After foundering on Monday, Town Meeting righted itself tonight and steamed to a close. I must admit; I was fairly confident we would be back on Monday. We made it through 29 articles in the first five nights, which left us with 25 to go. However, appropriations are usually less contentious, and many items are recommended for no action. There was also a mood in the room that Monday was not handled well and that changes would need to be made. We settled in and got right to it.
We started with the capital budget. Clarifications were requested to several items, and there was a motion from the floor to not fund a proposed columbarium at the cemetery on principle. (It is part of a larger disagreement over cemetery funding.) The proposed amendment was voted down, and the recommended capital plan was approved.
We then got into a groove, quickly approving financing for water facilities, funding for committees, money for celebrations, miscellaneous appropriations, and no action on reducing extracurricular fees. We moved so fast, the Moderator missed the substitute motion on the extracurricular fees. The substitute was a request for $205K to help offset school fees for instrumental music and sports. After voting to reconsider, the proponent showed statistics where Arlington's sports fees are significantly higher that the league average. With a $1200 cap, this can be a lot of money for many families. However, this is really a matter for the school committee to resolve. They could make this a priority. The substitute motion was not adopted, and the original vote for no action was reinstated.
We then approved the water bodies and Harry Barber community service funds with no discussion. The next three articles were brought forward by the Uncle Sam Committee. The first was a substitute motion to have a sign redone because "Uncle Sam" was not sufficiently prominent. This squabble between town committees really shouldn't have been brought before Town Meeting. The motion was rejected, and no action was voted on the article. There was then no action on a proposal to add Uncle Sam to the town's stationary, followed by no action on a request to hang holiday lights in Uncle Sam plaza. (This last one was made unnecessary by the DPW earlier in town meeting.) It was starting to look like we wouldn't finish tonight.
We then found our second wind, voting no action on historic signage and old burying ground repairs, approving appropriations for the scenic byway, pension adjustments, benefits trust fund, increased minimum allowances, the stabilization fund, and the overlay reserve. There was a discussion of funding for the cemetery. The main argument was whether the town can consider capital gains on cemetery funds income. The town can use the income generated on funds in the perpetual care fund for cemetery purposes, but the principal must be left alone. The proponent was making a case for considering the capital gains as a part of the principal, a common financial rule. However, the town was advised at the local and state levels that this was an acceptable practice. We voted for the appropriation, including possible capital gains.
Skipping break, we approved the use of free cash, approved of our experience with the electronic voting devices, approved money to do it again next year, and approved putting all the remaining funds into the override stabilization fund. Then we were suddenly done, and it was only 10:00. It felt rushed, but I don't think we gave anything short shrift. It was a good year, and I think we did some good things.
I appreciate those of you who have followed my town meeting blog over the last three years. I hope it gives my constituents a sense of where I've stood on the issues. I am up for reelection next spring, and I'd really appreciate your vote.
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
2014 Town Meeting - Night Five
Tonight should have been the night when we really turned the corner and set ourselves up to finish on Wednesday. However, for a variety of reasons, tonight dragged, and we barely accomplished our most important task for the night, approving the budget.
We started with an hour of announcements, declarations, and reports in a very warm hall. If there was ever a recipe for lethargy, this was it. However, this should in no way detract from the importance of this portion of the meeting. After our nightly singing of the Star Spangled Banner, we heard a proclamation from the Board of Selectmen thanking Elisabeth Carr Jones and Edward Starr for their many years of service to the town serving on the TAC. This well-deserved praise was very touching. We were also introduced to two women from either Afghanistan or Pakistan, in our country to learn about democracy. (I apologize for not noting the country.) The town manager had invited them to come and see our local democracy in action (inaction?). I hope they were entertained.
Our first order of business was to reopen the Special Town Meeting from Night Two to act on Article Five. We had postponed action on this article unti the bids for the central fire station were opened at the end of last week. As it turns out, there were two bids under the budgeted amount, so an additional appropriation was unnecessary. We quickly voted no action on the article and dissolved the special. Those results will be quickly transferred to the state's AG office for approval before the end of the fiscal year.
