2023-10-19-AC-min - Laserfiche WebLink

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10/19/2023 AC Minutes 3 Mr. Bartenstein asked there was any community opposition to this request. Ms. Kosnoff was not aware of any opposition. The Committee recommended approval of Article 8 by a vote of 6-0. Article 9 Authorize Home Rule Petition for Special Legislation — Establishing The Election of Town Offices Using Ranked Choice Voting (Citizens’ Petition) There was some discussion of how RCV functions in unusual voting scenarios. Ms. Kosnoff con- firmed that the Town Clerk is looking to purchase new voting machines, and, given the options cur- rently on the state bidding list, it is likely that any new machines would come from the same vendor that the Town currently uses (Dominion). Mr. Padaki asked how this would affect future budgets and Ms. Kosnoff confirmed that the costs would be included in the operating budget. Mr. Parker asked whether there would be any further steps following approval by the legislature before RCV was initiated. Ms. Kosnoff stated that she believed the legislature’s approval would trigger the tran- sition to RCV. Mr. Michelson stated that he was opposed to the motion because the history of voting in the Town does not justify the added complexity and expense. Mr. Bartenstein noted that he would be in sup- port, but felt that implementing RCV should not proceed without first gaining approval of the voters in a townwide referendum. The Committee recommended approval of Article 9 by a vote of 4-2. Policy on Appropriations from New Growth into the CSF Mr. Padaki asked when the current guideline for appropriating funds from new growth into the Cap- ital Stabilization Fund (CSF) began. Ms. Kosnoff stated that it was first implemented in the FY2023 budget. Ms. Kosnoff reminded the Committee that the Town’s current policy is to tax to the levy limit, which is a choice, and that Town officials recommend the dedication of any otherwise unused reve- nue to the CSF for the time being. Approve Minutes of Prior Meetings Ms. Kosnoff objected to a statement in the draft minutes for October 12 that characterized her opin- ion incorrectly regarding the impact of purchasing new voting machine hardware. Mr. Parker agreed that the minutes should be rephrased. The Committee agreed to defer approval of the October 12 minutes pending further edits. Minutes from the Committee meeting on October 5 were approved by a roll call vote of 6-0. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned by roll call vote at 9:03 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Glenn P. Parker Approved: October 26, 2023