2013 Town Meeting Live Blog Session 2: Funds Appropriated to Study Athletic Fields at Loker Area

Editor's Note: Wayland's 2013 Annual Town Meeting began on Thursday, April 4 and continues, as necessary, on April 7, 9 and 10. Patch plans to attend each session and bring you live updates from the floor of town meeting. The live blog will be updated with time stamps, the most recent posts at the top.

Feel free to jump in with your own comments and questions in the comment section below.

5:23 p.m. - We're now voting to adjourn until 7:30 p.m. on April 9.

By a vote of 164 yes, 28 no, we're adjourned until Tuesday.

5:22 p.m. - Article 14 requests the town appropriate $92,000 for the study and design of athletic fields at Loker Conservation and Recreation Area.

Brud Wright, with the Rec Commission, is speaking to the motion. This article would pave the way for as many as three baseball fields to be constructed at the Loker Conservation Area.

There are concerns being put forth regarding possible contamination at the Loker Conservation Area from the prior Dow Chemical site.

Another speaker, the primary con speaker, says the scope of the article isn't strict enough as there is no specific funding laid out nor is the specific area clearly defined.

Bob Virzi explains that this motion and article would appropriate funds to continue studying and making a plan -- the funding for the fields themselves would come at a later time.

We now have a motion to terminate debate ... it passes 192 yes, 19 no.

Debate is terminated so now we're voting on the motion under Article 14.

It passes 156 yes, 57 no.

4:44 p.m. - We're moving on to Article 13 - Set Aside Community Preservation Funds for Later Spending.

There isn't any discussion, so we're going to a vote. Again by voice vote, it passes.

4:43 p.m. - John Bladon presents the motion under Article 12 - Amend Town Code Section 36-18: Attendance and Participation of Non-Resident Town Officials.

Bladon explained that this would allow town counsel and multiple other officials to address town meeting without the approval of voters.

George Harris is making an amendment to the motion, which would remove "Town Counsel" and "Speak to articles." He says the article is "deceptive," in that it would allow non-residents to affect decisions made by town meeting.

We now have an amendment to the amendment -- in this case, it would leave the words "Town Counsel" as written in the original motion, but would strike the words "Speak to articles," as proposed in the original amendment.

We're now voting on the amendment to the amendment -- essentially it would delete "Speak to articles" from the motion, but would leave "Town Counsel" in it.

The amendment to the amendment fails 90 yes, 117 no.

Now we deal with the amendment to the original motion, which deletes the words "Town Counsel" and "Speak to articles" from the original motion.

The amendment passes by voice vote (we had an issue of some kind with the electronic voting).

We're now voting the motion itself, again by voice vote. The motion, as amended, passes by voice vote.

4:20 p.m.- Steve Correia makes a motion to pass over Article 11.

Correia says that the language needs to be worked on and "tweaked" before a vote is taken.

Article is passed over by a vote of 209 yes, 8 no.

4:15 p.m. - And we're back.

Matt Kauffmann is restating his motion for $900,000 to be appropriated, through borrowing, for repairs, continued investigation, etc.

Berry is debating whether the new motion is within the scope of Article 10 and is having a private discussion with Town Counsel Mark Lanza.

He now says that it IS within the scope, so he'll allow it to continue.

Kauffmann addresses the motion, saying that the numbers presented on a handout to voters are approximate.

No one is speaking to the motion, but Greenaway has asked that debate be extended for 30 minutes.

One person gets up to say that the 30-minute extension allows people who didn't get the vote they wanted the first time to call other residents and get them to the field house to vote in favor of the motion.

The motion to extend debate fails 102 yes, 130 no. Debate has terminated on the article.

Now we vote on the motion to appropriate $900,000, from borrowing, for repairs and maintenance on the current facility, as well as further study for a new facility.

The motion fails to achieve a two-thirds vote (127 yes, 103 no).

3:52 p.m. - Now, under the same article, there is a new motion being brought to appropriate $900,000 for the maintenance and repair of the current DPW facility, as well as the investigation, continued design, archaeological study, etc. of a new facility.

We're recessing until 4 p.m., apparently to deal with the question of whether this new motion is appropriate.

3:50 p.m. - Jon Mishara rises to make the motion under Article 10, asking the town to appropriate $11.4 million for the construction of a new DPW maintenance and storage facility and accessory structures.