We then tabled the main budgets to address the next article which was an appropriation to the Assessor for incidental property revaluations. I wanted to know if that office routinely checks during revaluations to confirm the number of residential units in a building, something, it turns out, they do not do. I believe there are some properties with unregistered additional units that are not paying their fair share of property taxes. I hope the town can try and investigate this in the future. There was also some consternation expressed because the Assessors did not have a representative at the previous session when this article was first raised. The department's representative was very apologetic. The appropriation was passed on a voice vote.
We then returned to the main budget, the most important item we have before us every year. We had barely starter when the power went out in the hall. It was out for less than a minute, but it was long enough to clearly note that neither the exit signs nor the emergency lights in Town Hall work. I tried to catch the inspector and/or fire chief after the meeting, but both left too quickly. (I will write to them separately to investigate and resolve this complete breakdown of the building's safety systems.) While we waited for the video feed to ACMi to reboot, we went to break early.
After break, we sloughed through the budgets. This is an opportunity for town meeting members to address all the town departments, so many questions are more operations-related than budget issues. Ed Trembley asked his annual question of the DPW chief, "So, how much salt did we use last year?" Eighty-five hundred tons was the answer this year. Steve Harrington had a lot of good questions tracking funds between budgets to see how money was flowing between departments. None of the requests were very contentions, and we voted to approve the 2014 budget right before we adjourned for the night.
We started with an hour of announcements, declarations, and reports in a very warm hall. If there was ever a recipe for lethargy, this was it. However, this should in no way detract from the importance of this portion of the meeting. After our nightly singing of the Star Spangled Banner, we heard a proclamation from the Board of Selectmen thanking Elisabeth Carr Jones and Edward Starr for their many years of service to the town serving on the TAC. This well-deserved praise was very touching. We were also introduced to two women from either Afghanistan or Pakistan, in our country to learn about democracy. (I apologize for not noting the country.) The town manager had invited them to come and see our local democracy in action (inaction?). I hope they were entertained.
Our first order of business was to reopen the Special Town Meeting from Night Two to act on Article Five. We had postponed action on this article unti the bids for the central fire station were opened at the end of last week. As it turns out, there were two bids under the budgeted amount, so an additional appropriation was unnecessary. We quickly voted no action on the article and dissolved the special. Those results will be quickly transferred to the state's AG office for approval before the end of the fiscal year.
We then tabled the main budgets to address the next article which was an appropriation to the Assessor for incidental property revaluations. I wanted to know if that office routinely checks during revaluations to confirm the number of residential units in a building, something, it turns out, they do not do. I believe there are some properties with unregistered additional units that are not paying their fair share of property taxes. I hope the town can try and investigate this in the future. There was also some consternation expressed because the Assessors did not have a representative at the previous session when this article was first raised. The department's representative was very apologetic. The appropriation was passed on a voice vote.
We then returned to the main budget, the most important item we have before us every year. We had barely starter when the power went out in the hall. It was out for less than a minute, but it was long enough to clearly note that neither the exit signs nor the emergency lights in Town Hall work. I tried to catch the inspector and/or fire chief after the meeting, but both left too quickly. (I will write to them separately to investigate and resolve this complete breakdown of the building's safety systems.) While we waited for the video feed to ACMi to reboot, we went to break early.
After break, we sloughed through the budgets. This is an opportunity for town meeting members to address all the town departments, so many questions are more operations-related than budget issues. Ed Trembley asked his annual question of the DPW chief, "So, how much salt did we use last year?" Eighty-five hundred tons was the answer this year. Steve Harrington had a lot of good questions tracking funds between budgets to see how money was flowing between departments. None of the requests were very contentions, and we voted to approve the 2014 budget right before we adjourned for the night.
Thursday, May 8, 2014
2014 Town Meeting - Night Four
Tonight was about Minuteman, the CPA, and starting on the budgets. We started with a lovely performance by the AHS Madrigal Singers. They were great. Once we got settled, we voted to table a bunch of articles so wee could focus on Minuteman while the superintendent was available. The first question was whether to adopt the new regional agreement. This document determines how the Minuteman school district is organized and administered. The original agreement gave equal representation to all member communities, regardless of how many students from that town attended. Since Arlington has the highest enrollment of any member town, we also contribute the most money. The town has long felt that it's representation should be more inline with its student population. The proposed agreement would move the balance in that direction. There were many well reasoned arguments on both sides, and in the end, we adopted a substitute motion for approval with a sunset provision. The new agreement needs to be adopted by all the member towns. Our approved motion allows us to withdraw our support if the approval process goes on too long.
