Town Meeting 2012: Day 2 Preview

With the , the , and the Fiscal Year 2013 budgets out of the picture - all were passed - residents will now turn their attention to the remaining 29 articles.

Notable upcoming articles are whether to approve for the , whether to for the , whether to , and whether to .

Thursday's edition of town meeting will begin on Thursday, May 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the Galvin Middle School auditorium. Since Articles 2 and 4 were skipped at Monday night's meeting, the town will start at Article 2, continue to 4, then address 6 and the remaining articles.

Due to the large number of warrant articles still up for discussion, it could be extended to Monday, May 21, or beyond.

See below for a full list of articles that will be addressed at this year's town meeting.

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Article 1: Budgets - PASSED

• To determine how much money the Town will raise and appropriate for General Government, Protection of Persons and Property, Human Services, Public Works, Public Service Enterprises, Education, Unclassified, Benefits and Administration, and Light Department, specificaly what appropriation shall be taken from the receipts of a department.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 2: Capital Outlay

• To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate $1,520,434 and transfer the sum of $140,000 from the Water Surplus Account to the Water Department Capital Outlay Account, and the sum of $89,500 from the Sewer Surplus Account to the Sewer Department Capital Outlay Account to carry out the purposes of Article 2.
• See the attached .pdf for the full list of itemized costs.

- Capital Planning Committee

Article 3: WHS Field Repairs - PASSED

• To see if the town will vote to appropriate a sum of money to restore and improve the athletic fields and facilities at Wakefield Memorial High School, including the installation and/or restoration of turf fields, bleachers, team rooms, lighting and a press box at Landrigan Field, the installation or restoration of turf fields and a track at the Beasley Oval, the installation and/or renovation of play surface, fences and benches at the Dobbins Tennis Courts and the Veteran's Field Courts, the installation and/or renovation of a gymnasium floor and bleachers at the Field House, and all costs incidentally or reasonably related thereto. 
• Further coverage:

-Capital Planning Committee

Article 4: Stablization Fund

• To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money to the Stablization Fund, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 5: Galvin Middle School - PASSED

• To see if the Town will vote to appropriate, borrow, or transfer from available funds an amount of  money not to exceed seventy-three million, two hundred and seventy-three thousand, nine hundred and nine ($73,273,909) dollars to be expended under the direction of the Wakefield Permanent Building Committee for the demolition of the existing Galvin Middle School and the construction of a new Galvin Middle School to house grades 5-8, with a design capacity of 1,070 on the existing site located at 525 Main Street, which school facility shall have an anticipated useful life as an educational facility for the instruction of school children of at least 50 years, and for which the Town may be eligible for a school construction grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”). The Town acknowledges that the MSBA’s grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any project costs the Town incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the Town. Any grant that the Town may receive from the MSBA for the Project shall not exceed the lesser of (1) 54.67 percent (54.67 %) of eligible, approved project costs, as determined by the MSBA, or (2) the total maximum grant amount determined by the MSBA.
• Further coverage: The Galvin Middle School Project

- Permanent Building Committee

Article 6: Debt Service Fund

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money to the Capital Projects/Debt Service Fund, also known as the Debt Service Fund, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 7: Repair Software at School Dept. 

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from available funds a sum of money to supplement the Internet Technology Budget for fiscal year 2012 in order to repair various software and hardware systems at the School Department.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 8: Indemnify Police and Fire Personnel If Injured in Line of Duty

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money to indemnify certain police officers and firefighters of the Town for medical, surgical and hospitalization expenses as a result of injuries received by the officers/firefighters in the performance of their duties, as provided for under Section 100, Chapter 41 of Massachusetts General Laws in such amount and to such extent as may be recommended by the Board of Selectmen, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 9: Roads

To see if the Town will hear and act upon a report of the Board of Selectmen to layout Town ways in substantially the same location as the following private ways:
Blue Jay Circle from its intersection with the sideline of Preston Street to the end of a cul-de-sac, a distance of approximately 250 feet, 
Grace Court from its intersection with the sideline of Montrose Avenue to the end of a cul-de-sac, a distance of approximately 254 feet,
Mitchell Lane from its intersection with the sideline of Eunice Circle looping around a distance of approximately 1,075 feet to the sideline of Eunice Circle,
Montrose School Lane from its intersection with the sideline of Lowell Street to the end of a cul-de-sac, a distance of approximately 503 feet,
Sophia’s Way from its intersection with the sideline of Montrose Avenue to the end of a cul-de-sac, a distance of approximately 246 feet,
Stoney Hill Lane from its intersection with the sideline of Montrose Avenue to the end of a cul-de-sac, a distance of approximately 375, in substantially the same location as a private way shown on a plan entitled “Street Acceptance Plan/Stoney Hill Lane/Wakefield, MA”, by Hayes Engineering, Inc. dated January 5, 2012,

a copy of each which is on file for review at the Wakefield Town Clerk’s office, and to authorize the acquisition by purchase or eminent domain proceedings of rights and easements necessary in connection therewith for reconstruction and maintenance in accordance with all the applicable sections of the Massachusetts General laws; or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 10: Police Contract

