Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-10-14-STM-3-Warrant TOWN OF LEXINGTON WARRANT SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2020-3 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 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 October 14, 2020 at 7:30pm, 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,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. Residents who wish to participate in the Meeting may contact the Town Clerk's Office at clerk,@1exingtonma.gov and by completing the online form at www.LexingtonMA.gov/Fa112020STM . For more information,please see the Moderator's letter dated September 1, 2020 to the Select Board attached to this warrant as Special Town Meeting 2020-3 Appendix A. ARTICLE I 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 PRIOR YEARS' UNPAID BILLS To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate money to pay any unpaid bills rendered to the Town for prior years; to 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: Unknown at press time DESCRIPTION: This is an annual article to request funds to pay bills after the close of the fiscal year in which the goods were received or the services performed and for which no money was encumbered. ARTICLE 3 ESTABLISH,DISSOLVE AND APPROPRIATE TO AND FROM SPECIFIED STABILIZATION FUNDS To see if the Town will vote to create, amend, dissolve, rename and/or appropriate sums of money to and from Stabilization Funds in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Section 5B of Chapter 40 for the purposes of- STM £STM 2020-3 Page 1 (a) Section 135 Zoning By-Law; (b) Traffic Mitigation; (c) Transportation Demand Management/Public Transportation; (d) Special Education; (e) Center Improvement District; (f) Debt Service; (g) Transportation Management Overlay District; (h) Capital; (i) Payment in Lieu of Parking; (j) Visitor Center Capital Stabilization Fund; (k) Affordable Housing Capital Stabilization Fund; (1) Water System Capital Stabilization Fund; and (m) Ambulance Stabilization Fund; determine whether such sums shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, from fees, charges or gifts or by any combination of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (Inserted by the Select Board) FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time DESCRIPTION: This is an annual article to establish, dissolve, and/or fund Stabilization Funds for specific purposes and to appropriate funds therefrom. Money in those funds may be invested and the interest may then become a part of the particular fund. These funds may later be appropriated for the specific designated purpose by a two-thirds vote of an Annual or Special Town Meeting, for any lawful purpose. ARTICLE 4 RESCIND PRIOR BORROWING AUTHORIZATIONS To see if the Town will vote to rescind the unused borrowing authority voted under previous Town Meeting articles; or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (Inserted by the Select Board) DESCRIPTION: State law requires that Town Meeting vote to rescind authorized and unissued debt that is no longer required for its intended purpose. ARTICLE 5 AMEND FY2021 OPERATING,ENTERPRISE AND CPA BUDGETS To see if the Town will vote to make supplementary appropriations, to be used in conjunction with money appropriated under Articles 4, 5, 9 and 10 of the warrant for the 2020 Annual Town Meeting to be used during the current fiscal year, or make any other adjustments to the current fiscal year budgets and appropriations that may be necessary; to determine whether the money shall be provided by tax levy, by transfer from available funds including the Community Preservation Fund or by combination of any of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (Inserted by the Select Board) FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time DESCRIPTION: This is an annual article to permit adjustments to current fiscal year(FY2021) appropriations. ARTICLE 6 AMEND POST EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE LIABILITY FUND To see if the Town will vote to make supplementary appropriations, to the Town of Lexington Post Retirement Insurance Liability Fund, to be used in addition to appropriations made pursuant to Article 17 of the 2020 Annual Town Meeting during the current fiscal year, or make any other adjustments to the current fiscal year budgets and appropriations regarding post-employment benefits that may be necessary; determine whether the money shall be provided by the tax levy,by transfer from available funds,including enterprise funds, or by any combination of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (Inserted by the Select Board) FUNDS REQUESTED: Unknown at press time STM 2020-3 Page 2 DESCRIPTION: This article will allow the Town to continue to fund its liability for post-employment benefits for Town of Lexington retirees. Beginning with the FY2007 audit, the Town was required to disclose this liability. Special legislation establishing a trust fund for this purpose was enacted in 2002. ARTICLE 7 LAND ACQUISITION To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board or the Conservation Commission to purchase or otherwise acquire, and authorize the Select Board to take by eminent domain, upon written request of the Conservation Commission, any fee, easement, or conservation restriction, or other interest in all or any part of a particular parcel of land to be identified prior to Town Meeting, for conservation purposes, including passive recreation, municipal purposes, or affordable housing; and appropriate a sum of money therefor and determine whether the money shall be provided by the tax levy, by transfer from available funds, including the Community Preservation Fund, or by borrowing,or by applying for and receiving funding under the Local Acquisitions of Natural Diversity(LAND)Grant Program pursuant to M.G.L. Chapter 132A, Section 11 of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other grants to reimburse the Town for a portion of the purchase price of the property described above; to enter into any contracts and agreements related to the application or the award of funds; or any combination of these methods; or act in any other manner in relation thereto. (Inserted by the Board of Selectmen at the Request of the Community Preservation Committee) FUNDS REQUESTED: unknown at press time DESCRIPTION: This article requests funds to purchase land. ARTICLE 8 REDUCE LEGAL EXPENSES (Citizen Petition) This citizen's proposal is to reduce the appropriation in the line item 8120(legal expenses for the town)for fiscal year 2021 from $410,000 to $110,000 and increase the amount appropriated for town in line item 8200 (town manager office and human resources) by $100,000. During FY 14-18 the town (exclusive of the school department) has annually spent on average more than $620,000 in legal expenses. More than 80% of this legal work is of a routine nature that could be done by in-house counsel. (Inserted by the Select Board on behalf of Richard Neumeier and 9 or more registered voters) DESCRIPTION: This article seeks Town Meeting approval to hire in-house counsel for legal services for the Town for fiscal year 2021. This proposal would reduce the appropriation in line item 8120, legal expenses for the Town, from $410,000 to $110,000 and increase the appropriation in line item 8200 of the Town Manager's budget by $100,000. 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 14th day of September 2020. Douglas M. Lucente, Chair Select Board Joseph N.Pato Suzanne E. Barry of Jill 1. Hai Mark D. Sandeen Lexington A true copy,Attest: Constable of Lexington STM 2020-3 Page 3 M0RW/wC Town of Lexington MODERATOR DEBORAH BROWN APRIL 191" " SPECIAL TOWN MEETING 2020-3 Appendix A September 1,2020 Delivered to Select Board via email Dear Select Board Members, In view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing federal, state and local advisories to practice social distancing and avoid the congregation of crowds, I request approval to conduct the proposed 2020-3 Special Town Meeting, scheduled to commence October 14, 2020,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,with the assistance of Select Board Chair Doug Lucente, Select Board member Joe Pato, Town Meeting Members' Association Chair Ben Moroze, and members of Town staff,I have tested all components of the system described above and am satisfied that this system will enable 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 1625 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE •LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02420 STM-3 Page 4