I’m writing up some highlights from the Annual Town Meeting discussion and potential implications of the Citizen’s Petition to lower the voting age in Town elections to 17 years old. I also followed up our Town’s representatives in the state legislature about their positions. Read the full article → from Town Meeting’s vote to lower the voting age is just the first step (Updated)
annual-town-meeting-2023
ATM Voters disfavor Regionalization of Public Safety Dispatch
On Saturday, voters who stuck around long enough to hear the last few Citizen Petition Articles informed Select Board members that they weren’t happy with plans for regionalizing emergency communications. Read the full article → from ATM Voters disfavor Regionalization of Public Safety Dispatch
Other Town Meeting Highlights
I’m recapping highlights from the Town sponsored articles during the lesser attended evening session of Annual Town Meeting. (Stay tuned for coverage of the Citizen Petition Articles.) Read the full article → from Other Town Meeting Highlights
Packed hall overwhelmingly approves GonkPlex project
On Saturday, proponents of athletic facilities improvements at Algonquin got over the first of the two big hurdles for funding the close to $8M project. Southborough Town Meeting voters approved authorizing the school to incur the necessary debt. Read the full article → from Packed hall overwhelmingly approves GonkPlex project
ATM debates and approves completing St. Mark’s Street and Park
Highlights and local coverage of the discussions about the St. Mark’s Street Read the full article → from ATM debates and approves completing St. Mark’s Street and Park
Town Meeting vote results
Voters approve St. Mark's Park and Gonkplex Articles, but were less welcoming to Tree & Scenic Roads bylaws and regionalizing Dispatch Services
Voters approved a lot of important town business over the course of nine hours on Saturday. Read the full article → from Town Meeting vote results
Annual Town Meeting 2023 at-a-glance
Here's my updated overview with coverage links on everything voters will be asked to decide
This Saturday, Southborough voters will act as the Town’s legislative branch, Annual Town Meeting. Residents will be asked to approve Town spending, delegate some authority, amend local bylaws, and “advise” officials on how we want them to govern. Here is my overview of all the details. Read the full article → from Annual Town Meeting 2023 at-a-glance
Annual Town Meeting: Breakneck Hill dump and bylaw deficiencies
Four Articles on the Town Warrant are related to Conservation efforts in town.
With all of the controversial items on the Town Meeting Warrant, there are some Articles that haven’t gotten much attention. One bundle is proposed zoning amendments by the Conservation Commission. Read the full article → from Annual Town Meeting: Breakneck Hill dump and bylaw deficiencies
Annual Town Meeting: GonkPlex
Algonquin is asking Southborough (and Northborough) voters to approve funding "overdue" repairs, updates and improvements to its outdoor athletic facilities
One of the big Articles on Saturday’s Town Meeting Warrant is a request to allow a close to $8M project to renovate Algonquin Regional High School’s “aging & out of compliance athletic facilities”. Borrowing for the project would be bonded over 15 years and split between the Towns. Read the full article → from Annual Town Meeting: GonkPlex
Annual Town Meeting: St. Mark’s Street & Park Articles
While some urge moving forward with a road discontinuance and land swap as the best plan for resolving the "mess", the Planning Board is cautioning the Town to slow down and clarify muddy details first.
Tomorrow, the Select Board will bring the controversial St. Mark’s Street relocation and park project back to Annual Town Meeting voters. The board’s handling of the project since rebuked by voters last spring has turned around some naysayers. But with a ⅔ approval from voters needed for Article 12, and some vocal opponents still raising questions, the board was already facing a tough sell.
That just got tougher with the release of the Planning Board’s report to the Select Board as a Town Meeting handout. In it, Planning highlights why it can’t support the street discontinuance included in the Article. Read the full article → from Annual Town Meeting: St. Mark’s Street & Park Articles
Letter: Support Article 39 – Public Works Planning Board Reallocation of Appointing Authority
This letter to the editor from Patricia Burns Fiore explains her Citizen’s Petition Article to revise the appointing authority for the Public Works Planning Board and asks voters to support it. Read the full article → from Letter: Support Article 39 – Public Works Planning Board Reallocation of Appointing Authority
Letter: Town Meeting Articles 12 and 13 (from a former project opponent)
This letter from resident Patricia Burns Fiore explains why she is supporting the Select Board’s Town Meeting Articles related to the St. Mark’s parking lot and town park and asking other voters to join her. Read the full article → from Letter: Town Meeting Articles 12 and 13 (from a former project opponent)
Annual Town Meeting: Advisory Report & Budget Articles (Updated)
The Advisory Committee asked me to make its annual report to Town Meeting voters available to readers. Read the full article → from Annual Town Meeting: Advisory Report & Budget Articles (Updated)
Letter: Vote for Citizen Petition Article to keep Emergency Dispatch Services under Southborough control
This letter the the editor from the President of Southborough Communications Officers’ union and the Vice President of Southborough Police Officers’ union explains their Citizen Petition Article to keep Emergency Dispatch Services in Southborough and asks voters to support it. Read the full article → from Letter: Vote for Citizen Petition Article to keep Emergency Dispatch Services under Southborough control