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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Boston Pubiic Library https://archive.org/details/wilbrahamannualr2011wilb Pi I I If. 0 t, •p ' I ® i ir Wilbraham’s Wild Weather Almanac WILBRAHAM PUBLIC LIBPARY 2011 Annual Town Report Town Wilbraham of Reports of the Board of Selectmen, Town Clerk, Financial Officers, Town Departments, and Volunteer Boards and Committees This Town Report is available in alternate formats (large print, CD-R, etc.) upon request Please direct your request to Selectmen's Office 240 Springfield Street, MA Wilbraham, 01095 or call (413) 596-2800 X 101 page1 TownReport2011 Wilbraham Quick Facts Settled: 1731 Incorporated: June 15, 1763 County: Hampden County Area: 22 Square Miles Mileage ofTown Public Ways: 128+ Highest Altitude: Mount Chapin 937 feet Form ofgovernment: Open Town Meeting, Board ofSelectmen, Town Administrator Fiscal Year: The current fiscal year (FY 2011) runs from July 1, 2010to June 30, 2011 2010 Population: 14,868 2010 Registered Voters: 10,162 2010 Dwellings: 5522 occupied units FY 2011 (current) Value ofAssessed Property (all classes): $1,699,562,300. FY 2011 (current) Tax Rate: $16.66 Moody's Bond Rating: A1 Wilbraham on the Internet wvw.wilbraham.ma.gov : Friends of Public Television Public Library www.friendsofwpa.org www.wilbrahamlibrarv.org Public Television Regional School District www.wpatv.org www.hwrsd.org page2 TownReport2011 Table of Contents 1-17 64-72 Introduction and General Information Public Safety Wilbraham Quick Facts 2 Police Department 65 Foreword; Wilbraham's Wild Weather Almanac 4 Central Dispatch 68 Recognitions, Commendations 7 Fire Department, Emergency Management 69 In Memoriam 8 Ambulance Oversight Committee 71 Retirements 8 Parking Clerk 72 Department Directors 9 Directory, Town Departments 10 72-81 Federal & State Delegation 11 Building, Land Use Town Officials, Elected & Appointed 12 Building Department, Inspections 72 Town Political Committees 17 Sealer ofWeights & Measures 75 Planning Board 75 18-35 Conservation Commission 77 Administration Zoning Board ofAppeals 79 Town Clerk 18 Open Space &. Recreation Committee 80 f Board ofSelectmen 27 Agricultural Commission 81 Human Resources/Personnel 29 Information Technology 31 81-89 250‘^ Anniversary Planning Committee 33 Health & Human Services Tornado ReliefGift Fund Committee 35 ElderAffairs & Senior Center 81 Veterans Services 82 36-53 Commission on Disabilities 84 Finance Public Health Nurse 84 Treasurer/ Collector36 Dog Officer/Animal Control 85 Board ofAssessors42 Board ofCemetery Commissioners 86 Town Accountant 46 Housing Authority 89 Finance Committee 51 Capital Planning Committee 52 90-94 Community Preservation Committee 53 & Recreation Culture Recreation Department 90 54-63 Public Library 91 Public Works Cultural Council 93 Department of PublicWorks-all divisions 54 Historical Commission 93 Tree Warden 63 Community Gardens 94 Insect Pest Control 63 95-111 Schools Hampden-Wilbraham School District 95 Wilbraham & Monson Academy 111 page3 TownReport2011 Foreword 201 Wilbraham’s Wild Weather 1 Almanac RECORD SNOW FALL January, February I The 2010-2011 winter brought record snowfalls- not over the whole ' course ofthe winter, but between a four-and-a halfweek period j beginning mid-Januaryto the first week of February, more than fourfeet • ofsnow fell in the PioneerValley (see the DPW report for more statistics). ' The pile up ofsnow was perilous to homes, barns, sheds, and driving. i Homeowners and town officials struggled to remove snow from roofs to prevenl'Collapse. To compound the snow events (11 days in December, 14 ; days in January, and 14 days in February) was a stubborn mass ofcold air. This created ice dams and led to further home damage and worrisome | conditions throughout the town. ! MELTING FLOODS Spring I Spring rain and the melting snow from Northern New England converged in the PioneerValleyto cause surface I flooding in Wilbraham. The DPW was chasing the rising water in roadways and drainage areas. Private homeowners F struggled to empty out basements and low areas around driveways and foundations. L TORNADO June 1 { As the dinner hour approached on a lovely spring day, a major killertornado | ripped through Wilbraham, destroying a dozen homes and seriously damaging I many more buildings. Forested woodlots were reduced to sticks, stubs, and debris, j The tornado swept eastward, starting in Westfield and not ending until it reach the ! town boundary ofCharlton and Southbridge. It was the third longest (40+ miles), third strongest (EF3 and EF4), and third most deadly (3 people killed) tornado to strike New England during known record keeping. I MICROBURST July 26 Another weather anomaly visited Wilbraham in July, as a microburst cell within a line ofsevere thunderstorms, brought hurricane force winds suddenly and unexpectedly to a big patch ofWilbraham. Ittore up trees and damaged homes in a similarwayto the tornado. It struck at different areas oftown for the most part, but was unkind enough to strike in some ofthe tornado damaged areas, causing a j second round ofdamage to homes and home lots. page4 TownReport2011