ANNUAL TOWN MEETING MINUTES
MAY 5, 2008
The Annual Town Meeting opened at 7:00 p.m. when the bells in the Town Clock chimed for the first time in a number of years. The bell timer and ringer parts were repaired due to the efforts of A. George Day, Jr.
103 registered voters were present during the two sessions of the meeting, which continued and concluded on May 12. (Met 5% quorum requirement of 26 registered voters.)
ARTICLE 1: VOTED to accept the reports of Town Officers and Committees for FY 2007.
ARTICLE 2: VOTED to authorize the Town Treasurer / Tax Collector to enter into compensating balance agreements during Fiscal Year 2009 as permitted by General Laws Chapter 44:53f.
ARTICLE 3: VOTED to authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for and accept state or federal grants, and to expend any monies received as set forth in the appropriate grant application.
ARTICLE 4: VOTED unanimously to authorize borrowing, subject to the passage of a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion over-ride, to purchase a new heavy-duty dump truck and sander, a sum of up to $120,000. (2/3 vote required)
ARTICLE 5: VOTED unanimously to appropriate, subject to the passage of a proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion over-ride authorizing the balance of funding for the purchase, the sum of $10,000 from Capital Stabilization toward the purchase of a new heavy duty dump truck for the highway department and in the alternative if the debt exclusion fails to pass make the appropriation available for highway department machinery repairs. (2/3 vote required)
ARTICLE 6: VOTED to authorize the following revolving funds in accordance with Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 44, Section 53E ½.
A. Fees for Board of Health inspections will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay the personnel performing the inspections and related expenses. The fund will be under the authority of the Board of Health and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00)
B. Fees collected for burials by the Cemetery Commission or Board of Selectmen will be deposited into a revolving fund to pay personnel for the purpose of preparing the burial lot(s). The fund will be under the authority of the Cemetery Commission, and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00).
C. Fees and reimbursements for costs of public hearings held by the Board of Selectmen and Zoning Board of Appeals will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay the costs of advertising, recording fees, and expenses related to the hearings. The fund will be under the authority of the Board of Selectmen, and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008, will be limited to Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000).
D. Fees for inspections conducted by the Plumbing and Gas Inspector will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay the Inspector for performing said inspections. The fund will be under the authority of the Board of Selectmen, and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars. ($2,000) If this fund is not reauthorized for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2008 the balance will close out to surplus revenue at the close of Fiscal Year 2009.
E. Cleaning deposit fees retained by the Town, related to the use of Town Hall, will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay the Town Hall Janitor for extra cleaning required after the use of Town Hall by any person or group which forfeits its cleaning deposit. The fund will be under the authority of the Board of Selectmen, and expenditures shall not exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2008.
F. Funds received from the sale of timber from Town owned land will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay the costs of professional forestry management services and related expenses. The fund will be under the authority of the Forestry Committee and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
G. Funds received from sale of dog licenses or from loose dog fees collected will be deposited into a revolving fund to pay for expenses incurred for licensing expenses, and the care and kenneling of animals in the custody of the Animal Control Officer. The fund will be under the authority of the Chief of Police and the total expenditures in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2008, shall not exceed Seven Hundred Fifty ($750).
H. Fees for Fire Department inspections will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay the personnel performing the inspections and related expenses. The fund will be under the authority of the Fire Department and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
I. Fees collected by the Planning Board’s Zoning Program will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay costs associated with the Planning Board’s Zoning Program such as zoning related hearings, zoning public notification, and zoning training of board members. The fund will be under the control of the Selectboard, total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2008, will be limited to one thousand dollars ($1,000).
J. Fees collected by the Recreation Commission will be deposited into a revolving fund and expended to pay for expenses of the Recreation Commission. The funds will be under the authority of the Recreation Commission and total expenditures for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2008 will be limited to Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000).
ARTICLE 7: VOTED to raise and appropriate by taxation such sums of money as may be necessary to defray expenses, the amount estimated by the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2008, forthe purposes designated in the budget that follows, or any other amounts for such purposes, which shall not exceed the amounts stated in the column designated “FY 2009 requested”. Each item shall be considered a separate appropriation. This article shall also act to fix the salaries and compensation of elected officials as required by Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 41, Section 108.
Requested salaries and compensation for elected officials:
Moderator $125
Selectboard $1200
Assessors $1500
Town Clerk $5600
Tree Warden $500
Board of Health $1500
Cemetery Commission $600
ARTICLE 8: VOTED to accept the provisions of Chapter 40 Section 57 of M. G. L. for the purpose of local licenses and permits; denial, revocation or suspension for failure to pay municipal taxes or charges.
ARTICLE 9: VOTED to allow the Franklin County Technical School to establish a stabilization fund in accordance with M. G. L. c 71, S 16G1/2.
ARTICLE 10: VOTED to allow the Franklin County Technical School to transfer funds from the school district’s Capital Assessment Fund to its stabilization fund, in accordance with M. G. L. c 71, S 16G1/2, for the purpose of remodeling and making extraordinary repairs to the school district’s facilities and grounds.
ARTICLE 11: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,300 to the Fire Department, the expenditure contingent upon a grant being awarded by the Department of Conservation and Recreation, for Forestry expenses.
ARTICLE 12: VOTED to raise and appropriate $5,000to further fund the Warwick Community School Improvement Account established by vote of the Annual Town Meeting held May 3, 2004.
ARTICLE 13: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $308.54 to the Mary Ann Hastings Fund.
ARTICLE 14: VOTED unanimously to transfer the remaining balances of $286.72 Town Hall Heating System and $389.00 Program Income Account to the Capital Stabilization Fund. (2/3 vote required)
(Approved by majority vote 5/5/08; reconsidered 5/12/08, because 2/3 vote needed; voted unanimously)
ARTICLE 15: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $6,550 to purchase a new dump body for the 2001 1-ton truck for the Highway Department.
