TOWN OF
May 2, 2005
In accordance with the warrant of the Selectman, the Annual
Town Meeting was held in the Auditorium of the
Mr. John Claffey, Chairman for the Board of Selectman, requested the Assembly to recognize those town employees who had anniversaries celebrated in 2005. John also recognized the various department heads and their staffs for their hard work and dedication throughout the past year.
Mr. Carl Ohlin, Chairman of the East Longmeadow Independence
Day Parade Committee, presented a plaque to Mr. Michael Boucher in honor of Mr.
Boucher being named Honorary Grand Marshall of the 2005 East Longmeadow
Independence Day Parade. Michael Boucher
was honored for his many past and present contributions to the Town of
Mr. Sheils then proceeded with some housekeeping issues: The formation of a Town Meeting Rules Committee for future Town Meetings; The Town Moderator will be in charge and make the final judgment on votes requiring a 2/3 majority vs. a teller count, i.e., if a small amount of nays are heard and it is under the majority needed, the Town Moderator can pass the motion without a teller count; New voting machines will be used if a secrecy ballot is successfully motioned by 2/3 majority, this will address the issue of confidentiality of the voters as well as any accuracy counting discrepancies.
Article 1
The annual Town Election was held
on Tuesday, April 12, 2005. Mr. Sheils
recited the names of the officials who were voted into their respective
offices.
Article 2
The Town Report is available in the Selectman’s Office and the Town Clerk’s Office at the Town Hall. The Town Report is also available in CD ROM at both before mentioned locations as well as on the Town’s website, www.eastlongmeadow.org.
Article 3
Operating Budget
The Operating Budget as recommended by the Appropriations Committee was voted as shown in the amended Warrant.
Voted the Town to authorize the Town Treasurer to borrow in accordance with the provisions of General Laws Chapter 44, Section 4 and to issues notes payable within one year in accordance with General Laws Chapter 44, Section 17 and the Town raise $37,275,459 for the operation of the various Town Departments beginning July 1, 2005 and that an additional $1,051,500 be appropriated for the above purposes to an override question being approved by the voters pursuant to the provisions of General Law Chapter 59, Section 21C and that an additional $363,297 be appropriated for the above purchases subject to a separate override question being approved by the voters of the Town, pursuant to the provisions of said Chapter 59, Section 21 C, provided, however, the ballot questions will be structured so that the total of both of the above override questions be combined in one question and the override of $1,051,500 be a second question and if both questions receive a majority vote at the polls then only the question with the higher dollar amount shall take effect.
Teller count taken with 2/3 majority required to make a ballot question at a separate election.
660 Yes, 224 No. Motion passed to move to a ballot question at a separate election.
Article 4
Voted that the Town authorize the payments $184,157.84 incurred in fiscal year 2004 and prior years as follows:
$29,500.00 for previous year Police retro bill
$98,095.00 for previous year trash bill
$55,192.30 for previous year health insurance bill
$ 1,369.40 for previous year Hampden County Retirement bill
$184,156.70
Passed Unanimously.
Article 5
Voted that the Town, acting through its Board of Assessors, authorize the transfer of $128,495.74 from the Sewer Undesignated Fund Balance for the payment of prior year FY2004 bills for Sewer Treatment Charges.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 6
Voted that the Town, acting through its Board of Selectman, re-establishes a “Local Cable Access Revolving Fund” for Fiscal Year 2006, as printed in the Town Meeting Warrant.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 7
Voted that the Town, acting through its Board of Selectman/Board of Health, re-establishes a “Solid Waste Disposal Revolving Fund” for Fiscal Year 2006, as printed in the Town Meeting Warrant.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 8
Voted that the Town, acting through its Board of Selectman, re-establishes a “Center School Park Revolving Fund” for Fiscal Year 2006, as printed in the Town Meeting Warrant.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 9
Voted that the Town, acting through its Board of Assessors, appropriates a sum of $53,000 to enable the Board of Assessors to fund the second year of a multi-year (three) revaluation contract.
Passed Majority.