Tom Abdella then explains that the motion under Article 10 will appropriate the final monies needed for a new DPW facility.

"It's outdated, it's too small to support our current operations," Abdella says of the current DPW facility. "We can do better."

The information in the Warrant (pgs. 66-68) is accurate in terms of the breakdown of costs.

There are questions being raised about the fact that the motion on the floor is different than that presented in the motion because the one presented in the Warrant mentions paying for the interest on the debt through a Prop 2 1/2 vote.

Berry said that he feels the motion is within the scope of the article and he'll allow it to continue.

There are lines of people waiting to speak on this article. We'll be here on this article awhile, it seems.

Sciacca says that the road being considered for access to the new facility, running behind the current Wayland Transfer Station, is part of an enormous wildlife and wetlands issue for the town.

The area, Sciacca says, is critical to wildlife and Native American history. There are problems with the road and this site, Sciacca says, and suggests that the site on Route 20 is better (it will come up later for consideration for the River's Edge project).

Tom Fay says that not funding this puts the town at risk for having the current facility totally shut down and the department and pieces of equipment displaced.

A vote at the 2012 Annual Town Meeting set aside the River Road site of the current salt shed for this new facility.

Don Schuler asks whether the proposed site has ever flooded.

Matt Kaufmann says that to his knowledge the site has never flooded and the ground water situation is well below the lowest points of the facility, so it wouldn't be an issue.

Molly Upton says that she is supportive of a new facility, but wants the town to spend more time investigating the site, especially in light of the discovery of methane levels too high from the nearby capped landfill.

We've had a motion to terminate debate ... it passes 188 yes, 59 no.

So now we vote the motion under Article 10, to appropriate $11.4 million for the construction and related expenses of a new DPW facility.

It fails to achieve a two-thirds vote (which is necessary to borrow funds) with a vote of 158 yes, 95 no (that's just 62.4 percent, but it needed 66 percent).

2:51 p.m. - Lowery wrapped up his presentation on the motion by suggesting the road to the new DPW facility by named "Accommodation Way," as many groups have come together to make this possible.

The Conservation Commission fully supports the article.

Kent George rises to ask that this article be moved to later in the Warrant, since there are other articles that he believes should be considered before this article. As it is, this puts "the cart before the horse." He has specifically asked that Article 9 be moved to after Article 17.

Moving the motion requires a two-thirds vote.

"This motion is something that is going to happen whether the DPW garage is built or not," Lowery responded. "I urge you to reject this amendment."

Nolan said that the article is important with or without River's Edge or the DPW garage.

"This needs to be done for the transfer station at least," Nolan said.

We're voting now ... 52 yes, 186 no. The article will not be moved, so we continue with discussion on this article.

After a few more pro speakers -- and some questions about how much the suggested mitigation will cost -- we're coming to a vote. The response to the cost question is basically that transferring the land costs nothing -- and that's the only thing addressed by this article.

So the vote, Article 9 passes 191 yes, 51 no.

2:34 p.m. - Joe Nolan presents the motion under Article 9 - Amend 1978 Annual Town Meeting Vote Regarding Landfill Access Road Parcel and Designate Conservation Land.

The motion is generally the same as what is printed in the Warrant, but includes some additional language to reflect discussions that have taken place over the past few weeks.

Mike Lowery explained that Article 9 returns to the Conservation Commission a portion of the land running along the Sudbury River, which was originally granted to the town for use before the old town dump went in.

Some of the land is now needed for the proposed new DPW facility, but the return of a portion of this land, Lowery says, would help mitigate some of the issues potentially created by this road.

2:25 p.m.  - Ed Collins presents the motion under Article 8 - Accept Law Increasing Real Estate Tax Exemption Amounts.

The motion passes 183 yes, 16 no.

2:24 p.m. - Nancy McCarthy presents Article 7 - Approve Personnel Bylaw and Wage & Classification Plan.

This would allow a 2 percent pay increase for non-union employees in the town, as listed on page 129-130 in the Warrant.

The article passes 161 yes, 45 no.

2:21 p.m. - Article 6 - Compensation of Town Clerk, is being voted on without discussion.

It passes, 178 yes, 14 no.

2:19 p.m. - Motion 4 under Article 5 asks Town Meeting to approve funds to repair the Wayland Middle School roof. In the Warrant, the repairs were included in the full capital budget, but it was broken out into a separate motion here on the floor.

