We're done! A new record since I've been at Town Meeting. At 9:02 on Night Four, we dissolved the Annual Town Meeting. An hour and a half later, we dissolved the Special Town Meeting as well. It was a good night filled with good debate. It even had a fitting end.
Tonight was supposed too start with the Special, but we were so close to finishing the Annual, the Moderator recommended finishing with the appropriations, starting where we left off in the Town Budgets. There were only 4 left, and there was very little discussion. The budgets were easily approved. We then discussed the appropriation for committees and commissions. We had an odd amendment presented. The proponent sought to strike some language regarding oversight of consultants being under the direction of the Town Manager. This was a change from previous years, and the request was to strike the language and bring it up in a subsequent special town meeting. This could have been addressed by actually asking why the language was inserted, but that was not this member's agenda. The Manager did address the question, noting the difficulty all volunteer boards have monitoring the day-to-day operations of consultants. Since there was a sizable appropriation specifically for a consultant, the oversight clause was added. The Meeting resoundingly voted down the amendment and approved the original appropriation language.
Next up were OPEB and Free Cash. A member held these two out of the consent agenda so the new members could benefit from an explanation of these two items. The Moderator noted that there is a well attended new member session where this is explained. The discussion and positive votes were over quickly, but it posed an interesting question. Whose responsibility is it to help new members understand some of the specifics of the votes we are asked to take? Is it the Moderator, who has taken it upon himself to provide that training. Is it up to the more senior members to slow down the meeting as we go along to provide more insight? Is it up to the new members to seek out answers to questions they have? I'm not sure what happened tonight was the most efficient use of the meeting's time.
We approved the town's annual contribution to the long term stabilization (rainy day) fund without debate. We approved an appropriation into the fiscal stability stabilization fund established to hold the excess funds raised by the last override until needed. That money will start to be spent next year. We then jumped back to approve the collective bargaining agreements negotiated to date. I felt sorry that the raises to the library staff were lower than to the other bargaining units, but they were all approved by the unions and the meeting. All that was left was to close the article on accepting reports and dissolve the meeting.
Since it was so early, we delved right into the special town meeting. After accepting reports, we started with a proposed extension of the current moratorium on recreational marijuana stores until the end of the year, The state released guidelines in March, long after the close of the town meeting warrant in January. The delay will give the town an opportunity to enact local laws governing where and how a business gets sited. This was also an object lesson in the maxim that the Moderator repeats every year: if you go on too long, your supporters will turn against you. I came in fully supporting the extension. One of the first speakers launched into a diatribe on a whole bunch of issues related to marijuana, but not to the topic of the article. After many requests to keep to the scope of the article, all ignores, the moderator tried to intervene. He was also ignored. At his point, I was ready to vote down the moratorium. There was then a really positive argument for not extending the moratorium. The state and town have been very efficient in "slow rolling" the legislation to delay the legalization as long as possible within the confines of the law. Recreational marijuana can be a replacement for opiates, helping addicts move to something far less dangerous. Another reason to vote no. However, the issue is without local bylaws, the town gives up its ability to direct the development of new stores, allowing them to be located anywhere business is allowed. This is a real issue, so in the end I did vote for the extension. I hope there will be new zoning recommendations in the fall to address this topic.
Next up was a proposal to refer to the Residential Study Group the task of trying to develop new residential development guidelines aimed at stopping "bad" teardowns while sill encouraging "good" teardowns. Given all the controversy surrounding this topic, they will have their work cut out for them. There were a couple of people against the new developments. There were some people who livein those developments. In what was the most controversial vote (that I was present for) so far this year, it was approved 157-35. I wish that committee good luck.
We approved a home rule petition to request that the town be allowed to set a different (higher) income threshold for property tax deferrals. The current rate is set by the state. The article we approved will allow the town, after a vote from the Select Board and Town Meeting to set a higher rate, allowing more seniors the option of seeking a deferral. There was then a no action vote on means-tested tax relief, because there wasn't a vote approved for us to vote upon.
The next article sought to add an additional liquor license for a retail outlet. We have five package stores in town, but six is better than five. There is a "defecit" in the Heights, where this store would be given priority. There were several speakers against the proposal stating that you can just go up to Berman's in Lexington. As far as I'm concerned, keeping that income and revenue within the town is a better option. The police chief confirmed that his department would be just as able to oversee compliance of six outlets as well as the current five. This was an even closer vote, but it passed 126-67. This now needs to be ratified by the state before it can go before the town voters next spring.
