SPECIAL TOWN MEETING: Asking for permission to spend money, change town election date

Voters at the Monday, Nov. 26, Special Town Meeting will be asked to decide on five warrant articles pertaining primarily to the expenditure of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds, mold remediation at the Town House, and a request to change the towns annual election date.

The special fall Town Meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the Sippican School auditorium on Spring Street.

None of the warrant articles will ask for money per se, however three very specifically deal with the disbursement of funds.

Article 1 asks voters to appropriate $84,300 in Community Preservation Act funds to be used for open space, community housing and historic resources for fiscal year 2013. Passing Article 1 will allow the other two CPA-sponsored warrant articles to be funded, if voters approve.

Article 2 asks for specific amounts from specific accounts of the town Community Preservation Committee, which is the town body that decides which projects qualify and will be presented to Town Meeting for a vote. It seeks $10,000 from the CPCs open space account, $10,000 from the community housing account, and $10,000 from unrestricted estimated annual revenues for a total of $30,000 to be appropriated to the Buzzards Bay Area for Habitat for Humanity to build a home at 185 Wareham St.

Article 3 asks voters for permission to amend Article II, Section 1 of Marions General Bylaws, which pertains to the date of the annual town election, to strike the section entirely and replace it with this: The annual Town Meeting shall be held on the second Monday in May.

Marion Town Administrator Paul Dawson said the request to change the date of the annual town election was largely due to the fact that the election always abuts the Memorial Day holiday, causing a problem for people away from their voting precinct, as well as getting enough election workers because of the holiday.

By changing the date of annual Town Meeting to the second Monday in May we avoid the Memorial Day holiday, Dawson said.

If you like a cold beer in your hand while the waves lap at your ankles, your chances of doing that on a town beach in Marion will be absolute zero if Article 4 passes because Article 4 will make it illegal to bring your favorite alcoholic beverage to any of the town beaches. It asks to amend Article V, Section 4 of the town general bylaws by striking the section in its entirety and replace it with the following: It shall be unlawful for any person to consume alcoholic beverages on any beach owned by the Town of Marion without having first obtained a liquor license from the Board of Selectmen

The article came about after former Selectman Roger Blanchette broached the topic near the end of his last term at a regular selectmens meeting. Last winter, Blanchette noted that while one group was allowed to have a fundraiser involving alcohol at Silvershell Beach, another wasnt and he thought the rules should be the same for everyone.

Read more from the original source:
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING: Asking for permission to spend money, change town election date