UPDATED, May 17: The 2014 annual Town Meeting concluded its business on Wednesday, May 14, with session No. 6. The meeting approved the capital budget, 172-7; shot down a substitute motion on reducing extracurricular fees, 77-105-1; supported transferring cemetery funds, 129-46; and endorsed appropriating money for the future use of electronic voting.
Selectman Joesph Curro said May 15 that he thought electronic voting may have saved members an extra night of deliberation.
For details, see Dan Dunn’s blog >> | How members voted: Session No. 6
Opinion: Humor: Avocado | Tweets abouts session 3 through 5 | Beal’s view of school fees
Budgets adopted after issues raised
In session No. 5, Monday, May 12, members approved the town budgets unanimously after discussing a number of them. Precinct 13 member Stephen Harrington wants to see expenditures, not budgeted amounts reported. He raised questions about an assessors’ database, the ambulance revolving fund and the 6-percent raise in retirement costs.
For details, see Dan Dunn’s blog >> | How members voted: Session No. 5
Opinion: Beal on painfully long budget discussions
No. 4: Minuteman agreement, Community Preservation approved
In session No. 4 on Wednesday, May 7, members unenthusiastically supported a regional agreement governing Minuteman High School municipalities and the Minuteman budget as well as voting, 128-77, to back the Community Preservation Act, which will go to town voters in November.
For details, see Dan Dunn’s blog >> | How members voted: Session No. 4
Opinion: Beal assesses CPA issue | Schlichtman on Minuteman
No. 3: Cemetery Commission measure fails
In session No. 3 on Monday, May 5, members discussed the Community Preservation Act at length, and with quality arguments, but have not yet voted. The meeting rejected a motion asking that cemetery commissioners be elected rather than appointed and supported no action on a move to permit second water meters.
For details, see Dan Dunn’s blog >> | How members voted: Session No. 3
Opinion: Beal on Community Preservation Act
No. 2: Ballot measer to increase liquor licenses OK’d
In session No. 2 on Wednesday, April 30, during a Special Town Meeting, members voted to put on the ballot a request to increase all-alcohol restaurant licenses to 20, passed a 2.75-percent raise for police patrolmen and transferred funds to cover Peirce School damage.
Resuming the annual meeting, addressing Mt. Pleasant Cemetery parking, members adopted a wording change from Sean Harrington and rejected a substitute motion from Stephen Harrington seeking to restrict parking. They also voted in favor of a town poet laureate, rules about public music and issues involving Venner Road.
For details, see Dunn’s blog >> | How members voted: Special | Annual
Opinion: Beal on cemetery parking | Beal on marijuana discussion, vote
No. 1: In first e-vote, meeting backs marijuana zoning
Town Meeting opened Monday, April 28, and members adapted smoothly to the first electronic voting in the meeting’s history. Selectmen Dan Dunn, in his blog, called the vote totals some of the highest he can recall.
At session No. 1, members adopted a zoning change designating areas for a medical marijuana dispensary, approved an article aiming to control light cast on residential properties and passed a measure changing language in an electronic-voting measure.
For details, see Dunn’s blog | For impressions, see Wes Beal’s blog >>
How members voted: town website >>
Board of Selectmen Chairman Steven M. Byrne presented the State of the Town address.
The town webmaster is poosting voting results of warrant articles, any resolutions and actions on the town’s website by the end of the day following a meeting session.
Members of the public are welcome to attend but are restricted to balcony seating. Only Town Meeting members are allowed on the floor while the meeting is in session, Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 until 11 p.m., until all articles are voted.
Follow Town Meeting Online, on TV
Dunn continues to write summaries about sessions on his blog, as is Precinct 4 meeting member Wes Beal (see below). If others are blogging about Town Meeting, let the publisher know at sprague.bob at gmail.com.
Opinion
Beal’s impressions, April 26: An introvert may also serve.
Kurt Fusaris’s Avocado takes a bite out of the upcoming meeting.
Documents now available include the warrant, a listing of Town Meeting members, reports to Town Meeting, 2013 annual report and the fiscal 2015 financial plan. Find this information at arlingtonma.gov/townmeeting.
Watch Town Meeting on TV. Arlington Community Media (ACMi) plans to air Town Meeting live every Monday and Wednesday evening on the government channel until the session ends, with replays throughout the week.
Visit ACMi’s website for full Town Meeting coverage, including video-on-demand of Town Meeting and warrant-article proponent segments, at acmi.tv.
A list of Town Meeting members for all precincts as well as information about Town Meeting can be found at arlingtonma.gov/townmeeting.
This pages was created Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, and updated May 17, 2014.