The last article sought to remove gender-specific language from throughout the town's bylaws. This is the logical compliment to changing the name of the BoS. There we many speakers for the article, and only a few against it. The later focused on the cost involved in making the changes and the possibility of changing the intention of the bylaws while addressing gender-specific language. In the end, the proponent of the original BoS article called to end debate, a very appropriate gesture. The article was passed, we disolved the meeting, and we all went home.
I have been thinking about the take-away lessons from this meeting. In a lot of ways, we rubber-stamped the recommendations from the town's leadership by wide margins. I personally feel this is more a statement about the quality of the research and though that goes into the recommended votes rather than a criticism of the meeting members. As a few members notes throughout the proceedings, it is really astonishing how professional and knowledgeable the leadership of the town really is.
It was also a really positive development to see more women come to the fore at town meeting. There were several new voices this year, and they were really impressive. I am really excited about where this body and this town are headed.
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I realize that I never wrote any notes after the February Special Town Meeting. After 18 months of work on the recodified zoning bylaw, I was so burned out and tired. I started some notes but gave up. I'll try again later on.
Thursday, May 3, 2018
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
2018 Town Meeting - Night Three
I wasn't able to get to Town Meeting tonight until around 8:30. I had a work commitment in Billerica at 8:00 for all of 10 minutes. However, I ended up just missing the presentation, discussion, and vote on the Minuteman School budget.
Next up was the Town Budget Appropriation. First, we participated in what has been a common occurrence this year, correcting typos. (More on that later.) We then started going through the budgets one-by-one. We had the usual "how much salt did we use" discussions, the "why are we spending so much more on this this year than last year" questions, and the "while we're discussing this department's budget, I have a question about the department" questions.
We made it through all but four of the budgets tonight, including the school budget. On Wednesday night, we will start with the Special Town Meeting. This seven article meeting is called to address issues that need to move on a quicker pace. We should be able to do it in less than a night.
We have seen an unusually large number of typos in the reports issued to town meeting this year. The authors are all very apologetic, and I understand how they arise. It is however, disconcerting to not be certain that the information being presented is accurate. I hope that the committees can give themselves the extra time that they need to proofread their information next year.
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What happens on the floor of Town Meeting is only a part of the meeting. The conversations that take place at the break and immediately after adjourning are a huge part of what we do. I had a conversation with the Building Commissioner regarding a constituent matter, the ZBA budget, and what the department does with incoming fees. I then spoke with the Police Chief about reporting overnight parking violations. I was able to find out whether a particular project was eligible for Symmes Fund funding. Lastly, I was able to speak with the DPW Director about the signal at Swan Place. These conversations are possible because all of the department heads need to be at Town Meeting to answer questions and defend their budget requests. This is the most informative aspect of Town Meeting
Next up was the Town Budget Appropriation. First, we participated in what has been a common occurrence this year, correcting typos. (More on that later.) We then started going through the budgets one-by-one. We had the usual "how much salt did we use" discussions, the "why are we spending so much more on this this year than last year" questions, and the "while we're discussing this department's budget, I have a question about the department" questions.
We made it through all but four of the budgets tonight, including the school budget. On Wednesday night, we will start with the Special Town Meeting. This seven article meeting is called to address issues that need to move on a quicker pace. We should be able to do it in less than a night.
We have seen an unusually large number of typos in the reports issued to town meeting this year. The authors are all very apologetic, and I understand how they arise. It is however, disconcerting to not be certain that the information being presented is accurate. I hope that the committees can give themselves the extra time that they need to proofread their information next year.
===
What happens on the floor of Town Meeting is only a part of the meeting. The conversations that take place at the break and immediately after adjourning are a huge part of what we do. I had a conversation with the Building Commissioner regarding a constituent matter, the ZBA budget, and what the department does with incoming fees. I then spoke with the Police Chief about reporting overnight parking violations. I was able to find out whether a particular project was eligible for Symmes Fund funding. Lastly, I was able to speak with the DPW Director about the signal at Swan Place. These conversations are possible because all of the department heads need to be at Town Meeting to answer questions and defend their budget requests. This is the most informative aspect of Town Meeting
Thursday, April 26, 2018
2018 Town Meeting - Night Two
What an historic night here at Town Hall. It started frustratingly for me, but it ended so well. I managed to get into my seat right as the meeting came to order. I would have been early, but for the light at Swan Place. I waited through 3 cycles at Pleasant Street without a green light at Swan. I had hoped to find Chief Ryan or Mike Rademacher at break to see who has jurisdiction and see if there is an issue with the signal. I was unable to get to my question, so I'll have to use the town's Online Answer Center.