Article 10
Voted that the Town appropriate $350,605.00 to be
provided for by taxation, from available funds in the Treasury, for highway
construction and/or reconstruction or maintenance purposes, which is to be
reimbursed by the
Passed Unanimously.
Article 11
Independence Day Parade
Voted that the Town raise and appropriate the sum of $12,000 to fund the “July 4, 2006” Independence Day Parade.
Passed Majority.
Article 12
Voted that the Town raise and appropriate by bonding, pursuant to MGL Chapter 44, a sum of $2,992,025. $120,000 for a design and engineering study for a community center for use by the Council on Aging, Park and Recreation and other community activities on Town owned land known as Pine Knoll and $2,872,025 for the construction of 12 new elementary school classrooms. The funding is subject to a debt exclusion ballot vote of the Town.
Passed Majority.
Article 13
Accept Provisions of General Laws to Increase Gross Receipts Amounts for FY2006
Voted
that the Town, acting through its Board of Assessors, accept the Provisions of
General Law Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 41A enacted as Chapter 138, Section
126 of the Acts of 1991, increasing the gross receipts amounts for FY2006.
Passed Majority.
Article 14
Vote that the Town amend Zoning By-Law, 1991 Revision, Section 5.2 “Planned Business Development” for the purposes of revising and replacing said section and pass any vote or take any other action relative thereto presented by Jay LeFebvre and others.
Motion Failed.
Article 15
Vote that the Town, through its Board of Public Works, appropriate and transfer $602,410 from the Water Undesignated Fund Balance and $589,824 form the Sewer Undesignated Fund Balance to the General Fund Long Term Debt and Interest Accounts to fund the Water and Sewer Long Term Debt and Interest Accounts.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 16
Vote that the Town, through its
Board of Selectman, amend the Town of
Passed Majority.
Article 17
Vote that the Town, through its Capital Planning Committee, raise and appropriate $100,000 for the Facility Maintenance projects to be expended by authorization of the Facilities Manager under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Works.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 18
Vote the Town appropriate dollars to fund corrective measures relating to landfills to be expended under the jurisdiction of the Board of Health.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 19
Accept Provisions of MGL Ch44 Section 3-7 Known as the Community Preservation Act to Establish a Special Community Preservation Fund that may be Appropriated on Various Items and to Approve a Property Tax Surcharge as Developed by the Open Space Committee.
Article
Withdrawn.
No
motion made.
No action.
Article 20
Authorize Board of
Selectman to Take In Fee Simple for Highway Purposes for Streets Known as
Article
Withdrawn.
No
motion made.
No action.
Article 21
Authorize Board of
Selectman to Take In Fee Simple for Highway Purposes for Streets Known as
Article
Withdrawn.
No
motion made.
No action.
Article 22
Voted that the Town authorizes the
Board of Selectman, by virtue of Massachusetts General Law 79, to take in fee
simple for highway purposes the streets as described in Article 22 of the Town
Meeting Warrant, petitioned by Michael Kane and others, and recommended by the
Board pf Public Works and the Planning Board.
Said street includes
Passed Unanimously.
Article 23
Voted that the Town authorizes the
Board of Selectman, by virtue of Massachusetts General Law 79, to take in fee
simple for highway purposes the streets as described in Article 23 of the Town
Meeting Warrant, petitioned by Edward T. Speight and others, and recommended by
the Board pf Public Works and the Planning Board. Said street includes
Passed Unanimously.
Article 24
The Capital Budget as recommended by the Capital Planning Committee and the Appropriations Committee was voted on as shown in the Town Meeting Warrant.
This article was presented immediately following Article 3.
Passed Unanimously.
Motion to Adjourn
The Annual Town Meeting was adjourned at 10:55 p.m., the business of the Warrant having been completed.
Certificate of Quorum
This is to certify that more than 150 Registered Voters were present at the Annual Town Meeting held on May 2, 2005. Voter attendance was recorded as follows:
Precinct 1 248
Precinct 2 172
Precinct 3 227
888
A True Record: Attest:
Thomas P. Florence
Town Clerk