We then discussed the Minuteman budget and appropriation. This is a large chunk of change, but it is valuable for the students who attend. After a short debate, we voted to approve.
We then went back to the CPA. The first few speakers were in favor of adoption. There was a quick call to end debate, and it went to a vote. I voted with the majority to approve putting the CPA on the ballot for consideration by the town's voters.
We then started with the easy parts of the budget. We voted no-action on articles concerning local option taxes and collective bargaining. We approved the CDBG distribution, the revolving funds, rescinding borrowing authority from prior years, and financing sewer work. We decided to postpone discussion of the main budget and the capital budget to Monday so they could have a longer debate. We then adjourned for the night.
Really missed having a bake sale tonight. The Starbucks site said they were open until 10:00, but they were closed well before that. There is so little open at that hour, it can be hard to find anything. Got some snacks from CVS, but I would have preferred to support a town team.
We then discussed the Minuteman budget and appropriation. This is a large chunk of change, but it is valuable for the students who attend. After a short debate, we voted to approve.
We then went back to the CPA. The first few speakers were in favor of adoption. There was a quick call to end debate, and it went to a vote. I voted with the majority to approve putting the CPA on the ballot for consideration by the town's voters.
We then started with the easy parts of the budget. We voted no-action on articles concerning local option taxes and collective bargaining. We approved the CDBG distribution, the revolving funds, rescinding borrowing authority from prior years, and financing sewer work. We decided to postpone discussion of the main budget and the capital budget to Monday so they could have a longer debate. We then adjourned for the night.
Really missed having a bake sale tonight. The Starbucks site said they were open until 10:00, but they were closed well before that. There is so little open at that hour, it can be hard to find anything. Got some snacks from CVS, but I would have preferred to support a town team.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
2014 Town Meeting - Night Three
Another exciting night before Town Meeting. We started with a return to Article 10, a substitute motion to make the Cemetery Commission an elected body. This was proposed, because the proponent felt the present appointed board was not acting appropriately to curb parking and traffic within the cemetery, nor was it meeting its fiduciary duties. Many speakers spoke well in opposition noting how it would reduce accountability and potentially reduce cooperation. It was also noted that there was no evidence that making the board elected would solve any issues at all. The final straw was the last speaker in favor of the amendment. The condescension and disrespect shown for town officials was appalling. I gladly voted this down.
We then moved on to Article 17, another substitute motion. The proposal was to allow for a second water meter for irrigation. The proponents spoke of it as a conservation measure, since the watering systems would need to be high efficiency. The benefit to the home owner was that the second meter would not be charged a sewerage fee, since the water was going to be going into the ground. My primary concern going into the discussion was how to prevent future cross connections being made. As it turns out, the main argument against was fairly basic; when did making something less expensive ever reduce its use. This would not promote conservation, but could increase overall water use. Also, the town is in the middle of a restructuring of the calculation of water bills that would help account for the water used for irrigation. This article was defeated as well.
We voted no action on articles 18 and 20 regarding signs along Lake Street and a prohibition on tar sands oil respectively. Article 19 sought to allow the Health Department to issue citations for keeping of junk cars. Presently, they issue a warning then take the owner to court. The new proposal will be more efficient for the department, a point that was not immediately grasped by some speakers. In the end, the article was approved.
We then took up the Community Preservation Act or CPA. If enacted, this would allow the town to levy a 1.5% surcharge on a portion of your property tax bill. This money, along with a percentage from the state, could be used by the town for open space, historic, or low-income housing preservation. The state's portion would come from a current fee on registry of deeds transactions with some additional funding from the state budget. The proponents feel this is money we pay already, but we don't receive the benefits. The opponents feel this is a tax increase by another name. They also note that it forces priorities that may not match the town's goals. There was a lot of discussion that the town has several financial issues looming in the near future: rebuilding the high school, renovating Minuteman, and funding a projected budget deficit starting in 2019. The FinCom and CapComm both felt our focus should be on those priorities. The Selectmen and many other town boards felt this was a good deal for the town that we ought to accept. There were many good speakers. After the initial presentation, there were many persuasive arguments against the proposal. As time went on, I felt the pendulum had shifted, and the proponents had the upper hand. That was where we ended the night, so we'll have to wait until Wednesday to see how this plays out. Minuteman comes first at our next session, but this will be right after that.
