By Janet Tice If you’re looking for a quick update on happenings at town offices—what’s interesting, what’s important, or both—you’ve come to the right place. “Inside Town Offices” will focus on topics that impact the daily lives of Shirley residents. We won’t be able to cover every detail, but we promise we’ll hit the highlights. More importantly, we’ll point you in the right direction so you can learn more and provide your input to town officials on the topics that matter to you. Town Budgeting Process before Town Meeting The town budget process underway between now and the annual town meeting scheduled Monday, May 11 involves all town departments, boards, committees and commissions. They will be developing their operating budgets and capital requests for Fiscal Year 2027, which begins July 1, 2026. Updates to the Five-Year Capital Improvement Plan are also included in town budgeting to enable long-term planning for big-ticket projects and purchases. Proposals were due January 30, when Town Administrator Bryan Sawyer and the town’s finance team began the lengthy review process. Once the budget is finalized and approved by the selectboard, it will be brought before annual town meeting for approval by voters. During the preceding fine-tuning process, residents can provide input directly to Town Administrator Bryan, the finance committee, or the selectboard at any point until April 13 when the town meeting warrant—the official list of articles or considerations—closes and no further changes can be made. Funds Available for Community Projects Speaking of town meeting, the community preservation committee is accepting applications for project funding. A small property tax surcharge provides funds as per the Community Preservation Act passed by voters at special town meeting in 2024. Projects must fall within the areas of historic preservation, affordable housing or open space and recreation. The funding process consists of three steps: determination of project eligibility, project acceptance by the CPC and approval by a majority of voters at town meeting. If you have a project in mind, provide a brief description to the community preservation committee by email or in person at an upcoming meeting, and they will let you know how to proceed. The committee meets at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month in the second-floor conference room of town offices. Rental Assistance Program Launches The newly created Affordable Housing Trust is busy finalizing its rental assistance program for Shirley residents. Rental assistance represents the trust’s first major undertaking, launched with $30,000 from CPA funds approved by special town meeting in November. The goal: to provide short-term rental assistance for Shirley residents experiencing hardships. For more information about the program and application process or the trust in general, contact the trust chair, Assistant Town Administrator Logan Bries. Protecting Roadside Trees and Stone Walls If you love our town’s classic New England vibe, you have another reason to attend annual town meeting in May. The planning board will propose two bylaws designed to protect public shade trees and stone walls lining our roadways. The planning board encourages residents wishing to provide input to on that topic or any other topic within planning board jurisdiction to attend a planning board meeting or email the board. Meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the town offices first-floor conference room. Transportation Committee Moving Along The Shirley Transportation Action Committee, STAC, is hard at work improving safety for drivers and “vulnerable road users” alike. This spring, look for reduced speeds in the immediate area surrounding the Senior Center/playing fields/historic common, new signage identifying thickly settled areas, and a reduced-speed school zone and crosswalk upgrade on Hospital Road at the Ayer-Shirley Regional Middle School. Potholes, Driveways, Roadway Reconstruction Meanwhile, the Shirley Department of Public Works, DPW, is busy trying to fill potholes as soon as they appear and welcomes input from residents. If you’ve noticed a new pothole, call or email the DPW and let them know the location so they can add it to their list. Looking ahead to spring, Shirley residents planning to reconstruct an existing paved driveway or add a new one need to complete the DPW driveway permit before beginning the project and must wait until April 1 to begin work. Resurfacing an existing driveway does not require a permit. As for roadway reconstruction and/or repaving, DPW Director Dave Schwartz is in the planning stages for projects to be completed in 2026 and won’t begin construction until May at the earliest, so now is a good time to contact him with your input. Janet Tice has lived in Shirley for over 40 years and is currently serving her 10th year on the planning board. She is also a founding member of the Shirley Transportation Action Committee and sits on the Shirley Meeting House board of directors.