Greenaway says that the Massachusetts School Building Authority will grant Wayland $1 million for the project, but the town has also learned that the project will cost more than originally projected -- $2.9 million as opposed to the $1.5 million appropriated for the project at last year's Annual Town Meeting.

The MSBA, Greenaway says, requires the town to appropriate the full amount even though the town doesn't expect to need that money given the funds that are already appropriated ($1.5 million appropriated at the 2012 Annual Town Meeting, $915,000 to be borrowed (but will be covered by the MSBA grant) and $500,000 from Free Cash).

Margo Melnicove is offering an amendment to the motion that $500,000 not be transferred from Free Cash, but rather be added to the borrowed amount ($915,000) since the borrowed amount will be largely repaid by the MSBA grant. That would bring the borrowed amount to $1,415,000 with no money coming out of Free Cash.

Greenaway said the members of the Finance Committee are "largely indifferent" to the amendment, but pointed out that this amendment would drive the projected Free Cash balance up by $500,000.

We're voting the amendment (delete the amount to be transferred from Free Cash and include it in borrowing, bringing the borrowed amount to $1,415,000).

The amendment passes 172 yes, 53 no.

Now we vote Motion 4 under Article 5 (Middle school roof repairs).

The motion passes 203 yes, 20 no.

Article 5 disposed of.

1:55 p.m. - There's some confusion over whether Motion 2 under Article 5 was passed on Thursday. Richard Waack rose to say that it wasn't, but Berry says that it was.

Since Berry says Motion 2 was passed on Thursday, we're moving ahead to Motion 3 under Article 5. This motion is focused on the capital budget.

Greenaway is presenting the motion; it is different than that printed in the Warrant, but is featured on a handout here at Town Meeting. The new motion reduces the total capital budget request to $3.1 million, down from the $4.5 listed in the Warrant.

It also reduces the amount the treasurer, with authorization of selectmen, can borrow from $1.98 million to $1.06 million.

We're now going through the capital budget line item by line item. No one speaks up initially, but now we have a question about why money is being appropriated to redesign the intersection of routes 27 and 30.

Jon Mishara said there are some additional requirements to that intersection in terms of easements, etc., that need to be resolved.

We're now voting on the capital budget, minus the Middle School Roof Renovations, which will be addressed in another motion.

The capital budget passes 174 yes, 27 no.

1:17 p.m. - Anette Lewis opens today's session with an amendment to Motion 2 under Article 5 (pg. 40 of your Warrant). She has proposed removing the words "Wastewater Treatment Facility" from the motion.

Lewis says it is "inappropriate" to mix the business of the Wastewater Management District with the town business as it is under the responsibility of another entity.

Bill Steinberg rises to speak against the amendment. Steinberg asks how the facility would be managed, if not by the town administrator, given that the Wastewater Management Commission is simply a couple of volunteers.

Tom Sciacca speaks in favor of the amendment, saying that the taxpayers are not supposed to have any responsibility for the Wastewater Management District.

Town Meeting is now voting on whether to allow a non-resident, Town Counsel Mark Lanza, to address Town Meeting.

Lanza will be allowed to speak by a vote of 90 yes, 69 no.

Lanza addresses the legal status of the Wastewater Management Commission -- he says it is clearly a committee of the town.

"All of the responsibility it holds, it holds as a town board," Lanza says.

Linda Segal speaks in favor of the amendment. She says she applauds the work of the Wastewater Management Commission and acknowledges that they have had a "hard time."

She says that they have not always been given enough information to do their job and she believes that giving the responsibility for the treatment facility to the town administrator will further shut that commission out.

Tom Greenaway is now speaking against the amendment.

"If not the town administrator, whom? Who will manage this day to day?" Greenaway asks.

He says that he believes the Finance Committee would move to amend the operating budget, should the amendment pass, to subtract wastewater money set aside to pay for the town administrator's time spent managing this.

We're now voting on the amendment.

The amendment passes 100 yes, 65 no.

1:04 p.m. - And away we go. Moderator Dennis Berry has instructed the crowd (significantly smaller today) that we will continue until voters decide to leave. He won't make a prediction as to how many session Town Meeting will require.

We're doing a couple of test votes and then, presumably, will return to article 5, the budget. The operating budget was decided Thursday, but the capital budget and a couple of other motions under the article have yet to be voted.

Session 1 (April 4)