I have been considering the CPA for a while. While I share some of the concerns that it might make future requests more difficult, I don't agree that the funding priorities inherent in the CPA are somehow not priorities for the town. There are large items in the capital plan for open space improvements, restoration of our historic infrastructure, and similar endeavors. The money we spend on affordable housing comes from federal grants that are rapidly shrinking. These are not things we normally ignore; they are some of the most important reasons people choose to live in this community. They are things we should preserve, and I will act to support it.
We then moved on to Article 17, another substitute motion. The proposal was to allow for a second water meter for irrigation. The proponents spoke of it as a conservation measure, since the watering systems would need to be high efficiency. The benefit to the home owner was that the second meter would not be charged a sewerage fee, since the water was going to be going into the ground. My primary concern going into the discussion was how to prevent future cross connections being made. As it turns out, the main argument against was fairly basic; when did making something less expensive ever reduce its use. This would not promote conservation, but could increase overall water use. Also, the town is in the middle of a restructuring of the calculation of water bills that would help account for the water used for irrigation. This article was defeated as well.
We voted no action on articles 18 and 20 regarding signs along Lake Street and a prohibition on tar sands oil respectively. Article 19 sought to allow the Health Department to issue citations for keeping of junk cars. Presently, they issue a warning then take the owner to court. The new proposal will be more efficient for the department, a point that was not immediately grasped by some speakers. In the end, the article was approved.
We then took up the Community Preservation Act or CPA. If enacted, this would allow the town to levy a 1.5% surcharge on a portion of your property tax bill. This money, along with a percentage from the state, could be used by the town for open space, historic, or low-income housing preservation. The state's portion would come from a current fee on registry of deeds transactions with some additional funding from the state budget. The proponents feel this is money we pay already, but we don't receive the benefits. The opponents feel this is a tax increase by another name. They also note that it forces priorities that may not match the town's goals. There was a lot of discussion that the town has several financial issues looming in the near future: rebuilding the high school, renovating Minuteman, and funding a projected budget deficit starting in 2019. The FinCom and CapComm both felt our focus should be on those priorities. The Selectmen and many other town boards felt this was a good deal for the town that we ought to accept. There were many good speakers. After the initial presentation, there were many persuasive arguments against the proposal. As time went on, I felt the pendulum had shifted, and the proponents had the upper hand. That was where we ended the night, so we'll have to wait until Wednesday to see how this plays out. Minuteman comes first at our next session, but this will be right after that.
I have been considering the CPA for a while. While I share some of the concerns that it might make future requests more difficult, I don't agree that the funding priorities inherent in the CPA are somehow not priorities for the town. There are large items in the capital plan for open space improvements, restoration of our historic infrastructure, and similar endeavors. The money we spend on affordable housing comes from federal grants that are rapidly shrinking. These are not things we normally ignore; they are some of the most important reasons people choose to live in this community. They are things we should preserve, and I will act to support it.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
2014 Town Meeting - Night Two
We've continued to be busy at town meeting! Tonight started with the opening of our Special Town Meeting. This is intended to be a quick mini-meeting with items that need to be addressed quickly. This is so the results can be sent immediately to the AG's office for approval. This works in theory, but not so well this year.
The first article was to increase the number of restaurants eligible for an all-alcohol license from 15 to 20. The revised number would still be less than half the maximum the town could approve. After some lively debate, we voted in favor of the change. This will appear on an upcoming ballot for all residents to cast their vote as well. It might well be on the fall ballot.
We then passed several financial articles in quick succession. They all involved transfers within the current year's budget. We passed transfers to the Arlington Youth Counseling Center and the Ed Burns Arena from their respective reserve funds. We approved a pay increase for the Patrolmen reached under collective bargaining. We approved a transfer from our insurance account to cover the water damage to the Pierce School. (That was fun; a lot of speakers tried to figure out who we could sue to recuperate our losses. Sometimes things just break.) There was a well deserved note of appreciation to the students at Pierce who organized a drive to restock their library after the loss of books.
