Politics & Government

BLOG RECAP: Special Town Meeting Adjourned; Will Resume Oct. 15 to Tackle Fallon Road Development Article

The Special Town Meeting will resume on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Sixteen warrant articles were tackled during Stoneham Special Town Meeting Monday night in the Town Hall Auditorium.

Check out our blog to see what each article dealt with and whether it was approved by Stoneham voters:

  • 7:05 p.m.: It appears a couple dozen Stoneham residents are in attendance. The balcony is currently empty.
  • 7:15, Town Moderator Lawrence Means bangs the gavel and calls the meeting to order.
  • 7:18 p.m.: Article 1, which was a proposed bylaw regarding the right of non-residents to speak at Town Hall, was indefinitely postponed.
  • 7:20 p.m.: Article 2, which concerns the Fallon Road apartment development, was tabled until the end of the meeting (after Article 17) due to last-minute adjustments to the plan and the Selectmen are asking for additional time to review them, according to Selectman Richard Gregorio.
  • 7:25 p.m.: Article 3, which concerns rezoning a section of Franklin Street to allow the development of a four-story, 88-unit assisted living facility, was approved by a two-thirds majority.
  • 7:30 p.m.: Article 4, which concerns rezoning of various properties in the residential overlay/business district, was indefinitely postponed.
  • 7:33 p.m.: Article 5, which deals with the North Elementary School development, was indefinitely postponed.
  • 7:36 p.m.: Article 6, which involves making Constitution Road, a private road, into a public way, was approved by voters.
  • 7:41 p.m.: Article 7, which sought to add a member from the School Committee to the Capital Committee, was approved.
  • 7:45 p.m.: Article 8, which concerns transferring surplus funds of $137,293 into the Capital Stabilization Fund to bring the total for that account to $307,440, was approved. Capital Committee member Richard Gregorio stated that the transfer is to bolster the account for future capital projects.
  • 7:58 p.m.: Article 9 was split into two parts. The first article (9a), which concerned the purchase of a combination pump and ladder fire engine for $1.3 million, was approved by a two-thirds majority vote. Gregorio described the old fire engine as a "vintage 1987" model that would be replaced and will be sold, as there is a "huge market" for fire apparatus, according to Fire Chief Joseph Rolli. Rolli hopes to get at least 20 years of service from the new fire engine. 
  • 8:03 p.m.: Article 9b, which called for $186,028 for various capital improvement projects, was approved.
  • 8:07 p.m.: Article 10, which called for $175,000 to help pay down existing liability related to accrued vacation, sick and compensatory time for town employees, was approved.
  • 8:11 p.m.: Article 11, which called for $1,000 to the town treasurer upon completion of certification, was approved.
  • 8:27 p.m.: Article 12, which allows the town to add a one percent surcharge to the real estate tax to provide for the development of open space, historic resources, recreational land and community housing, was approved. The article will be vetted over the next six months prior to being placed on the April Town Meeting ballot.
  • 8:31 p.m.: Article 13, which called for $424,000 to improve the town's sanitary sewer infrastructure, was approved. The MWRA will provide funding for this project, with 45 percent coming from a grant and 55 percent from an interest-free loan.
  • 8:34 p.m.: Article 14, which called for the acceptance of $488,000 in Chapter 90 funds to allow the continuance of work to be performed on permanent construction programs on the town's public ways, was approved.
  • 8:36 p.m.: Article 15, which called for a $75,000 transfer of money received by the town from the town of Wakefield for water system improvements to Wakefield's system to the town's water account, was approved.
  • 8:40 p.m.: Article 16, which called for $500,000 in surplus funds be transferred into the Stabilization Fund, was approved. With the additional $500,000, the Stabilization Fund increased from $1.4 million to $1.9 million.
  • 8:45 p.m.: Article 17, which called for increasing the fiscal year 2013 budget by $633,941, was approved. The accounting change includes a deficit of $112,062 in the sewer funds, maturing debt of $601,928 and the Minuteman Vocational School of $4,993. The amounts are partially offset by a surplus on water and the Northeast Vocational School funds of $80,000.
  • 8:49 p.m.: Article 2, which was tabled earlier in the evening, will be postponed until the Special Town Meeting resumes on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Town Hall Auditorium
  • 8:49 p.m.: Special Town Meeting adjourned until Oct. 15.

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