TOWN OF EAST LONGMEADOW
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
August 15, 2005
In accordance with the warrant of the Selectmen, a Special
Town Meeting was held in the Auditorium of the East Longmeadow High School on
Monday evening, August 15, 2005. Town Moderator, Mr. James Sheils called the
meeting to order at 7:09 PM there being 473 registered voters present. Mr.
Sheils offered the opening prayer and led the assembly in the Pledge of
Allegiance. Mr. Sheils then proceeded with some housekeeping issues: The
formation of a Town Meeting Rules Committee for future Town Meetings and 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.
Before commencing the meeting, Mr. Sheils received a
motion from the Board of Selectmen to move Article 10 set forth in the Warrant
to be presented immediately following the completion of Article 7. The motion
passed the 2/3 majority unanimously.
Article 1
Put Forth and Ensure that The New Trash Policy Will Be Deterred.
Voted to deter the current trash policy. Residents
feel that it is not acceptable to restrict each residence to one 35-gallon bag
per week with a $1.75 additional charge per bag. Residents are also worried
that this would lead to illegal dumping throughout the town. Townspeople want
a fair opportunity to discuss these concerns along with alternatives.
Article Withdrawn.
Article 2
Request that The Solid Waste Advisory Team (SWAT) and Board of Selectmen
Consider Alternatives to the Existing Pay As You Throw Program (PAYT).
Voted
to request that the SWAT and Selectmen consider alternatives to the existing
PAYT program with Central Mass Disposal in addition to alternatives to the
existing program. This is to be considered within the confines of the signed
5-year contract.
Passed
Majority.
Article 3
Request
Board of Selectman to Appoint a Committee of Seven Members to Evaluate and
Recommend Better Means of Communication Between the Town's Boards and the
Citizens.
Voted to request that the
Board of Selectman appoint a committee of seven members to evaluate and
recommend better means of communication between the Town's Boards and the
citizens. The committee's findings will be published to the town's website and
made available through various medias.
Teller
Count Taken No 221
Yes
214
Motion
Failed.
Article 4
Show
there is a Consensus for a More Open, Formal and Effective Means of
Communication Between the Board of Selectmen and Citizens.
Voted to show there is a
consensus that there needs to be a more open, formal and effective means of
communication between the Board of Selectmen and the citizens. This article
requests the following: Coverage of the Board of Selectmen's meeting to be
returned to ELCAT; The timely and accurate publishing of the board and
committee meeting minutes, Post agenda's and public meeting schedules to the www.eastlongmeadow.org website.
Information of major issues are to be posted to the website on a timely basis
(within 21 days of the actual meeting date).
Passed Majority.
Article 5
Authorize
Payments of Bills Incurred in Fiscal Year 2005.
Voted to raise and
appropriate, transfer or otherwise provide the sum of $69,277.61 for bills
incurred in fiscal year 2005 and prior years as presented by the Board of
Selectmen. Vote requires 9/10 majority.
Passed Majority.
Article 6
Transfer
a Sum of Money from the Water Undesignated Fund Balance for Fiscal Year 2005
Water Charges.
Voted to
authorize the transfer of $136,161.93 from the Water Undesignated Fund Balance
for the payment of a prior year fiscal year 2005 bill for Water Charges as
presented by the Board of Public Works.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 7
Appropriate
and Transfer Funds from Various Fiscal Year 2006 Line Items to Other Line
Items.
Voted to
transfer $4,000 from the Fiscal Year 2006 Information Technology Expense Line
Item 1555242 to the Information Technology Line Item 1555110; and to authorize
the transfer of $4,000 from the fiscal year 2006 Building Inspector Salary
Account 2415110 to the Building Inspector Expense Line Item 2415710.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 10
Appropriate
Money from a Combination of Town Accounts to Fund Various Town Departments
Voted to
appropriate a sum of money ($451,603.00) from a combination of town accounts
including free cash, stabilization fund, reserve fund, and new Chapter 70
(Education), to various Town Departments as presented by the School Committee.
Passed Unanimously.
Article 8
Appropriate
and Transfer Funds from Various Fiscal Year 2006 Line Items to Other Line
Items.
Voted to
appropriate and transfer funds from existing departmental fiscal year 2006 line
items to another department's fiscal year line items as presented by the Board
of Selectmen.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Article 9
Appropriate
Additional Cherry Sheet Funds to Various Fiscal Year 2006 Town Departments Line
Items.
Voted to
appropriate additional Cherry Sheet funds certified as available to the Town to
various fiscal year 2006 Town Department Line Items as presented by the Board
of Selectmen.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Article 11
Appropriate
New Money Received from the State Chapter 70 (Education Funds).
Voted to
appropriate $137,350, which is new money received form the State Chapter 70
(Education Funds.) This money will be transferred from the Town's general fund
to the School Department's Line item for the use of the School Department as
presented by the School Committee.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Article 12
Provide
$120,000 for a Design and Engineering Study for Senior / Community Center.
Voted to
provide $120,000 for a design and engineering study for the creation of a
Senior/Community Center that will serve as a location for the Council on Aging,
Parks and Recreation Department and multiple community activities on the
property commonly known as Pine Knoll. Funding shall be provided by a debt
exclusion.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Article 13
Appropriate
Monies for Police and Fire Fighter Salaries.
Voted to
appropriate and transfer a sum of money from the general fund undesignated fund
balance, in the amount of $150,000 for police and in the amount of $50,000 for
fire fighter salaries.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Article 14
Transfer
of Money from Town Accounts to the School, Police and Fire Budgets.
Voted to
authorize the transfer of a sum of money totaling $600,000 from the Free Cash,
Stabilization, and Reserve funds to the School, Police, and Fire Budgets in the
respective amounts of $462,731, $100,000, and $37,269.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Article 15
Reinstate
and restore funding for Gifted and Talented Program.
Voted to
restore full or partial funding from the Town's Reserve Accounts to support the
Gifted and Talented Program for Grades K-8 in East Longmeadow Public Schools.
Article Withdrawn.
No motion made.
No action taken.
Motion to Adjourn
The Special Town Meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m., the
business of the Warrant having been completed.
Certificate of Quorum
This is to certify that more than 100 Registered Voters were
present at the Special Town Meeting held on August 15, 2005.
Voter attendance was recorded as follows:
Precinct
1 134
Precinct
3 121
Precinct
4 112
A True Record: Attest:
Thomas P. Florence
Town Clerk
