LIVE BLOG: 2015 Framingham Town Meeting - Night 2

Framingham Patch is live blogging during Annual Framingham Town Meeting.

Editor’s Note: While the blog is in place, please excuse typos. I will refresh as often as I can

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7:35 p.m. Moderator is going over some rules.

She is talking about Points of order and points of information are interruptible.

Motion to move the question is not interruptible.

Moderator says she will not call you if you are shouting out.

Ask they everyone remain civil and polite.

Some of us guilty of not being polite.

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Deborah Butler -- question about table article 2.

Moderator -- I need a motion to take it off the table

Motion -- hand vote -- passed

Article 2

Moderator is now reading off the new Town Meeting members -
8 new members - 2 who are not here.

Planning Board will now give her report

Christine Long -- Chair speaking -- thanks Town Meeting for hearing the report

Planning Board update and keep you aprised of the Zoning articles

5 zoning articles

3 at Annual and 2 at special town meeting at October special.

Master Land Use plan is a living document that is constantly evolving

Long is discussing collaboration and workshops

Permitted Projects --

13 in 2013

32 in 2014

A couple were expedited permits

Now discussing recodification of the zoning by law

short term tasks and initiatives

medium term tasks and 1nitiatives

long term tasks and initiatives

7:51 p.m.

Town Meeting discussion

Joel Winnet - Precinct 7 -- question to CFO -- in regards to report

35,000 removed from one project to another related to Loring Arena

Any other funds used for design besides transfer for Loring?

Second question -- Birch Road Wells ... appropriate $40 million - $2.1 million spent - reimburseable?

CFO Mary Ellen Kelley speaking -- additional funding for Loring Arena -- there were no additional.

There is $900 left over.

In regards $2.1 million was all on permitting and site review for environmenting testing said CFO

It is not reimbursable at this point.

Deb Butler - Precinct 7 -- 3 questions for the Town Manager

Will there be a state of Framingham address for citizens? Is this report in lieu of?

2nd -- Plans for the anthenum -- space reserved for veterans

3rd question - limiting increase to local property tax to not more than 1.25% plus growth. Will the remainder be banked for future use.

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Question - 1 answer - Town Manager Bob Halpin speaking -- late proposal by Town Manager to do the State of the Town. Felt it was too little too late. Great way to start the year. So no state of the Town this year. Probably in January 2016 we will try it again.

Question 2 answer-- Space in Anthenum for Veterans ... proposal keep meeting room - keep precense in Saxonville.

Question 3 answer -- budget goal for 3 fiscal years - 1.25% plus new growth. Ultimate goal -- average tax bill of not more than $100. Part of the motivation -- Framingham Public Schools has a dire need to build a $44 million middle school in 2017-18 ... set aside money -- to limit the amount tax payers would pay ... to be fair there may be a $22 million as there is possibility of 50% grant.

Patrick Dunne - Precinct 9 -- question on CFO ...

who controls the expenditures?

Mitigation $30,000 item for Natick Mall

and $3500 Cochituate Road mitigation

CFO speaking ... older mitigation accounts. For example in some instance, Natick Mall agreement, money for the lift - and we no longer have the LIFT. Bus stop in front of the library that services the MWRTA.

Part of the reason to report on these now - to look at the old accounts and look at the purpose of them. Change in purpose must be voted by the Planning Board.

Dunne speaking -- relocated McAuliffe Charter Middle School - neighbors had concerns about narrow one-way street. We need sidewalks -- maybe come out of mitigation - new big health center. Need to have some way to budget for sidewalks or safety traffic concerns.

Kevin Crotty - TMM 7 - speaking -- asking question of Town Manager -- anthenum hall. Longtime legion member.

one time Saxonville had its own legion hall. Do they still meet there?

Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin speaking -- short answer - there is meeting space. What is unique to veterans - we will give them permanent office space. Veterans will have their oom and keep records and display.

8:07 p.m. Bote to dispose of article -- hand vote passed.

Moderator going over new handouts on the table tonight

TEST Question for electronic devices - Will we complete Town Meeting before Memorial Day?

216 Town Meting members and 138 have checked in tonight

issue with the electronic devices*

Still issues with electronic devices so moderator moving on to article 6.

8;11 p.m.

Next will be article 6 -

Articles 10 & 11 will be taken together

Article 12 is the Capital Budget article, and it will also include the Loring Arena renovations.

CFO is reading the motion ...

• Town Owed building
• Cushing Chapel
• Concerts on Common Fund -
• School Bus fees
• Town Wetland protection fund
• Excavation management fund
• vaccine fund
• florescent mercury lamp recycling fund
• town records preservation fund
• callahan senior center fund
• emergency management equipment fund
• animal control fund
• Blighted property fund
• hosuing inspection program fund

CFO increasing ceiling of three funds

Excavation by $10,000

Emergency fund - $15,000

Calllahan Senior fund increasing too.

Committee reports

Betty Funk - TMM6 -- speaking for Finance Committee 5-0-0

Harold Geller - TMM2 - chair of ways and means -- surplus funds from be added to general fund - recommendation made to CFO

8:17 p.m.

Town Meeting member discussion

Gerry Bloomfield - TMM1 -- questions - how are these funds housed? What is oversight? Accounting? Are funds town clerk election division - $371,000? why so many revolving accounts? How do other towns & cities handle these issues.

CFO speaking -- expenditures -- not part of the individual operating budgets for these departments.