We had to adjourn the special meeting with one item on the table. There is an outstanding article regarding the capital budget and the Central Fire Station rebuild. The size of the request will be tied to the size of the construction bids, which are not due until May 8. This means, we cannot vote on this article and close the special until May 12. This may well be the final day of the regular meeting as well. (knock, knock)
We then went back to our regular meeting and the discussion about parking in the cemetery. There was an amendment to the proposed language to exclude visitors to the cemetery from fines instead of only those on cemetery business. There was a good debate, and it sounded like the motion would carry. The amendment passed, but the substitute motion failed. I had voted for it, because I felt it encouraged a reasoned approach to having fines. The vote of no action passed, so the status quo remains. I only hope the police department and selectmen will pass some appropriate regulations on their own.
We then kicked it up a notch, approving an honorary position as Arlington's Poet Laureate, expanding and improving the town's regulations to allow for more varied street performances, and changing the name of the Cultural Commission to the Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture (to avoid confusion with the Cultural Council).
We finished the night by correcting a bad situation created by the town long ago. A property on Venner Road had an easement placed on it in the 40's to allow for the extension of Venner Road to Spring Street. This was never enacted, but it's placement made the majority of the parcel unbuildable. This had recently become critical as the owners were unable to sell their property due to the presence of that easement. The town and the owners had an agreement to sell the easement back to the town for the original sale price (corrected for inflation) plus the amount the owners saved on their property taxes over the previous 15 years. (Unbuildable land is taxed at a lower rate.) There was one meeting member who felt this last provision was tantamount to extortion, since it is not required by law. I would have to believe it was still less than if the basis had been the value of the land rather than the sale price. The deal was readily approved, and we quickly adjourned for the night.
Just a side note: we often have youth sports teams hold a bake sale during town meeting. I find this critical, as there is no where else to get a drink and a snack and get back before break is over, especially at 9:30. We didn't have anyone this session, and I really missed it. This is easy money - please sell us goodies, and more importantly, your coffee!
The first article was to increase the number of restaurants eligible for an all-alcohol license from 15 to 20. The revised number would still be less than half the maximum the town could approve. After some lively debate, we voted in favor of the change. This will appear on an upcoming ballot for all residents to cast their vote as well. It might well be on the fall ballot.
We then passed several financial articles in quick succession. They all involved transfers within the current year's budget. We passed transfers to the Arlington Youth Counseling Center and the Ed Burns Arena from their respective reserve funds. We approved a pay increase for the Patrolmen reached under collective bargaining. We approved a transfer from our insurance account to cover the water damage to the Pierce School. (That was fun; a lot of speakers tried to figure out who we could sue to recuperate our losses. Sometimes things just break.) There was a well deserved note of appreciation to the students at Pierce who organized a drive to restock their library after the loss of books.
We had to adjourn the special meeting with one item on the table. There is an outstanding article regarding the capital budget and the Central Fire Station rebuild. The size of the request will be tied to the size of the construction bids, which are not due until May 8. This means, we cannot vote on this article and close the special until May 12. This may well be the final day of the regular meeting as well. (knock, knock)
We then went back to our regular meeting and the discussion about parking in the cemetery. There was an amendment to the proposed language to exclude visitors to the cemetery from fines instead of only those on cemetery business. There was a good debate, and it sounded like the motion would carry. The amendment passed, but the substitute motion failed. I had voted for it, because I felt it encouraged a reasoned approach to having fines. The vote of no action passed, so the status quo remains. I only hope the police department and selectmen will pass some appropriate regulations on their own.
We then kicked it up a notch, approving an honorary position as Arlington's Poet Laureate, expanding and improving the town's regulations to allow for more varied street performances, and changing the name of the Cultural Commission to the Arlington Commission on Arts and Culture (to avoid confusion with the Cultural Council).
We finished the night by correcting a bad situation created by the town long ago. A property on Venner Road had an easement placed on it in the 40's to allow for the extension of Venner Road to Spring Street. This was never enacted, but it's placement made the majority of the parcel unbuildable. This had recently become critical as the owners were unable to sell their property due to the presence of that easement. The town and the owners had an agreement to sell the easement back to the town for the original sale price (corrected for inflation) plus the amount the owners saved on their property taxes over the previous 15 years. (Unbuildable land is taxed at a lower rate.) There was one meeting member who felt this last provision was tantamount to extortion, since it is not required by law. I would have to believe it was still less than if the basis had been the value of the land rather than the sale price. The deal was readily approved, and we quickly adjourned for the night.
