TOWN OF EAST LONGMEADOW
ANNUAL TOWN MEETING
May 2, 2005
In accordance with the
warrant of the Selectman, the Annual Town Meeting was held in the Auditorium of
the East Longmeadow High School on Monday evening, May 2, 2005. Town Moderator,
Mr. James Sheils, called the meeting to order at 7:23 PM; there being 888
registered voters present. Mr. Sheils offered the opening prayer and led the
assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance. He then thanked the various town
officials who helped him through his initial year as Town Moderator.
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 East
Longmeadow, especially to the East Longmeadow Rotary.
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
Annual Town Election
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
Reports of Officers and Committees
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
Payment of Previous Years Bills
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
Transfer of Funds from Sewer Undesignated
Fund Balance
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
Revolving Fund – Local Cable Access
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
Revolving Fund – Solid Waste Disposal
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
Revolving Fund – Center School Park
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
Fund the Second Year of a Multi Year
Revaluation Contract
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
Department of Public Works – Highway
Construction
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 Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Said
money to be expended under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Works.
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
Appropriate Funds by Bonding for a Sum of
$2,992,025 Subject to a Debt Exclusion Ballot Vote of the Town
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
Amend Zoning By-Law, 1991, Section 5.21 'Planned
Business Development'
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
Transfer Dollars from Water Undesignated
Fund Balance and Sewer Undesignated Fund Balance to the General Fund Long Term
Debt and Interest Accounts
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
Amend Town By-laws to Establish a Municipal
Charges Lien
Vote
that the Town, through its Board of Selectman, amend the Town of East
Longmeadow By-laws to establish a Municipal Charges Lien to the authority of
G.L. Ch. 40, Section 21 and Ch. 40 Section 58, as printed in the Warrant.
Passed
Majority.
Article
17
Appropriate $100,000 for Facility
Maintenance Projects
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
Fund Landfill Issues
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 Nottingham Drive and Sherwood Lane
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 Orange Street
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No
action.
Article
22
Authorize Board of Selectman to Take In Fee
Simple for Highway Purposes
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 FAVORITE LANE.
Passed
Unanimously.
Article
23
Authorize Board of
Selectman to Take In Fee Simple for Highway Purposes
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 KRONVALL LANE.
Passed
Unanimously.
Article
24
Capital Budget
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
Precinct
4 241
A True Record: Attest:
Thomas P. Florence
Town Clerk
