that the whole town is going to have to deal with.
• In year's past, the town has projected layoffs and then found the money. One reader asked if the town was crying wolf once again. Morgado said that the budget process starts in November and as state and federal numbers become available, the town shapes their budget. He takes conservative estimates, but in the end, it takes until March or April to know the final numbers, which doesn't give the town much time to plan.

Getting to know the town:

• For new residents, the best way to get to know the town is to visit the town's website, watch the town's cable stations on Channel 29 and 30 and learn more about the town's boards and commissions.

Local vs. national businesses in town:

• The demise of small businesses in the town is affecting how committed businesses are to the town. Since there are so many national chains, most aren't as invested in the town. Morgado said his family owned a small business and he learned so much about money management, business and life that it is being lost on the young workers who are seeking employment in the national businesses these days.

The Lake Quinsigamond bridge project:

• The project will cause traffic woes, but Morgado said they are working with state officials to make the impact as minimal as possible for the town. The businesses most effected will be from the Lakeway District.

The Quinn Bill:

• The town has assumed the state's responsibility for paying the Quinn Bill for the next year and Morgado said it is frustrating to have the state start funding a program and then eliminate funding after so many people can benefit from it.

The biggest capital need of the town:

• Upcoming projects to repair, renovate or build new include: , Beal, Paton, Spring and Coolidge schools, though they will be done slowly over the next few years. The town will always have a building project going on since there are so many buildings and the town is committed to keeping up their facilities and infrastructure needs.

The Route 20 eyesores:

• Some of the businesses like the Polynesian Restaurant on Route 20 are out of the control of the town since the owner continues to do what they've always done, which is very little, according to Morgado.
• The landfill is in Phase 5 and is making $100,000 a month for the town. The mound is mostly fill and will settle over time.

The scavenger bylaw proposed at town meeting:

• The people who go through recycling bins and curbside trash may be no longer if one of the two bylaws are passed. One would require scavengers to register in town and the other would outlaw them. Town meeting members will have a chance to vote to approve one or the other at the annual town meeting in May.

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