Pro-business board backs Barry

Barry Controls gets tax breaks for moving 200 employees to Hopkinton
By Andrea Eaton
April 20, 2005

Last evening the Board of Selectmen discussed and approved a TIF (Tax Incremental Financing) Agreement with Barry Controls, who will be leasing 82 South Street (formerly Donovan Mayflower) and turning the warehouse into a factory, beginning with $2 million renovations around October 2005. The TIF that was agreed upon will allow some relief for Barry Controls over a 10 year period with a 5% investment tax credit, and a one-time 10% abandoned building tax credit.

Dan Yurovich, President of Barry Controls, told the Board that moving the company of 400 employees (220 of whom will be situated in Hopkinton, the rest relocated to Michigan) would bring $500K to the local community. Besides the benefits to local business and residents interested in working for Barry Controls (whose average salary is $47,000/year) the Town of Hopkinton itself would benefit by being known as a New Economic Opportunity Area. As such, the Board hopes that this will start more economical and industrial development for Hopkinton.

Yurovich also estimated that 10 full time positions would open up, with Hopkinton residents given first consideration in the hiring process. He later added that this was a very conservative estimate, and that he is likely to lose 40 employees easily (possibly 50 or 60) due to the required commute from Boston. Barry Controls is contracted by many large companies, as well as the Department of Defense, and openings would include not only positions for manufacturing, but also engineers and lab technicians as well. Yurovich joked: "The only position not likely to be open is my own."

Instrumental in getting Barry Controls and the Town of Hopkinton together was Lynn Tokarczyk (Photo) of Business Development Strategies, a company dedicated to getting business through governmental red tape.

Besides approving South Street as a new economic opportunity area, the Board also approved for rates in the Department of Water and Sewer to be raised, something not done since 1996. Reasons include the $190,000 purchase cost yearly from Ashland for water, the termination of the state sewer reimbursement of $140,000, the need for Water and Sewer upgrades in Hopkinton such as of water mains and fire hydrants, and planning future projects like the Fruit Street well.

Eric Carty, Water and Sewer Manager, said that rates for water would go from the current average of $186 to an estimated $222. The rate for sewer would go from the current average of $311 per year to $371. Combined, that is a rise of $95 more per year on average. $8.00 per month, as was repeatedly stated by Board members. The Board, besides being pleased that rates had stayed steady since 1996, were satisfied by the low cost Carty has been able to maintain . The Dept. of Water and Sewer have cut over $20,000 in expenses since 2003. Carty credited this to reasons including in house repairs, cross training of staff, forgoing a raise by the union, and looking for sales and specials on uniforms, tools, and supplies.

Also on the agenda, the Board voted for the transfer of $6,064.98 from The Wetlands Protection Act Fund to the Conservation Commission for office supplies and services to the Wetlands Protection Act. Although this was unanimously agreed upon, the Board proposed the possibility of quarterly spending projections from the Conservation Committee. Brian Morrison of the Conservation Committee argued that it was difficult to predict what would be needed quarterly. He also argued that to have a surplus of funds at the end of a quarter to be reabsorbed by general funds was against the Wetlands Protection Act.

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