• To see if the Town will vote to implement collective bargaining agreements between the Town of Wakefield and the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, Wakefield Division for the period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2014, and to provide therefore that the Town raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds a sufficient sum of money to carry out the purposes of this Article, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 11: Police Contract

• To see if the Town will vote to implement collective bargaining agreements between the Town of Wakefield and the Wakefield Police Superior Officers Association for the period July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2014, and to provide therefore that the Town raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds a sufficient sum of money to carry out the purposes of this Article, or to see what the Town will do about it.
• Further Coverage:

- Board of Selectmen

Article 12: Fingerprint-Based Criminal Record Background Checks

•     To see if the town will submit the following occupations to finger printing for background checks, and whether to consider results of background checks in the decision to offer a license: Hawker and Peddler, Liquor Licensee, Manager or Alternate Manager of a Liquor Licensee, Solicitors and Canvassers, Dealers in Junk, Second-Hand Articles and Antiques, Second-Hand Motor Vehicle Dealer, Hackney Carriage (Taxi) Operator, Ice Cream Truck Vendor.

- Wakefield Police Department

Article 13: Eminent Domain

• To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to accept, or take by eminent domain proceedings, conveyances or easement from time to time, giving the Town the right to construct and maintain drains, sewers, water lines, retaining walls and streets and to raise and appropriate a sufficient sum of money to carry out the purpose of this Article, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 14: Refuse

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sufficient sum of money for the collection, disposal, recycling and composting of refuse, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 15: Storm Water Program

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money for the implementation of the Town’s NPDES Storm Water Program, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 16: Drainage Study

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available fund a sum of money to conduct Phase IV  of a Town Wide Drainage Study, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 17: Shade Tree Replacement

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money for the replacement of shade trees, said sum to be expended under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 18: Shade Tree Spraying

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money to conduct a Town wide public shade tree spraying program, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 19: Road Improvements

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds a sum of money for roadway improvements, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 20: New Sidewalks

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds a sufficient sum of money for construction new sidewalks, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 21: New Ladder Truck

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from available funds a sufficient sum of money for the purchase of one aerial ladder truck for use by the Fire Department, and that the funding for this article be raised by borrowing or otherwise, or to see what the Town will do about it.
• Further coverage:

- Board of Selectmen

Article 22: Parking Lot

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy a sufficient sum of money to pay the rental for the rental year commencing on July 1, 2012 and ending on June 30, 2013 to the Trustees of the 364 Main Street Trust or their successors in title for land occupied as a parking area on Centre Street, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Selectmen

Article 23: Parking Lot

• To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money for professional services to assist in the fiscal year 2013 revaluation of Town properties within the Town, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Board of Assessors

Article 24: Bed and Breakfasts

• To see if the Town will allow bed and breakfasts to operate.
• More Coverage:

- Economic Development Committee

Articles 25-26: Sidewalk Cafes

• SIDEWALK CAFÉ – A portion of the STREET or public place in which tables and chairs are placed for the use of patrons consuming food or beverages, including alcoholic beverages, that is operated by a food service business located on abutting property.
• More Coverage:

- Economic Development Committee

Article 27-29: Assisted Living

• ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY--- A residential development subject to certification under M.G.L. Chapter 19D as the same may be amended or recodified, which provides room and board; provides assistance with activities of daily living for three or more adult residents who are not related by consanguinity or affinity to their care provider and collects payment or third party reimbursement from or on behalf of residents to pay for the provision of room, board and assistance.
• To see if the Town will vote to amend the Wakefield Zoning Bylaw creating§190-103 entitled Assisted Living Facility Overly District.

 - The Property Owner

Article 30: District Designations

• To see if the Town will vote to amend the Wakefield Zoning Bylaw by amending the Wakefield Zoning Map dated May 10, 2010 by changing the zoning district designation of properties situated on Water Street shown on Wakefield Assessors Map 31 Block 082 Parcel 058 from General Residence District to Business District, as shown on maps on file with the Town Clerk, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- The Property Owner

Article 31: W.M.G.L.D

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Assessors to use such sum of the balance of the operating fund of the Municipal Gas and Light Department as of June 30, 2012 as the Board of Light Commissioners may vote in computing the tax rate for the fiscal period July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013, or to see what the Town will do about it.

- Municipal Light Commissioners