Thursday, April 26, 2012
Wayland Town Moderator Dennis Berry hosted a review of Wayland's 2012 annual town meeting Wednesday night.
“Preparation” and “balance” emerged as the two words Wayland Town Moderator Dennis Berry said best applied to his feelings about Wayland’s five-session, 16-hour 2012 Annual Town Meeting. Berry moderated a review of the annual meeting Wednesday night among about 25 residents and before some members of Wayland’s Town Meeting Advisory Committee, Town Meeting Procedures Subcommittee and Town Meeting Facilities Subcommittee. The preparation of various town boards and committees as well as petitioners was less than ideal, Berry said. That lack of preparation led to confusion among voters and added precious minutes to a town meeting that aleady featured a warrant of 31 articles. Berry said that he had received numerous notes from individuals …
42.36299
-71.360179
Wayland Town Building
41 Cochituate Rd, Wayland, MA
/articles/technology-time-preparation-hot-topics-at-town-meeting-review
769512
/locations/6883245
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting lasted for five sessions, but we have some other numbers from the meeting to report.
There are a few numbers from Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting that are obvious: 31 articles in a 150-page Warrant, five sessions that took 15 days to complete ... But there are other numbers we found interesting. Admittedly, some are more relevant than others, but let's have a little fun with even the less than relevant figures. Dates: Town Meeting sessions occurred on April 9, 10, 11, 12 and 23. Number of sessions: Five Number of total hours in Town Meeting session: 16 hours, 12 minutes (972 minutes, total) Number of venues: 2 (both at Wayland Middle School, but two separate rooms) Number of voters in attendance? Number of registration table volunteers: 67 (not necessarily different individuals; just total number needed over the course…
42.324997
-71.36451
Wayland Middle School
201 Main St, Wayland, MA
/articles/wayland-s-2012-town-meeting-by-the-numbers
1839446
/locations/6884135
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
A quick reference article recapping action taken on each article of Wayland's 2012 Town Meeting Warrant.
This article originally published April 10 at 5:05 a.m. It has been updated and republished several times as action was taken on articles. Patch is keeping track of the actions taken on the articles of Wayland’s 2012 Annual Town Meeting Warrant. You’ll find a recap (without abstentions) of the vote as well as amendments passed for each article below (amendments that failed are not included, but can be followed in the live blog linked below). The original 2012 Town Meeting Warrant is available as a PDF. In addition to this article recap, Wayland Patch is live blogging each session of the ATM from the town meeting floor. NOTE: For a printable version of this, or any other article published on Wayland Patch, click the "Print" link above the …
Monday, April 23, 2012
We've restarted the live blog for this fifth session of Town Meeting.
Join us on the live blog with your comments and questions. Because of the lengthy period between sessions 4 and 5 of Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting, we've started a new blog. To review the live blog from sessions 1 through 4, see "Live Blog: Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting."
42.324997
-71.36451
Wayland Middle School
201 Main St, Wayland, MA
/articles/live-blog-session-five-wayland-s-2012-annual-town-meeting
1839446
/locations/6855059
After a lengthy break, Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting resumes tonight. We're here to remind you where we've been so far.
It's been more than 11 days since Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting last convened a session. During the break, you're been through an entire week of Spring Vacation, and we're willing to bet Town Meeting has been far from your mind. So here's what you need to know going into tonight's fifth, and presumably final, session. When/Where: Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Wayland Middle School. This session will take place in the auditorium, NOT the gymnasium. Because of the room change, please use the main entrance of WMS. Other Factors:
42.324997
-71.36451
Wayland Middle School
201 Main St, Wayland, MA
/articles/wayland-town-meeting-resumes-tonight
1839446
/locations/6855230
Friday, April 20, 2012
Questions were raised during last Thursday's session of Wayland's Annual Town Meeting.
The Wayland Recreation Commission met Wednesday night to clear up confusion over a Town Meeting Warrant article that created some controversy when briefly presented during last Thursday night’s session of Town Meeting. The presentation was cut short and left incomplete by the collapse and later death of a meeting attendee. Wednesday night’s discussion ultimately led to the Recreation Commission approving a revised motion under that article that would allow homeowners on Lakeshore Drive to purchase a small, abutting parcel of land on which to build a new septic system, pending further approval by the Board of Selectmen. During last week’s Town Meeting discussion of Article 27, to authorize the sale of town-owned land at 24 and 26 Lakeshore …
Friday, April 13, 2012
The date and location have been set.
Wayland's Annual Town Meeting will reconvene at 7:30 p.m. on April 23 and will pick up with Article 27. (For a recap of action taken on articles so far, see the article "Recap: Wayland 2012 Annual Town Meeting"). The meeting will take place in the auditorium at Wayland Middle School. The fourth session of Wayland Town Meeting on April 12 was expected to be the final session, but ended abruptly when Steve Allen, chair of Wayland's Cable Television Advisory Committee, collapsed. Allen died later at Framingham Union Hospital. "Our condolences to his family," wrote Town Administrator Fred Turkington in an announcement on the Town of Wayland website. "He will be missed."
42.324997
-71.36451
Wayland Middle School
201 Main St, Wayland, MA
/articles/wayland-town-meeting-will-continue-april-23
1839446
/locations/6796011
Town Administrator Fred Turkington confirmed the death.
Steve Allen, 85, passed away Thursday night after collapsing during the fourth session of Wayland's Annual Town Meeting. Wayland Town Administrator Fred Turkington sent the following note: It is my sad duty to advise you that Steve Allen died last night. The chair of our Cable TV Advisory Committee, Steve will be remembered as a tireless advocate for accountability by cable franchise providers, as well as a supporter of public access cable programming. He was 85 years old. Allen collapsed at about 10:20 p.m. in the Wayland Middle School auditorium. Several people responded to provide medical assistance and CPR, including Wayland Fire Chief Vinnie Smith; Doug Leard, chair of Wayland's Local Emergency Planning Committee; and Ronnie Bodkin. …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Man collapsed about 10:20 p.m.
The fourth session of Wayland's 2012 Annual Town Meeting ended abruptly Thursday night after a man collapsed on the town meeting floor. Board of Selectmen member Sue Pope was speaking at the podium when Wayland Fire Chief Vinnie Smith rushed to the front row of chairs where a gentleman had collapsed. Several people at town meeting identified the man as Steve Allen. Smith and newly elected selectmen Doug Leard, chair of Wayland's Local Emergency Planning Committee, performed CPR until paramedics arrived. Allen's condition is unknown at this time. Tom Fay moved to adjourn the meeting after paramedics departed. The meeting ended in the midst of Article 27, an article authorizing the sale of town-owned land on Lakeshore Drive. Town Meeting …
Town Meeting isn't quite complete, but we've had three sessions with electronic voting.
The 2012 Annual Town Meeting marks the first during which Wayland is utilizing electronic voting for all the sesssions (three so far, and fourth to come tonight). Last year's trial run of electronic voting covered only two of the three days needed to dispose of all the articles, but this year, the handsets were around for the long haul. There have been ups (a 157 to 155 vote that almost certainly would have required a teller count) and downs (the confusion over a teller audit). So we want to know what you think: Does electronic voting improve Town Meeting? Go ahead and sign-in to Wayland Patch (click "Sign In" or "Join" in the upper right-hand corner) and tell us what you think in the comments below.
Alan Reiss
11:48 am on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Jeff - I could not agree more with your sentiments above. In fact, I was at the meeting and noted that the live blog which was available on my smart phone gave me great information about what was happening upfront - while I was in the back on the evoting help desk. This is completely unenforceable. more ›