2016 Annual Town Meeting

Know the Issues

Annual Town Meeting, held on May 9th and 11th, has concluded. The articles and votes can be found below.

Warrant and Budget Book

2016 Annual Town Meeting Warrant
Report of the Finance Committee
Report of the Board of Selectmen
Report of the Community Preservation Committee

Amended Motion to Town Meeting Procedures

Mr. Jerome Haber made a motion to amend Town Meeting procedures, which was adopted on Monday night and carried over to Wednesday night. The motion reads as follows:
Any speaker at Town Meeting, whether an individual presenting an Article or commenting on any Article, declare whether or not he or she has a personal financial interest in the outcome of such Article, whether such financial interest is in a vote in favor or or against such Article, and that as part of such declaration the speaker briefly provide sufficient information so that voters meaningfully understand the nature of such financial interest.

Article	Additional Information
1) Town Election and Prop 2 1/2	2016 Ballot
2) FY17 Operating Budget: Motion 1 - passed by majority vote Motion 2 - passed unanimously Motion 3 - passed unanimously	Recommended Town Budget Recommended School Budget
Consent Agenda 3 - 18 (requires 2/3 majority): Passed unanimously	See Warrant
Capital Improvement Budget Items: 19) Case House Rehabilitation Design Funds: Passed by 2/3 majority 20) Case Campus Master Plan (general funds and CPC): Failed to receive 2/3 majority (161 Yes, 145 No) 21) Proctor Field Rehab Design Fees: Passed by 2/3 majority (198 Yes, 86 No)	See Warrant Case Campus Public Forum presentation
Land Transfers 22) Cat Rock Recreation to Conservation: Passed 2/3 majority 23) Burt Field Recreation to Conservation: Passed over 24) Nolte Forest Recreation to Conservation: Passed unanimously	See Warrant Conservation Commission presentation to Selectmen Board of Selectmen: meeting on 4/26/16 (at 3 minute mark)
Citizens' Petitions 25) Preserve Cat Rock - passed over 26) Protection for Cat Rock & Burt Field - passed over 27) Protection for BSA soccer and tennis - passed over 28) Protection for ball fields - passed over 29) Shorten Planning Board terms - failed to receive 2/3 majority (Yes 118, No 204) 30) Impose Planning Board term limits - passed over	See Warrant
Community Preservation Act (& Related) Items 31) Appropriate FY17 CPC Budget - passed unanimously 32) Brown & Winter street sidewalks - passed by majority vote 33) Merriam St. sidewalk design fees - passed by majority vote 34) Weston Art & Innovation Center (AIC) in the Old Library design fees - passed by majority vote 35) Old Library renovation to elderly housing (general fund request) - passed over 36) Citizens' Petition: renovation of Old Library to restaurant (general funds request) - passed over 37) Charles River invasive species removal - passed unanimously 38) Regional Housing Services Office & housing staff support - passed unanimously	CPC applications and presentations CPC March Public Hearing Old Library Rec. Reuse JST/OL Reuse Project JST/OL Working Group Public Forums LWV Coffee Hour to discuss Old Library articles Art & Innovation Center Elderly Housing Committee Historic Gateway to Weston

Why Three Old Library Articles?

This May, voters will be asked to consider three articles at Town Meeting that deal with the Old Library: the recommended reuse concept, a Citizens' Petition, and the Elderly Housing Committee's reuse concept.

Summarized information on the vision and rationale behind the recommended concepts can be found on the "Recommended Reuse" web page. This page also outlines the Working Group's reasons for not recommending the other two proposals.

Town Meeting Procedure

Articles 34 and 36 will be discussed together with separate votes. Discussion for Article 35 will occur separately. Any questions, please email the Moderator at moderator@westonmass.org.

Article 34 - Weston Art & Innovation Center

Design funds from the Community Preservation Act funds for the Weston Art & Innovation Center for an arts center and creative maker space. For further detail, please see the recommended reuse web page, which outlines the vision and rationale.

Article 35 - Elderly Housing Committee

Nine units of elderly housing in the Old Library. While this proposal was not recommended by the Working Group for various reasons, the Selectmen allowed it on the warrant out of respect for another Town committee. The details of the proposal can be found in the committee's Statement of Interest and also on their project website. The request for design fees is for general funds.

Article 36 - Citizens' Petition

Sponsored by the Historic Gateway to Weston, this proposal is for a restaurant in the Old Library and for the Josiah Smith Tavern to remain as is. The request for design fees is for general funds. This proposal is also not recommended by the Working Group for various reasons. Details of this proposal can be found in the sponsor's Statement of Interest and also on their website.