Town Meeting started with the Star Spangled Banner played by our Assistant Town Moderator, James O'Conor. We then heard a report from the Permanent Town Building Committee. They have officially completed renovating all 7 elementary schools! They are now working on the renovation to the Gibbs School, planning for renovations to the High School and the DPW Yard (the AHS has a separate building committee), and needed improvements to the Senior Center.
We then had a very long, a very, very long explanation of what the Pension Board does. This is an important function within the down. However, the explanation was for me, a blur of numbers and acronyms. The final report of the evening came from the the Master Plan Implementation Committee. With the passing of the Recodified Zoning Bylaw back in February, we are now embarking on changing the test of the bylaw to encourage the types of development outlined in the Master Plan.
In an unusual move, the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen rose to apologize for the large quantities of typos in the Selectmen's report this year. He noted it probably wasn't a good idea to start a new job and take up the chairmanship on the same day. He promised that they would do better next year.
As discussed on Monday, rather than picking up where we left off, we tabled several articles to move onto the Capital Budget. The chairman, Mr. Foskett gave a very good primer and presentation on what the Capital Budget is and how it is funded. There was good discussion about some of the items, including a couple of errors. The work of this committee is always appreciated, and the Meeting overwhelmingly approved the budget.
We then tabled several more articles and took up the Community Preservation Fund appropriation. We learned about what projects the money has been used for in the past couple of years, and what it will be spent on this upcoming year. Although we didn't learn why the Community Preservation Committee isn't called the CPC as was promised on Monday, we did heartily approve the allocation. [This is a friendly jab at Eric, who promised on Monday that he would explain. The reason is that we already have a CPC, the Capitol Planning Committee. We don't want to double up on TLA's.]
After break, we took all the articles back off the table and went back to where we left off on Monday night. Article 19 was proposed to create a Finance Department. I had expected a lot of discussion, but there was almost no discussion at all. It was accepted 200-7. For the first time, we have all the town's various financial managers working together. I look forward to the efficiencies that will come with this consolidation. One aspect I hadn't considered until it was mentioned in the presentation was the possibility for mentorship and development of the lower level managers who don't often have contact with their peers between departments. This should be a great opportunity for them as well.
The big event of the night was Article 20, a bylaw amendment to change the name of the Board of Selectmen to a non-gender specific title. This was a "ten registered voter" article, meaning that it came from the citizens rather than from a government body. The recommended vote, called for the new name to be the "Select Board." Some think it sounds clunky or doesn't explain what it is. There were two substitute motions: one to use the term "Town Council" instead, and a second to establish a committee to explore options for a better name and report back to Town Meeting next year. Naomi Greenfield, a sponsor of the amendment and second year Member, gave one of the best speeches at Town Meeting this year. She very persuasively made the case that this change away from the male-centric language was long overdue, vital given the low representation of women in town government, and in the best interests of the town as a whole. I opposed the name "Town Council" because we have a "Town Counsel", and homophones are very confusing things. (Thanks to Jen Susse for making that point on the floor.) I thought the most moving speech was from Selectman Kevin Greeley. He spoke about how he came to realize that he had been wrong to oppose this change in the past; that it was important to have the board to reflect all the diversity in town; that if choice of words was an impediment, than those words need to change, but that the term "Select" is of historic significance going back to before the town's founding and should be retained. There was then a motion to end debate, premature in my opinion, which passed in spite of my opposition. The two substitute motions were beaten down mightily, and the Meeting changed the name to loud applause.
The next article was also a name change. Vision 2020 was founded in the 90's when 2020 was way off. It is now almost upon us, so the committee was seeking to change their name and sharpen their mission. After a unanimous vote, they are now "Envision Arlington."
We then passed several articles in quick succession. There as a "no action" vote on accepting local option taxes (nothing was proposed at the state level in time for the town to act), the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG, sponsored by HUD) funding allocation was approved, the reporting on revolving funds was accepted, as were positions reclassification within town government. We tabled the approval of collective bargaining agreements until the end of Town Meeting to give the Town Manager an opportunity to complete the negotiations before we vote on them.
