ANNUAL TOWN MEETING MINUTES
May 6th, 2024
The meeting was called to order at 7:05 p.m. by Moderator James McRae, having met the quorum requirement of 34 registered voters. The following action was taken by the 115 voters present:
ARTICLE 1: VOTED unanimously to accept the reports of Town Officers and Committees for 2023.
ARTICLE 2: VOTED unanimously to authorize the Selectboard to apply for and accept private, state, and federal grants, and to expend any monies received as set forth in the appropriate grant application.
ARTICLE 3: VOTED unanimously to allow town boards and commissions to appoint one of its members to a position under their supervision as allowed by MGL Chapter 268A, section 21A.
ARTICLE 4: VOTED unanimously to allow the Selectboard to appoint one of its members to a position under their supervision as allowed by MGL Chapter 268A, section 21.
ARTICLE 5: VOTED to grant an ethics exemption under MGL Chapter 268A, section 20 to Selectboard member Brian Snell to be compensated for work as an education planner and teacher for Warwick School District and set compensation at up to $25 per hour, not to exceed $12,000 in fiscal year beginning in July 2023 and $15,000 per fiscal year, beginning in July 2024.
MOTION FROM THE FLOOR to dissolve the meeting until a later time to reassess costs named in following articles. Motion defeated.
ARTICLE 6: VOTED, pursuant to Mass General Law Chapter 44, Section 53E ½ and as amended by St. 2016, C 218 Section 86, to amend Warwick’s Revolving Fund Bylaw by adding the following revolving accounts: Police Detail Revolving and Police Department detail vehicle allowance Revolving account.
| Revolving Account | Spending Authority | Revenue Source | Allowed Expenses | Fiscal Years |
| POLICE DETAIL REVOLVING | SELECTBOARD | DIRECT PAYMENT FOR SERVICES | HOURLY PAYMENT OF WAGES | FISCAL YEAR 2025 AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS. |
| POLICE VEHICLE REVOLVING | SELECTBOARD | FEES | MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF POLICE VEHICLES | Fiscal Year 2025 and subsequent years |
ARTICLE 7: Because of a typo there is no Article 7, and no action was taken.
Revolving Fund Articles
ARTICLE 8: VOTED unanimously to reauthorize the following spending limits for the revolving funds for certain town departments under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44 Section 53E ½ for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024.
A. Total expenditures for Health Inspections for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
B. Total expenditures for Burial Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
C. Total expenditures for costs of Public Hearings for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000).
D. Total expenditures for Inspections Revolving conducted by the Plumbing and Gas Inspector for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Four Thousand Dollars. ($4,000).
E. Total expenditures for Cleaning Revolving Fund shall not exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000) for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024.
F. Total expenditures for Forestry Committee Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000).
G. Total expenditures for Dog Revolving Fund in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
H. Total expenditures for Fire Inspections Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
I. Total expenditures for the Planning Board’s Zoning Program Revolving Fund commencing July 1, 2024, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
J. Total expenditures for Highway Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000).
K. Total expenditures for Electrical Inspection Revolving for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Five Thousand Dollars ($5000).
L. Total expenditures for the Field Driver Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
M. Total expenditures for the Zoning Board of Appeals Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, will be limited to Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000).
N. Total expenditures of the Tree Warden Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000).
O. Total expenditures for the Recreation Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000).
P. Total expenditures for the Election Revolving Fund in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Fifteen Hundred Dollars ($1,500).
Q. Total expenditures for the Senior Lunch Revolving Fund in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000).
R. Total expenditures for the Cafe Revolving Fund in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Twelve Thousand Dollars ($12,000).
S. Total expenditures for the Solar Energy Revolving Fund in the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2024, shall not exceed Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000).
T. Total expenditures for Police Dept Detail Vehicle RF for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000).
U. Total expenditures for Police Detail Revolving Fund for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2024, will be limited to Two Hundred Thousand Dollars ($200,000).
Omnibus budget article
ARTICLE 9: Amended to $0 for Selectboard and Board of Health. Amendment defeated. VOTED to raise and appropriate such sums of money as may be necessary to defray expenses, the amount estimated by the Selectboard and the Finance Committee for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2024, for the 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 2025 requested”.
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 | $140 (1) |
| Selectboard | $2400 (3) |
| Assessors | $1500 (3) |
| Town Clerk/Webmaster | $17305 (1) |
| Tree Warden | $1200 (1) |
| Board of Health | $1500 (3) |
| Cemetery Commission | $600(3) |
| School Committee | $1000 (5) |
Available funds articles:
ARTICLE 10: VOTED unanimously to appropriate $40,000 from Broadband Enterprise Fund Free Cash to the payoff the remaining Warwick Broadband Borrowing.
Enterprise fund articles (funded at least in part by departmental receipts):
ARTICLE 11: VOTED unanimously to appropriate $36,500 to operate the Transfer Station Enterprise Fund effective July 1, 2024, and that $15,000 be raised from taxation and $21,500 be raised from departmental receipts.
ARTICLE 12: VOTED unanimously to appropriate $100,000 to operate the Broadband Enterprise Fund effective July 1, 2024, and that $100,000 be raised from departmental receipts.
Stabilization Fund articles: (Proposed is $0 in and $200,000 out)
ARTICLE 13: Amended to separate into two articles for each source of funding. Amendment defeated. VOTED to transfer $200,000 from Stabilization; and borrow and appropriate $480,000, subject to passage of a Proposition 2 ½ debt exclusion override, for purchase of a new fire engine. (2/3 vote required)
Tax funded articles:
ARTICLE 14: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate the sum of $10,000 to the Warwick Police Detail Fund.
ARTICLE 15: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate the sum of $25,000to fund the Warwick Community School Improvement Account established by vote of the Annual Town Meeting held May 3, 2004.
ARTICLE 16: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate the sum of $2,500 to the Assessor’s Revaluation Account.
ARTICLE 17: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate $3000 to the Landfill Monitoring Fund established May 4, 2015, to pay for post closure monitoring at Warwick’s former landfill.
ARTICLE 18: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate $20,000 to audit town accounts.
ARTICLE 19: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate $800 to Household Hazardous Waste expense.
ARTICLE 20: VOTED unanimously to raise and appropriate $10,000 for After School and Summer programming for children.
Prior Year Bills
ARTICLE 21: VOTED unanimously to approve payment of a prior year Police Department bill to Central Square in the amount of $1032 for software, such payment from existing funding. (90% vote required)
Policy Articles
ARTICLE 22: VOTED to approve changes to the current zoning by-laws pertaining to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by removing the requirement for an additional two acres.
ARTICLE 23: VOTED unanimously to accept M.G.L. ch.59 §5 Clause 41C with Allowable Adjustments for senior real estate exemptions beginning in FY25.
ARTICLE 24: VOTED unanimously to accept M.G.L. ch.59 §5 Clause 17D, a senior real estate exemption.
ARTICLE 25: VOTED unanimously to petition the state legislature for Home Rule relief to the School Choice Law so certain provisions of law will not apply to Warwick School District, specifically from subsection (k) of section 12B of chapter 76 of the General Laws. If passed into law the law will not apply to Warwick School District and the District can still participate in school Choice.
ARTICLE 26: VOTED to petition the state legislature for home rule legislation allowing the current Police Chief to serve in his position beyond the age of 65.
The meeting was dissolved at 9:23 p.m.
A True record of the action taken. Attest:
John Paganetti
Town Clerk