Just a side note: we often have youth sports teams hold a bake sale during town meeting. I find this critical, as there is no where else to get a drink and a snack and get back before break is over, especially at 9:30. We didn't have anyone this session, and I really missed it. This is easy money - please sell us goodies, and more importantly, your coffee!
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
2014 Town Meeting - Night One
Town meeting has entered the electronic age! Tonight was the inauguration of electronic voting at Town Meeting. We were issued "clickers" to register our votes, so every vote is now a part of the public record. They should be available on the Town's website by the end of the day following the meeting session.
The night started with the customary first night appearance by the Menotomy Minute Men. This is a great tradition, and it is fun (and loud) to have them. We also had a recognition of the 30th anniversary of the town's sister city program with Nagaokakyo, Japan. The mayor was present to make some very kind remarks and acknowledge the efforts of Dick Smith in starting and promoting the relationship.
Dick was one of several town meeting members and other town luminaries who passed away since the close of the previous meeting. There were also acknowledgements for Harry McCabe, Bill Armstrong, Dr. Michael Foley, John Fitzmaurice, and others.
The first "real" bit of business tonight, after the swearing in of new members, was the appointment of Elsie Fiore as the measurer of wood and bark. I believe this will be her third year in the post. This year, I will really try and find a need for buying some wood or bark so I can request a measurement. James O'Connor was reelected as assistant town moderator.
The first article to be discussed was a zoning bylaw amendment to site medical marijuana treatment centers. The recommendation was to allow their location in B3 and B5 districts, which includes the Mass Ave sections of the heights, the center, and the east. There were several speakers who felt that other locations (i.e. further from their house) might be a better option, and that the proposal should have included all business districts. If this extension was to be a serious proposal, those members could have come with an amendment to that effect. However, taking no action at all would open the door to trying to site such a clinic anywhere in town, including non-commercial districts. I voted with the majority in approving the proposed change to the zoning bylaw.
The second major discussion was in regards to extending the town's outdoor lighting bylaw to include lighting from commercial and industrial sources. The bylaw change would allow residents to seek remedy from the building inspector if a light from an abutting property was directed at their house or property. An amendment was proposed to include nearby properties, since the bylaw wouldn't otherwise include light from two properties over if they were causing a problem. I asked for a clarification that this change would not impact events at Robbins Farm Park, since there was an exception for events approved by the BoS, where our events are approved by the PRC. Town council through the chair of the BoS assured me that would not be an issue. I believe I voted for the amendment, which passed. I know I voted for the final article which was adopted.
Articles 7 and 9 had the recommended vote of no action approved. Article 10 was postponed until May 5 to allow time to read the proposed substitute motion. Article 11 was a change to the bylaw allowing for electronic voting to correct a previous error. The voting system allows each individual's vote to be displayed during the meeting. The intent of the original bylaw was that it would display the individual votes if the vote was close, within 6 votes. However, there are many votes that require a two-thirds majority, which could be really close but be far more than 6 votes difference. The change, which I voted for in the majority, changed the definition to being within three votes of the required minimum.
We ended the night in the middle of a discussion regarding parking in the cemetery. This has been a pet cause of Mr. Harrington's for many years. I must say that his presentation was very persuasive, and I hadn't been fully aware of the extent of the problem. From the ensuing discussion, it appears that at present, there are no parking signs in the cemetery. There is no provision in the town's bylaw to ticket and fine these vehicles; the only remedy is towing. The town acknowledged that there was a problem, but there appears to be no will to actually enforce the existing regulation so long as there is construction on the adjacent Mystic Street. The proposal is to establish a fixed schedule of fines for parking in the cemetery for any purpose other than cemetery business. We adjourned for the night without any resolution.