Lastly, we approved the appropriation of the town's parking meter income. I hadn't realized that the meters are leased. This year, the funds are being held or rolled back into the program. Starting next year, the funds will be used within the "parking improvement district" where the meters are located.
That was the last item for this night. We adjourned early at 10:56. Next Monday, Meeting is scheduled to start with the Minuteman Budget, the School Department Budget, and the Town Budgets. I unfortunately have a work conflict. I need to be at a Zoning Board hearing in Billerica at 8:00. I have a Zipcar reserved at the Russell Commons Lot, so I can boogie back as quickly as I can.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
2018 Town Meeting - Night One
Welcome back to Town Meeting! Many thanks to the voters of Precinct 10 for reelecting me. It has truly been a pleasure serving our neighborhood these past many years, and I look forward to the challenges and joys of the upcoming three years.
We held our joint precinct meeting with precinct 8 yesterday afternoon. After reviewing the warrant, we had a lively discussion on a variety of topics relating to our town and our neighborhoods in particular. We spoke about a need to consider spending priorities for the aging in our town, rather than only focusing on our school needs. We talked about traffic calming measures for Jason Street. The most interesting idea was to use the town's reverse 911 system to call residents to remind them of election day in an effort to get better voter turn-out.
Tonight was opening night of the 2018 Annual Town Meeting. We started in the usual way with the Menotomy Minutemen marching in and playing the national anthem. I hadn't noticed the date on their flag before. The militia was formed only 13 days before the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Dan Dunn presented the state of the town address, focusing on the success we've had over the last year and the challenges we are going to be facing. After swearing in the new members, taking a minute to remember those who have passed, and accepting reports, we moved onto the first real votes of the night. First up was the election of the Measurer of Wood and Bark. Elsie Fiore was easily reelected on a voice vote. Similarly, James O'Conor was reelected as our Assistant Town Moderator.
We then moved onto the consent agenda. This is a list of usually non-controversial votes and non-issues that we vote on all at once to move things along. There are usually a few items that are taken off the agenda so they can be addressed in depth. Tonight, however, there was some one who seemed bent on taking things off the agenda just for the sake of doing it. They had nothing to discuss and no alternate language. I thought it was annoying and disrespectful to the time of the members. In the end we passed and increase for town employee survivor benefits, rescinding borrowing authorizations from prior years, funding for reconstruction sewers and mains, funding for town celebrations, the water bodies fund, the Harry Barber service program, pension adjustment, reallocating overlay reserve funds, funding cemeteries, and miscellaneous appropriations.
Starting with article 6, we now started working in order down the warrant. We approved a change to the makeup of the Capital Planning Committee to allow them up to two extra members to help with high volumes of work in certain years. We voted to refer a question on whether to continue mailing the warrant to the government subcommittee of Vision 2020. We added some categories to the town charges that can be added to a lien on property. We voted to end a particular funding letter in favor of several online resources. This was all done relatively quickly.
The first article to garner a lot of discussion was an article making changes to the town's dog ordinances. The changes, structured on state statute, allows the local police more discretion in how to address animal complaints. There were some speakers who felt this went too far, especially in light of the state laws, but the majority felt it was an appropriate measure. It passed handily.
We also spent some time discussing changes to the vacant storefront registry. The proposal was to allow more time for owners to rent their property when it became vacant. Some of the discussion was due to unfamiliarity with the articles (do your homework, people) and an unease about allowing certain town staff the power to grant waivers. In the end, this passed easily.
The longest discussion of the night revolved around the town's Betterment Bylaw. This allows owners of private ways a mechanism to get streets paved when not all owners want to do it. The changes would allow more flexibility, allow the town to make emergency repairs at its discretion, and better define when the town is an abutter. Most of the discussion revolved around individual streets and local concerns. It was great to hear from a lot of unfamiliar names, but the discussion wasn't entirely within the scope of the article. This too was passed by a large margin.
We approved the creation of an Arlington Council for the Arts to serve as an umbrella for the myriad arts organizations in town. We increased the fee for removing a protected tree during the development of a parcel of land. We upheld no action votes on noise abatement, starting town meeting earlier at night, and changing the demolition delay ordinance.
The last action of the night was to change the Comptroller position to be an appointment under the Town Manager. Several protections were included to protect the integrity and autonomy of the position. We moved quickly to approve it, and them adjourned for the night.
