Burlington Town Meeting Preview: Police, Fire & Public Works Seek Equipment Upgrades

Burlington's Town Meeting is coming up starting on May 12, and the Public Works, Fire, and Police Departments are requesting capital from the town for a number of items they say are necessary to offer level services to the community.

The Police Department has two articles on the warrant - one to replace their rifles and "less-lethal" devices, and one to replace the automated external defibrillator (AED) units in their vehicles. The rifle replacement, says Chief Thomas Browne, is necessary to ensure reliability of the weapons, which have experienced wear over their lifetime, and the AEDs will ensure appropriate emergency response with enhanced functions over the current models.

The Fire Department is requesting a new Command Car to replace an old one that has nearly 100,000 miles and is showing signs of body damage. They're also requesting to use revenue from ambulance services, which changed from Basic to Advanced Life Support a few years back, hence increasing revenues to the town, to purchase a new ambulance and put the current one into rotation as Ambulance 2. Finally, they'll use more receipts to offset the operating budget.

The Department of Public Works has a number of one-time and annual (housekeeping) requests on the Warrant, which fall into a few key categories:

• Equipment and Maintenance Upgrades (Capital Investments) - A new truck, vactor unit (to clean hard-to-reach areas), dump truck, bucket truck, and a mini-excavator and loader for work in the tight spaces of the town's cemeteries.
• Infrastructure and Public Works Projects - These include using state funding for road repairs, upgrading and replacing aging sewer infrastructure, water gates at Mill Pond, and stormwater cleanouts, as well as HVAC upgrades at Town Hall and the Town Hall Annex, replacement of water meters across town, and upgrades to the water main infrastructure.
• Strategy and Future Planning - A test of a new water filter medium that may prove to be just as effective but less expensive, a water mixing system to preserve water quality, and a water system master plan will help enhance delivery of plentiful, clean water now and into the future.
• Housekeeping Financial Articles - A number of articles to do things like pay for our new connection to the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, pay the town's sewer bill, and pay for other water services.

From emergency response equipment to water system planning, these proposals reflect both immediate priorities and longer-term considerations. Town Meeting Members will have the opportunity to review and vote on these items as part of the town’s annual budget and planning process.

The Buzz will be back with summaries of more warrant articles as Town Meeting approaches.

This year’s Annual Town Meeting will begin on Monday, May 12, at 7:00 PM and will continue on Wednesday and Monday evenings until the entire Warrant has been reviewed. Stay tuned to the Buzz for summaries of the articles in the Town Meeting Warrant and how Town Meeting votes on each.