Overall, I thought the electronic voting was a net positive. Since there are no more standing votes, there is no real way to tell how your neighbors are voting until after the vote is closed. There is no more appealing to peer pressure. It was funny to see just how excited the moderator appeared to be. We had electronic voting for just about everything. There was one issue with someone believing their vote was not properly recorded. I was concerned with the way votes are displayed. The system shows how many votes have been received as the voting period counts down. The system then switches to show the yes and no vote counts. There were several occasions when the vote tally from the first screen was a few votes behind the sum of votes on the second screen. We were assured that this was just a result of someone entering their vote at the last possible moment, and not a glitch with the system itself. Good enough.
The night started with the customary first night appearance by the Menotomy Minute Men. This is a great tradition, and it is fun (and loud) to have them. We also had a recognition of the 30th anniversary of the town's sister city program with Nagaokakyo, Japan. The mayor was present to make some very kind remarks and acknowledge the efforts of Dick Smith in starting and promoting the relationship.
Dick was one of several town meeting members and other town luminaries who passed away since the close of the previous meeting. There were also acknowledgements for Harry McCabe, Bill Armstrong, Dr. Michael Foley, John Fitzmaurice, and others.
The first "real" bit of business tonight, after the swearing in of new members, was the appointment of Elsie Fiore as the measurer of wood and bark. I believe this will be her third year in the post. This year, I will really try and find a need for buying some wood or bark so I can request a measurement. James O'Connor was reelected as assistant town moderator.
The first article to be discussed was a zoning bylaw amendment to site medical marijuana treatment centers. The recommendation was to allow their location in B3 and B5 districts, which includes the Mass Ave sections of the heights, the center, and the east. There were several speakers who felt that other locations (i.e. further from their house) might be a better option, and that the proposal should have included all business districts. If this extension was to be a serious proposal, those members could have come with an amendment to that effect. However, taking no action at all would open the door to trying to site such a clinic anywhere in town, including non-commercial districts. I voted with the majority in approving the proposed change to the zoning bylaw.
The second major discussion was in regards to extending the town's outdoor lighting bylaw to include lighting from commercial and industrial sources. The bylaw change would allow residents to seek remedy from the building inspector if a light from an abutting property was directed at their house or property. An amendment was proposed to include nearby properties, since the bylaw wouldn't otherwise include light from two properties over if they were causing a problem. I asked for a clarification that this change would not impact events at Robbins Farm Park, since there was an exception for events approved by the BoS, where our events are approved by the PRC. Town council through the chair of the BoS assured me that would not be an issue. I believe I voted for the amendment, which passed. I know I voted for the final article which was adopted.
Articles 7 and 9 had the recommended vote of no action approved. Article 10 was postponed until May 5 to allow time to read the proposed substitute motion. Article 11 was a change to the bylaw allowing for electronic voting to correct a previous error. The voting system allows each individual's vote to be displayed during the meeting. The intent of the original bylaw was that it would display the individual votes if the vote was close, within 6 votes. However, there are many votes that require a two-thirds majority, which could be really close but be far more than 6 votes difference. The change, which I voted for in the majority, changed the definition to being within three votes of the required minimum.
We ended the night in the middle of a discussion regarding parking in the cemetery. This has been a pet cause of Mr. Harrington's for many years. I must say that his presentation was very persuasive, and I hadn't been fully aware of the extent of the problem. From the ensuing discussion, it appears that at present, there are no parking signs in the cemetery. There is no provision in the town's bylaw to ticket and fine these vehicles; the only remedy is towing. The town acknowledged that there was a problem, but there appears to be no will to actually enforce the existing regulation so long as there is construction on the adjacent Mystic Street. The proposal is to establish a fixed schedule of fines for parking in the cemetery for any purpose other than cemetery business. We adjourned for the night without any resolution.
Overall, I thought the electronic voting was a net positive. Since there are no more standing votes, there is no real way to tell how your neighbors are voting until after the vote is closed. There is no more appealing to peer pressure. It was funny to see just how excited the moderator appeared to be. We had electronic voting for just about everything. There was one issue with someone believing their vote was not properly recorded. I was concerned with the way votes are displayed. The system shows how many votes have been received as the voting period counts down. The system then switches to show the yes and no vote counts. There were several occasions when the vote tally from the first screen was a few votes behind the sum of votes on the second screen. We were assured that this was just a result of someone entering their vote at the last possible moment, and not a glitch with the system itself. Good enough.
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