HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-11-STM-2-Warrant TOWN OF LEXINGTON WARRANT
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2022-2
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middlesex, ss.
To either of the Constables or Town Clerk of the Town of Lexington, in said County, Greetings:
In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,you are hereby directed to notify the inhabitants of the Town of
Lexington qualified to vote in elections and in Town affairs to meet by means of the audio/video conferencing platform
described more particularly below on Monday, the eleventh day of April 2022 at 7:30 p.m., at which time and place
the following articles are to be acted upon and determined exclusively by the Town Meeting Members in accordance
with Chapter 215 of the Acts of 1929, as amended, and subject to the referendum provided for by Section eight of said
Chapter, as amended.
Pursuant to Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2020, as amended by Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2021 and Chapter 22 of the Acts
of 2022,the Town Meeting shall be held remotely by the means requested by the Moderator as follows:
Town Meeting members will attend and vote by logging into: (1)the Zoom videoconferencing platform, (2)the online
VVoter module provided by our electronic voting vendor, Option Technologies OR comparable online voting tool
developed by Select Board member Joe Pato, and (3) an online queuing function developed by Select Board member
Joe Pato to facilitate the process of debate. Other Town residents who wish to follow the proceedings may do so
via LexMedia at https://www.youtube.com/user/LexMediaMATV. Other residents who wish to participate in the
Meeting may contact the Town Clerk's Office at clerk(a,lexingtonma.gov and by completing the online
form at https://www.lexingtonrna.gov/2022atm.
For more information,please see the Moderator's letter dated March 11,2022 to the Select Board attached to this
warrant as Appendix A.
ARTICLE 1 REPORTS OF TOWN BOARDS, OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES
To receive the reports of any Board or Town Officer or of any Committee of the Town; or act in any other manner in
relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
DESCRIPTION: This article remains open throughout Town Meeting and reports may be presented at any Town
Meeting session by boards,officers, or committees.
ARTICLE 2 APPROPRIATE FOR LEXINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FEASIBILITY STUDY
To see if the Town will vote to appropriate, borrow or transfer from available funds, an amount of money to be
expended under the direction of the School Building Committee for the feasibility study for the Lexington High School
located at 251 Waltham St, Lexington, MA 02421, for which feasibility study the Town may be eligible for a grant
from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The MSBA's grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary
program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any costs the Town incurs in connection with the feasibility
study in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the Town; or
act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board at the request of'the School Committee)
FUNDS REQUESTED: $1,825,000
DESCRIPTION: In spring of 2022,the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to accept the Lexington High
School project into the MSBA reimbursement program. This article would fund the first phase of the process,
conducting a feasibility study,under MSBA guidance.
ARTICLE 3 AMEND GENERAL BYLAW TO ALLOW REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT
HYBRID TOWN MEETINGS
To see if the Town will vote to amend Chapter 118 Section 18 (Quorum) of the Code of the Town of Lexington to
include remote participants as part of the quorum count required for a meeting; and to revise said Chapter 118 with
respect to remote participation at Town Meeting; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
DESCRIPTION: In June 2020,the Legislature temporarily provided express authorization for representative Town
Meetings to be held by remote means due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That authorization was extended and will expire
on July 15,2022. This amendment to the general bylaws explicitly recognizes hybrid meetings of Town Meeting
where remote Town Meeting Member participants are allowed to participate fully and count to meeting quorum
requirements. In addition,this amendment includes a new section similar to Section 17.0 that specifies that remote
participation will be governed by a set of operating rules adopted from time to time by Town Meeting.
ARTICLE 4 APPROPRIATE FOR COMPLETING THE TOWN'S
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for completing the Town's comprehensive plan;
and determine whether the money shall be provided by the tax levy,by transfer from available funds or by any
combination of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto.
(Inserted by the Select Board)
FUNDS REQUESTED: $75,000
DESCRIPTION: This request is to complete the Town's Comprehensive Plan, which was last updated in 2002-2003.
The purpose of the Comprehensive Plan is to guide the Town's land use and physical development for the next 10-20
years. A comprehensive plan gathers public input on a community's strengths, opportunities, threats and values. It
assesses existing conditions in the community's land use,housing, transportation, economic development, open space
and recreation,natural resources, historic resources, and public facilities and recommends actions and strategies in
each of these areas. This request is supplemental to the funding appropriated under Article 7 of the 2017 Annual Town
Meeting and will cover contractual services for consulting and related services.
And you are directed to serve this warrant fourteen days at least before the time of said meeting as provided in the
Bylaws of the Town.
Hereof fail not, and make due return on this warrant, with your doings thereon,to the Town Clerk, on or before the
time of said meeting.
Given under our hands at Lexington this 21't day of March,2022.
A true copy,Attest:
Constable of Lexington
Jill L Hai, Chair Select Board
Joseph N.Pato
Suzanne E. Barry of
Douglas M. Lucerne
Mark D. Sandeen Lexington
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1775 NC
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MODERATOR
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APRIL 19'" DEBORAH BROWN
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March 11, 2022 DELIVERED BY EMAIL
Dear Select Board Members,
In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,I request approval to conduct the 2022-2 Special Town
Meeting through remote participation. I propose to use a combination of. (1) the Zoom
videoconferencing platform, (2)the online VVoter module provided by our electronic voting vendor,
Option Technologies OR comparable online voting tool developed by Select Board member Joe Pato,
and (3) an online queuing function developed by Select Board member Joe Pato to facilitate the
process of debate.
I certify that all components of the system described above have been fully tested and utilized
successfully for prior Town Meetings, and I am satisfied that this system enables our meetings to be
conducted in substantially the same manner as if they had occurred in person at a physical location. I
certify that the system(i) allows the moderator,town meeting members,town officials and any other
interested members of the public to identify and hear the moderator and each town meeting member who
attends and participates in the remote meeting, as well as any other individuals who participate in the
meeting; (ii)provides the ability to determine whether a quorum is present; (iii) allows participants to
request recognition by the moderator and makes such requests visible to the meeting participants and the
public; (iv) allows the moderator to determine when a town meeting member wishes to be recognized to
speak,make a motion, or raise a point of order or personal privilege; (v) enables the moderator to
recognize a town meeting member, town official or other individual and enable that person to speak; (vi)
provides the ability to conduct a roll call or electronically recorded vote; (vii) allows any interested
members of the public to access the meeting remotely through LexMedia for purposes of witnessing the
deliberations and actions taken at the town meeting; (viii) allows members of the public to participate in
debate through the submission of statements for or against a motion; and
(ix)provides for the town meeting to be recorded and available for future viewing. I further confirm
that I have consulted with Lexington's Commission on Disability regarding system accessibility.
Sincerely,
Deborah Brown
Town Moderator
617-512-7901
1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE•LEXINGTON,MASSACHUSETTS 02420
Town of Lexington,MA 02420
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Detailed information on Town Meeting Warrant Articles can be
found at htW.Ilwww.lexingtonma.gov/town-meeting