I’ve received the packet for the Special Town Meeting that will be held Sept. 10th @ 7pm.
The meeting packet consisted of:
- Town Meeting notice
- Town Meeting warrant
- Town Meeting background information
- Letter regarding dispatch services from Robert J. Escott, Jr., Fire Chief
- List of issues with Police Chief’s vehicle w/ estimate and photos — not sure which 5th grader wrote this, but they shouldn’t be allowed to provide official public communication again. They could have simply said that the cost to fix the car will be more than the car is worth. Also, after a lengthy google search, I feel the estimates provided by the “reputable” repair shop are a bit inflated.
- Corrections to the packet — grammar, typos, and incorrect information — will be noted after Town Meeting.
There are 14 articles on the warrant, consisting of:
- Authorization for the use of retained earnings to reduce the sewer rate
- Changing the method of financing for Article 12 of the May 5, 2012 Annual Town Meeting
- Rescinding the remaining borrowing authority for the combined sewer overflow project
- Ratifying a one-year agreement with First Light Hydro Generating Company and the Town for FY 2013
- Replacing the backstop at Unity Park
- Increasing FY 2013 Operating Budget of Dispatch department
- Appropriating $15,000 to replace the police chief’s vehicle
- Appropriating funds for a Police Chief Assessment Center
- Appropriating additional funds for Strathmore Mill cleanup
- Appropriating of funds for Board of Director Insurance for the Montague EDIC
- Changing to Article 2, Section 2 of Town by-laws to change number of FINCOMM members on the committee and needed to make quorum
- Taking action to designate land located at the Turnpike Road landfill site as a priority development site in anticipation of developing the property as an industrial park
- Authorizing the Board of Selectmen to convey the St. Anne’s Rectory building
- Establish revolving fund for the Town’s recycling program
According to the town meeting notice, meeting members who are unable to attend should contact the Town Clerk by noon that day instead of 5:30pm – as it has been. Hopefully this change will allow us to actually begin at 7pm instead of 7:30 – as it has been.
At the time of this post, the Town website doesn’t have any information about the meeting posted. It doesn’t even have the vote tallies / results of the last three meetings!
See you next Monday.