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.