SPECIAL
TOWN MEETING
COMMONWEALTH
OF MASSACHUSETTS
PLYMOUTH, SS.
To
any Constable or Justice of the Peace of the Town of Bridgewater, in the County
of Plymouth,.....GREETINGS:
In
the name of the Commonwealth you are hereby directed to notify and warn the
Inhabitants of the Town of Bridgewater qualified to Vote in Election and Town
Affairs, to meet at the:
JAMES
W. BUCKLEY GYMNASIUM
BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM
REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
AT
7:00 P.M.
ARTICLE
1. To see whether or not the Town will
vote to 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, or to take any
other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Water & Sewer Commissioners.
ARTICLE 2. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other
action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Water & Sewer Commissioners.
ARTICLE 3. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Water & Sewer Commissioners.
ARTICLE 4. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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,
or
to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Police Department.
ARTICLE 5. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Board of Selectmen.
ARTICLE 6. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Board of Selectmen.
ARTICLE 7. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer the sum of
$30,000.00 from Account #16-122-822-6, Prison Mitigation Transfer to Account
#1-210-103-5410, Cruiser Laptops & Software, for the purpose of purchasing
laptop computers and upgrading software, or to take any other action relative
thereto.
Article
submitted by the Board of Selectmen.
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.
Article
submitted by the Fire Department.
ARTICLE 9. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Advisory Board.
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
submitted by the Highway Department.
ARTICLE 11. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Treasurer/Collector.
ARTICLE 12. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other
action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Community Development Director.
ARTICLE 13. To
see whether or not the Town will vote to 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, or to take any other action
relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Olde Scotland Links Golf Commission.
ARTICLE 14. To
see if the Towns of Bridgewater and Raynham will vote to 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, or to take any other action relative thereto.
Article
submitted by the Bridgewater-Raynham Regional School Committee.
ARTICLE 15. To see whether or not the Town will vote
to 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; or to take any other
action relative thereto. (see
attached “Exhibit A”)
Article
submitted by the Local Open Space/Community Preservation Committee.
And
you are hereby directed to serve this warrant by posting attested copies
thereof as directed by the By-Laws of the Town, at least fourteen (14) days
before the time of holding the aforesaid Meeting.
HEREOF
FAIL NOT, and make due return of this Warrant, with your doings thereon, to the
Town Clerk at the time and place of meeting aforesaid.
GIVEN
under our hands and seals this 25th Day of February, 2002.
__________________________________
Gerald
P. Chipman, Chairman
__________________________________
James
A. Nihan, Clerk
A True Copy
Attest:
_______________________________
Justice of the
Peace
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
exemption 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 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.