TOWN MEETING NOTEBOOK
By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — A new turf field is going to replace the existing one at Lynnfield High School’s Pioneer Stadium after Fall Town Meeting overwhelmingly voted to approve the project on Nov. 13.
Recreation Commission Chair Mike Cuddy gave an overview of Article 3.
“Article 3 is a request to transfer funds from the Recreational Capital Trust to the Department of Public Works’ capital budget to replace the turf at Field 1 at Pioneer Stadium at Lynnfield High School,” said Cuddy. “The funds in the capital trust were raised solely through fees for the use of our facilities and are meant to be specifically used for the purpose of turf replacement and field improvements.”
Cuddy recalled that the LHS fields’ complex was constructed 10 years ago. He said other fields in town were also approved as part of the fields’ project.
“These improvements elevated our schools’ facilities, making them among the best in the Cape Ann League, hosting many major school events and offering our youth a safe and reliable place to play sports,” said Cuddy. “From the beginning, the Fields Committee and the Recreation Commission implemented a user fee for renting and using our fields. Over 75 percent of these funds raised have been saved in the Recreational Capital Trust Fund. We are requesting that $915,000 from that fund be transferred to finance the turf replacement on Field 1.”
Cuddy said the turf at Pioneer Stadium has “deteriorated at a faster rate than our other fields due to a higher rate of use.”
“While it has passed the proper GMAX safety standards, it is crucial that we get ahead of the field becoming a safety hazard,” said Cuddy.
Cuddy said Gale Associates, which designed the LHS athletic complex, will be adding a safety pad under the new field in order to help prevent concussions.
“We are going to utilize updated, non-rubber infill materials like those made from engineered wood, similar to something called BrockFill,” said Scenna. “This will be mixed with sand. This will improve the field’s softness and safety. This article will not impact your taxes and will help maintain a safe, high-quality athletic field for our children for years to come. The Recreation Commission unanimously endorses this article and we urge you all to support this transfer.”
The Select Board, Finance Committee and School Committee each unanimously voted to recommend Article 3. While the School Committee voted to recommend Article 3 during a meeting before Fall Town Meeting, the panel was not asked to make a recommendation on Town Meeting floor.
Patrice Lane resident Patricia Campbell asked if the LHS Pioneer Stadium turf replacement project would remove the artificial turf.
“It has plastic pellets that get into students’ ears, nose and enters the wetlands,” said Campbell. “It is tough on skin when students fall. I hope this does include removing the artificial turf and replacing it with regular turf.”
Town Administrator Rob Dolan said the new field will be artificial turf.
“It will be state-of-the-art artificial turf, which is currently being replaced on many fields throughout the state,” said Dolan. “We will not have rubber. We will have a safer system that includes more wooden pellets, but we will have artificial turf.”
After the discussion, Fall Town Meeting overwhelmingly approved Article 3 on a voice vote.
Additional articles
Fall Town Meeting unanimously voted to approve Article 1, which appropriated $2,405.95 from Free Cash to pay overdue bills from fiscal year 2024.
Article 2 was unanimously approved by Fall Town Meeting, which transferred $477,616.10 in order supplement certain accounts in the town’s current FY25 operating budget.
“Throughout the year, there are various overages and deficits in various departments,” said Dolan. “In order to make the budget whole for the rest of the fiscal year, we are asking for transfers of the overages to the deficits to have a balanced budget.”
Fall Town Meeting approved Article 7, which amended Chapter 143 of the town’s General Bylaws pertaining to the fees for the sealer of weights and measures, on a voice vote.
“We haven’t raised fees in this department in 20 years,” said Dolan. “We looked at neighboring communities and we made a modest increase to be in line with those communities.”
In response to a question from a resident, Dolan said weights and measures is “the department that goes out and makes sure things such as gasoline and weighing meat are checked.”
“We share a person with Peabody,” said Dolan. “He looked at our fees and the fees of other communities because we want to be somewhere in the middle. We haven’t changed the fees in 20 years, and we are making a modest increase to keep up with the cost.”
