Swampscott Select Board Forms Athletic Fields Committee in Split Vote

SWAMPSCOTT -- September 3, 2014, Swampscott selectmen voted three to two to create a nine-member Athletic Fields Advisory Committee charged with overseeing maintenance, safety, and use of the town's playing fields. Finance Committee Chairman Linzo Vandenberg presented a five-year capital plan showing FY16 proposed spending of roughly $1.5 million, with general debt service declining from just over $2 million in FY14 to a projected $1.3 million in FY16. Town Administrator Tom Younger said Treasurer Michael Mendez is working on a debt refinancing that would produce modest savings for homeowners on excluded debt. The board also opened a preliminary discussion on reusing surplus municipal buildings including Michon Elementary School, Greenwood Avenue, and potentially Hadley School, with members agreeing to wait for input from newly hired Town Planner Peter Cain and the forthcoming master plan before forming any reuse committee. Neighbors of a stalled Humphrey Street construction project pressed the board on mosquito breeding, dust clouds, and alleged earth-removal violations, with Younger confirming a meeting with Building Inspector Richard Baldacci was set for the following Friday.