SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
JAMES W. BUCKLEY GYMNASIUM
BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
MONDAY, MARCH 11, 2002 AT 7:00 P.M.
The Moderator called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. All postings of warrants were duly noted as required by Town By-Laws as voted. Town Clerk, Ronald Adams swore in the following counters: Tom Arrighi, Keith Buohl, Daniel J. Buron, Allan R. Chiocca, Peter Colombotos, Marjorie K. Elliott, Wayne Gobbi, Marjorie Elliott, Carlton Hunt, Marybeth Lawton, Herb Lemon, F. Scott Longo, James G. Moore, William O’Neil, Nick Palmieri, Roy E. Piatelli, Tom Pratti, and Phillip Wolfson. Total in attendance 802.
ARTICLE 1. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $7,153.61 from Account #28-254-3590-6, Water Receipts Reserve to Account #28-450-102-5700, Other Charges and Expenses for the purpose of expert witness fees, consultant fees and legal expenses related to Beech Street Wells Land Taking.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 2. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $10,000.00 from Account #28-254-3590-6, Water Receipts Reserve to Account #28-450-102-5700, Other Charges and Expenses for the purposes of preparing a water rate study for the Bridgewater Water Department.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 3. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $95,000.00 from Account #28-254-3590-6, Water Receipts Reserve to Account #28-450-103-5836, Water Exploration for the installation of two (2) permanent gravel packed wells and running a five (5) day pumping test on the future wells at Well Site No. 10.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 4. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $40,860.00 from Account #17-122-704-5961, Court and Registry Fine Account to the following accounts:
Ø $37,360.00 to Account #1-210-104-5872, New Cruiser Account for the
purchase of a new marked cruiser; and
Ø $3,500.00 to Account #1-210-103-5339, Lease Motorcycle Account.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 5. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $13,000.00 from Account #1-970-101-5110, Wage Adjustment Account to Account 1-122-103-5361, Computer Technician Consultant, in order to fund the cost of a contract for a computer technician consultant for the balance of Fiscal Year 2002.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 6. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $35,000.00 from Account #1-970-101-5110, Wage Adjustment Account to Account #1-220-101-5129, Dispatchers, in order to fund salary costs for public safety dispatchers.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 7. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $30,000.00 from Account #1-254-3590, Free Cash to Account #1-210-103-5410, Cruiser Laptops & Software, for the purpose of purchasing laptop computers and upgrading software.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 8. To see whether or not the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer the sum of $7,076.00 from Account #17-220-712-5961, False Alarm Reserve Account to Account #1-220-102-5259, Vehicle Maintenance for unforeseen repairs to vehicles and apparatus, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Motion to take no action on Article 8. Motion Carries
ARTICLE 9. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $1,000,000.00 from Account #1-254-3590, Free Cash to Account #82-145-3750-4971, Stabilization Fund.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 10. To see whether or not the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer the sum of $504.00 from Account#1-254-3590, Free Cash to Account #1-420-102-5543, Road Maintenance Supplies to cover the cost of materials for the drain pipe on the Hogg Property at the rear of Crescent Drive to alleviate flooding problems, or to take any other action relative thereto.
ARTICLE 11. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $182,267.00 from Account #1-254-3590, Free Cash to Account #1-911-102-5691, Contributory Retirement Account.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 12. It was unanimously voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $3,800.00 from Account #1-186-103-5355, GIS Consultant Account to Account #1-186-101-5113, Assistant Development Coordinator’s Account, for the purpose of covering salary shortfalls for temporary personnel.
Unanimous
ARTICLE 13. It was voted that the Town appropriate and transfer the sum of $20,000.00 from Account #26-254-3190-6, Olde Scotland Links Enterprise Fund to Account #1-455-102-5407, Pro Shop Supplies.
Passed
ARTICLE 14. It was voted that the Towns of Bridgewater and Raynham approve the amount of the $76,500,000.00 debt authorized by the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School Committee for the purpose of financing the costs of constructing and equipping a new Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, including costs incidental and related thereto; which votes provide that no debt shall be issued thereunder unless and until the Towns shall have voted to exempt the debt service on its apportioned share of any bonds or notes issued hereunder from the limitations of Proposition 2 ½, so called, and provided further, that no debt other than for engineering, architectural, and design services costs shall be incurred for this Project thereunder unless and until the Project shall have been placed on a school building assistance priority list by the State Department of Education.
Standing Vote Count- Yes: 430
No: 219
Passed
Motion to reconsider in hopes it would fail. Motion Carries
ARTICLE 15. It was voted that the Town accept Sections 3 to 7, inclusive, of Chapter 44B of the General Laws, otherwise known as the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act, by approving a surcharge on real property for the purposes permitted by said Act, including the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, the acquisition and preservation of historic resources, the acquisition, creation and preservation of land for recreational use, the creation, preservation and support of community housing, and the rehabilitation and restoration of such open space, historic resources, land for recreational use and community housing that is acquired or created as provided under said Act; to determine the amount of such surcharge on real property as a percentage of the annual real estate tax levy against real property; to determine whether the Town will accept any of the exemptions from such surcharge permitted under Section 3 (e) of said Act; (see attached “Exhibit A”)
Motion to amend Article 15 by adding the following language in Exhibit A as an additional exemption:
$100,000.00 of the value of each taxable parcel of residential real property.