It felt like we spent most of our time picking up typos in the articles. I think we really need someone to spend some time checking this language before it gets set in the bylaws.
Alright, it's late and I need to go to bed. We will pick back up on Wednesday with a discussion of the Capital Budget before backing up to where we left off tonight. Next Monday, which I will miss a portion of due to a business conflict, will focus on budgets. A week from Wednesday will be the special town meeting articles. That might be all the time we need.
We held our joint precinct meeting with precinct 8 yesterday afternoon. After reviewing the warrant, we had a lively discussion on a variety of topics relating to our town and our neighborhoods in particular. We spoke about a need to consider spending priorities for the aging in our town, rather than only focusing on our school needs. We talked about traffic calming measures for Jason Street. The most interesting idea was to use the town's reverse 911 system to call residents to remind them of election day in an effort to get better voter turn-out.
Tonight was opening night of the 2018 Annual Town Meeting. We started in the usual way with the Menotomy Minutemen marching in and playing the national anthem. I hadn't noticed the date on their flag before. The militia was formed only 13 days before the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Dan Dunn presented the state of the town address, focusing on the success we've had over the last year and the challenges we are going to be facing. After swearing in the new members, taking a minute to remember those who have passed, and accepting reports, we moved onto the first real votes of the night. First up was the election of the Measurer of Wood and Bark. Elsie Fiore was easily reelected on a voice vote. Similarly, James O'Conor was reelected as our Assistant Town Moderator.
We then moved onto the consent agenda. This is a list of usually non-controversial votes and non-issues that we vote on all at once to move things along. There are usually a few items that are taken off the agenda so they can be addressed in depth. Tonight, however, there was some one who seemed bent on taking things off the agenda just for the sake of doing it. They had nothing to discuss and no alternate language. I thought it was annoying and disrespectful to the time of the members. In the end we passed and increase for town employee survivor benefits, rescinding borrowing authorizations from prior years, funding for reconstruction sewers and mains, funding for town celebrations, the water bodies fund, the Harry Barber service program, pension adjustment, reallocating overlay reserve funds, funding cemeteries, and miscellaneous appropriations.
Starting with article 6, we now started working in order down the warrant. We approved a change to the makeup of the Capital Planning Committee to allow them up to two extra members to help with high volumes of work in certain years. We voted to refer a question on whether to continue mailing the warrant to the government subcommittee of Vision 2020. We added some categories to the town charges that can be added to a lien on property. We voted to end a particular funding letter in favor of several online resources. This was all done relatively quickly.
The first article to garner a lot of discussion was an article making changes to the town's dog ordinances. The changes, structured on state statute, allows the local police more discretion in how to address animal complaints. There were some speakers who felt this went too far, especially in light of the state laws, but the majority felt it was an appropriate measure. It passed handily.
We also spent some time discussing changes to the vacant storefront registry. The proposal was to allow more time for owners to rent their property when it became vacant. Some of the discussion was due to unfamiliarity with the articles (do your homework, people) and an unease about allowing certain town staff the power to grant waivers. In the end, this passed easily.
The longest discussion of the night revolved around the town's Betterment Bylaw. This allows owners of private ways a mechanism to get streets paved when not all owners want to do it. The changes would allow more flexibility, allow the town to make emergency repairs at its discretion, and better define when the town is an abutter. Most of the discussion revolved around individual streets and local concerns. It was great to hear from a lot of unfamiliar names, but the discussion wasn't entirely within the scope of the article. This too was passed by a large margin.
We approved the creation of an Arlington Council for the Arts to serve as an umbrella for the myriad arts organizations in town. We increased the fee for removing a protected tree during the development of a parcel of land. We upheld no action votes on noise abatement, starting town meeting earlier at night, and changing the demolition delay ordinance.
The last action of the night was to change the Comptroller position to be an appointment under the Town Manager. Several protections were included to protect the integrity and autonomy of the position. We moved quickly to approve it, and them adjourned for the night.
It felt like we spent most of our time picking up typos in the articles. I think we really need someone to spend some time checking this language before it gets set in the bylaws.
Alright, it's late and I need to go to bed. We will pick back up on Wednesday with a discussion of the Capital Budget before backing up to where we left off tonight. Next Monday, which I will miss a portion of due to a business conflict, will focus on budgets. A week from Wednesday will be the special town meeting articles. That might be all the time we need.
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