ARTICLE 16: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $9,125 for four new tires for the front end loader and two new rear tires for the backhoe for the Highway Department.
ARTICLE 17: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $6,500 to replace two overhead garage doors in the salt shed for the Highway Department.
ARTICLE 18: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $3,000 to the Revaluation Account.
ARTICLE 19: VOTED to transfer $13,000 from Overlay Surplus to fund the FY 2009 Omnibus Budget.
ARTICLE 20: VOTED to transfer from the Landfill Closing Fund $25,000 to reduce Transfer Station Expense.
Meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m. until May 12, 2008
ARTICLE 21: PASSED OVER shall the town pay one-half the premium costs payable by a retired employee for group life insurance and for group general or blanket hospital, surgical, medical, dental and other health insurance.
ARTICLE 22: PASSED OVER shall the Town require that all retirees, their spouses and dependents who are enrolled in Medicare part A at no cost to a retiree, their spouse or dependents, or eligible for coverage thereunder at no cost to a retiree, their spouse or dependents, be required to enroll in a Medicare health benefits supplement plan offered by the Town.
ARTICLE 23: PASSED OVER authorizing the Town to pay one-half of the premium costs of group health insurance payable by a retired employee of the Town of Warwick with at least ten (10) continuous years of health insurance eligibility immediately prior to the date of retirement provided the employee is enrolled in Medicare if eligible and must be at least 55 years of age or act in relation thereto.
Note: this is an additional requirement and the intent of the article is to provide only group health and not dental or life insurance notwithstanding the adoption of the language of MGL 32B Sections 9A and 18.
ARTICLE 24: VOTED to raise and appropriate the sum of $1072.71 for the purpose of Forestry Committee activities to establish boundaries and create and implement forest management plans for Town owned forests.
ARTICLE 25: VOTED to adopt Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44 Section 53F ½ in order to establish a Transfer Station Enterprise Account.
ARTICLE 26: VOTED to rescind the borrowing authorization in the amount of $50,000 that passed at the May 3, 1999 Annual Town Meeting in Article 29 for purchase of a heavy-duty dump truck, as such borrowing never occurred.
ARTICLE 27: VOTED to rescind the borrowing authorization in the amount of $21,170.90 that passed at the November 5, 2001 Special Town Meeting in Article 1, as such borrowing never occurred.
ARTICLE 28: VOTED to rescind the unused portion of borrowing authorization in the amount of $50,000 that passed at the June 25, 1998 Special Town Meeting in Article 2, as such borrowing never occurred.
ARTICLE 29: VOTED to transfer $80,619 from “Free Cash” to reduce the FY 2009 tax levy.
ARTICLE 30: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate $25,000 to the Capital Stabilization Fund. (2/3 vote required)
ARTICLE 31: VOTED to amend the Town of Warwick Zoning By-Laws as follows:
VOTE: YES- 52 NO- 5 (2/3 vote required)
(see attached 25 pages with heading: ZONING REVISIONS FOR TOWN MEETING 3/14/08 which are incorporated by reference)
ARTICLE 32: VOTED as AMENDED to transfer from Capital Stabilization the sum of $4,500 to carry out PVRS main office capital projects proposed to include installation of central heat and air condition in all three modular office buildings. (2/3 vote required on amended motion)
VOTE: YES – 36 NO – 14
Amendment VOTED to transfer the sum from Capital Stabilization rather than raise and appropriate.
ARTICLE 33: FAILS as AMENDED to transfer from Capital Stabilization the sum of $8,600 to carry out PVRS capital projects at the regional school. (2/3 vote required on amended motion)
VOTE: YES – 19 NO – 27
Amendment VOTED to transfer sum from Capital Stabilization rather than raise and appropriate.
VOTE: YES – 22 NO – 16
ARTICLE 34: VOTED the following resolution to decommission Vermont Yankee on or before the expiration of its current license:
WHEREAS large parts of the town of Warwick lie within a 10-mile radius of the Entergy Nuclear Corporation’s Vermont Yankee nuclear power reactor in Vernon, Vermont;
WHEREAS the residents of Warwick and other neighboring towns have an inalienable right to have their voices heard regarding possible threats to the health, safety, and general well-being of themselves, their property, and the surrounding environment arising from the continued operation of the Entergy Nuclear reactor; and,
WHEREAS the Entergy Nuclear corporation is proposing a 20-year extension to their current license to operate; and,
WHEREAS the people of Warwick, and people everywhere, want a safe, renewable, and affordable energy supply for themselves and future generations,
THEREFORE, we the citizens of Warwick call for:
1. The decommissioning of the Entergy Nuclear reactor on or before the expiration of its 40-year license in March of 2012, and for immediate efforts to decontaminate the reactor site, employing current workers at full pay and utilizing the safest and most effective technologies available;
2. The development and implementation of strategies for full re-employment of displaced workers after decontamination operations have been completed; and,
3. Immediate efforts to replace the electricity now provided by the Entergy Nuclear reactor with a combination of energy conservation, efficiency measures, and safe, renewable, and affordable power sources that provide good jobs.
We also direct the Warwick Town Coordinator to send copies of this resolution to Warwick’s state representative, state senator, U.S. senators, congressional representative, the governor of Massachusetts, and the Vermont Senate, House of Representatives, and governor with an accompanying cover letter stating that this resolution was passed by residents of Warwick at their 2008 Annual Town Meeting.
The Annual Town Meeting was dissolved at 8:23 p.m. on May 12, 2008.
A true record of the action taken.
Jeannette Fellows, Town Clerk