Passed
PROPOSED TOWN MEETING VOTE:
VOTED: that the Town hereby accepts Sections 3 to 7, inclusive, of Chapter 44B of the General Laws, otherwise known as the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act, by approving a surcharge on real property for the purposes permitted by said Act, including the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, the acquisition and preservation of historic resources, the acquisition, creation and preservation of land for recreational use, the creation, preservation and support of community housing, and the rehabilitation and restoration of such open space, historic resources, land for recreational use and community housing that is acquired or created as provided under said Act; that the amount of such surcharge shall be three (3) percent of the annual real estate tax levy against real property; that the Town hereby accepts the exemptions from such surcharge permitted under Section 3 (e) of said Act: property owned and occupied as a domicile by any person who qualifies for low income housing or low or moderate income senior housing in the Town, as defined in Section 2 of said Act; and $100,000.00 of the value of each taxable parcel of residential real property; and that the Town hereby amends its By-Laws to add the following:
Article XXXXI
Community Preservation Act By-Law
Section 1 - Establishment
There is hereby established a Community Preservation Committee, consisting of five (5) voting members pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 44B. The composition of the committee, the appointing authority and the term of office for the committee members shall be as follows:
One member of the Conservation Commission as designated by the Commission for a term of three years;
One member of the Historic District Commission as designated by the Commission for a term of three years;
One member of the Planning Board as designated by the Board for a term of three years;
One member of the Parks Commission designated by the Commission for an initial term of one year and thereafter for a term of three years;
One member of the Housing Authority as designated by the Authority for an initial term of two years and thereafter for a term of three years.
Should any of the Commissions, Boards, Councils or Authorities who have appointing authority under this Article by no longer in existence for whatever reason, the appointing authority for that Commission, Board, Council or Authority shall become the responsibility of the Board of Selectmen.
Section 2 – Duties
A. The Community Preservation Committee shall study the needs,
possibilities and resources of the Town regarding community preservation. The committee shall consult with existing municipal boards, including the Conservation Commission, the Historic District Commission, the Planning Board, the Parks Commission and the Housing Authority, or persons acting in those capacities or performing like duties, in conducting such studies. As part of its study, the committee shall hold one or more public informational hearings on the need, possibilities and resources of the Town regarding community preservation possibilities and resources, notice of which shall be posted publicly and published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Town for each of two (2) successive weeks preceding a hearing.
B. The Community Preservation Committee shall make recommendations to the Town Meeting for the acquisition, creation and preservation of open space, for the acquisition and preservation of historic resources, for the acquisition, creation and preservation of land for recreational use, for the creation, preservation and support of community housing and for rehabilitation or restoration of such open space, historic resources, land for recreational use and community housing that is acquired or created as provided in this section. With respect to community housing, the Community Preservation Committee shall recommend, wherever possible, the re-use of existing buildings or construction of new buildings on previously developed sites.
C. The Community Preservation Committee may include in its recommendation to the Town Meeting a recommendation to set aside for later spending funds for specific purposes that are consistent with community preservation but for which sufficient revenues are not then available in the Community Preservation Fund to accomplish that specific purpose or to set aside for later spending funds for general purposes that are consistent with community preservation.
Section 3 – Requirement for a quorum and cost estimates
The Community Preservation Committee shall not meet or conduct business without the presence of a quorum. A majority of the members of the Community Preservation Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Community Preservation Committee shall approve its actions by a majority vote. Recommendations to the Town Meeting shall include their anticipated costs.
Section 4 – Amendments
This article may be amended from time to time by a majority vote of the Town Meeting, provided that the amendments would not conflict with the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 44B.
Section 5 – Severability
In case any section, paragraph or part of this Article shall for any reason be declared invalid or unconstitutional by any court, every other section, paragraph or part shall continue in full force and effect.
Section 6 – Effective Date
This Article shall take effect immediately upon approval by the Attorney General of the Commonwealth. Each appointing authority shall make its initial appointment (s) in or within ten (10) days of the date of such approval. Should any appointing authority fail to make its appointment within such period of time, the Town Moderator shall make that appointment for the initial term.
*M.G.L. Chapter 44B Sections 3-7 known as the Community Preservation Act shall only take effect upon majority vote at the April 27, 2002, Annual Town Election.
Motion made to adjourn and duly seconded.
Meeting adjourned at 11:35 p.m.
A true copy, Attest:
Ronald R. Adams
Town Clerk