The 2014 Annual Town Meeting opened on Wednesday, April 16 and closed on Thursday, April 17.
Below are the votes from 2014 Annual Town Meeting (click here for the Warrant):
- To Hear Reports (click here to see the Annual Town Report 2013) – done
- Acceptance of Monies from Contributors – approved
- Borrowing Authorization – approved
- Authorize Board of Selectmen and Supt of Schools/Three Year Contracts – approved
- OPEB Trust Fund – approved (with $272,500 designated)
- Amend the Personnel Salary Administration Plan – approved
- Transfer Money Between and Among Various Accounts – approved
- Budgets – $46.8 million – approved with amendment adding itemized list to Capital Budgets (without assigned dollars per item) and reduction to Planning Board Budget
- General Government Capital Items – approved
- Renew Revolving Funds – approved
- Ongoing Maintenance of Capital Equipment – approved
- Community Preservation Committee for FY 2015 Set Aside – approved
- Appropriation from CPA Funds – Chestnut Hill Bond – approved
- Appropriation from CPA Funds – Fire and Police Memorial Project – approved
- Accept as a Public Way Maple Street Extension – approved
- Accept a Parcel of Land as Open Space – off Fisher Road and Barn Lane – approved
- Amend Chapter 174 (Zoning) of the Code of the Town of Southborough – Marijuana Dispensary – approved
- Insert new text of Chapter 19 of the Code of the Town of Southborough – Flood Insurance – approved
- Amend Zoning Bylaw, Section 174-89 – Flood Plain Maps – approved
- Amend Chapter 174 of the Code of the Town of Southborough – Site Plan Review – indefinitely postponed
- Change Town Clerk from Elected to Appointed Position – failed
- Change Reporting Relationships of the Chiefs of Police, Fire and DPW (This is to shift the chiefs’ reporting from Board of Selectman to Town Administrator. That includes giving the Town Administrator authority to appoint these positions. The Police and Fire Chief appointments are qualified as “subject to the approval of the Board of Selectmen”. The TA also has authority only to recommend removal to BOS of those two chiefs. The article doesn’t specify dismissal procedures for DPW chief.) – failed
- Citizen’s Petition – Donations – indefinitely postponed
- Citizen’s Petition – Split Tax Rate – failed
- Citizens’ Petition – Additional License for Sale of Alcoholic Beverages (request by Panzano’s, allows town to petition legislature for additional license to the location) – passed
- Citizen’s Petition – Additional License for Sale of Alcoholic Beverages (request by Sperry’s allows town to petition legislature for additional license to the location) – passed
- Citizen’s Petition – Create Main Street Reconstruction Review Committee – failed by 3 votes
- Citizen’s Petition – Fund Work of the Main Street Reconstruction Committee – indefinitely postponed
- Citizen’s Petition – Renovation of 9/11 Field – passed
- Citizen’s Petition – Amend Zoning Map (This was part of the mediated solution for the town’s zoning dispute with the Gulbankian family) – passed
A note re voter spending: The Town Meeting voters do decide, however, because of Proposition 2 1/2, there is a limit on the amount that can be raised through our property taxes. Therefore the pre-Town Meeting budget planning by departments and officials is done to abide by that limit, The voters choice is to approve the amount given OR reduce it. It may not be raised. There are ways to go beyond the limit but they require a vote of both the Town Meeting and of the voters at a town election,