They collect revenues in form of fees. They account for them. Turn into treasurer’s office. Kept in same banks as general funds. Managed like other revenue. They are segregated on accounting system. Expenditures are recorded.

CFO giving example of fees collected for dog licenses and birth certificates...

CFO speaking -- most cities and town have all of these funds - we are not unique in the number of accounts

Deborah Butler -- TMM7 -- opposition of housing - through building inspectional services.

VOTE on accepting this article -- majority vote - hand vote -- one in opposition - Butler.

8;22 p.m.

TEST Question -- will we finish Town Meeting by Memorial Day?

Still have technical difficulties - Moderator.

Article 7-8-9 have been referred back

Article 10 & 11 - budget adjustments

VOTE to discuss and vote together -- hand vote -- passed

Discussion -- none

hand vote -- passed

8:26 p.m. Capital Budget procedures being reviewed by the Town Moderator.

Moderator is asking for no committee reports if there is not a pass on the item

Gerry Bloomfield -- Point of information... why no committee reports on 10 & 11

Gerry Bloomfield -- asking for overview of fiscal state of town before discussion on Article 12.

2/3rd vote needed ... for passed items

Moderator -- after go through list - take all non pass items for a vote.

Then presentation or committee reports ...

Then pass items one by one will be discussed.

Then open floor for discussion

Moderator said she would like to try again for the test question before start article 12 ...

Jeanne Bullock speaking - TMM - question - but could not hear what it was in the back of the room as she did not use microphone.

TEST question -- Will Town Meeting end before Memorial Day?

84-30-13 VOTE

CFO make motion on capital budget- $19 million plus spent under direction of the Town Manager except for items under the Framingham Public Schools

Point of order -- not the procedure used in the past.

Need to hear the reports before we decide if we pass ...Steven Shoal.

Moderator changing her own rules.

Presentation by CFO

Then report of Capital Budget Committee and then reports by other committees before taking the passes.

CFO -- read presentation to do articles 12-13-14 at the same time.

Hand vote - passed

8:40 p.m. CFO now making presentation

Capital project reqeusts include core town buildings -- fire stations, police station, callahan and town library

Core building do not include Memorial, pearl street garage.

FY17 -- holding year for fuller-farley project

Mary Dennison is now $600,000 and not $800,000

Other major projects

• $5.6 million for Loring arena
  
• Landham Pond Dam removal - $230,000 fpr design only
• UNion Avenue rpadway - $510,000
• Annual roadway - $4.5 million
• 2 refuse packers - $629,000 - in house recycling
• School technology $1.6 million
• Farley Flat roof and copper roof - $1.2 million - need to repair to keep the entire wing from failing says CFO
  
• Callahan senior center roof - $575,000
• Main library fire alarm system - $225,000

major deferrals

• pearl Street ramp - $583,000
  
• Landham Pond Removal - $360,000
• Stapleton repointing - $970,000
• School paving - $1.4 million
• athenaeum hall - $3.76 million
• Village Hall - $1.7 million
• Comprehensive building plan - $2.3 million
  

8:49 p.m. 2 Town Meeting member have already left for the night

CFO going over the major water & sewer projects

Water projects total $10 million plus

Sewer projects total $16.5 million plus

Debt service -- CFO -- we do not pay cash for these projects

We borrow long term - like other municipalities do says CFO

It is like a mortgage explains CFO

For water & sewer projects if affects water & sewer rates - CFO

First year of debt service is short-term borrowing and it is interest only

For example Loring Arena is $5.6 million but only about $50,000 in FY budget first year

9 p.m. Capital Budget Committee report now -- Jeanne Bullock speaking chair

• start meeting 90 days before Town Meeting
• Then see each department - explain what they are requesting ...
• Important thing - capital projects -- have a very good process - CFO - gets information from each department - minimum of 6 years in advance - some department 10 or 20 years in advance

Most recommended

several projects voted that we did not recommend

Money for Mary Dennison - voted on an $800,000 figure - but did vote to recommend it.

Did not support the traffic calming measure

Technology upgrades -- ask to be tabled for tomorrow night - meeting with school at 6;30 p.m. on Thursday.

Elizabeth Funk -- Finance Committee - TMM6 -- speaking

a member of finance committe serves on capital budget -- Funk served

exclusion of Traffic calming and school technology approved CFO recommendations

Explain ....

School $1.15 technology upgrades for schools - request -- table item.

Harold Gellar - ways & means chair speaking

Loring Arena and issues with school technology budget

Standing Committee on Education chair -- Dick Weader (who is also clerk of capital budget committee)

Library and Framingham Public Schools - under education committee

Weader noted that no one from the school department nor school committee is present tonight

9:12 p.m.

Public Works Committee chair speaking

Chair of Community Services Committee - Herb Chasan - speaking -- Loring Arena --

Moderator -suggested maybe waiting

Chasan -- giving report - vote in favor 7-0-1

voted on mary Dennison Park -- 8-0-0

Voted on pick up truck 8-0-0

Karen Dempsy -- Disability Commission report in regards to Loring Arena --

Moderator asked her to wait.

9:15 p.m.

Point of order -- Gerry Bloomfield -- can we speak on the overall presentation or do we have to talk on each line item?

General question -- on overall budget capital budget - Moderator open floor.

Bloomfield -- asking question to CFO - on criteria for capital spending

CFO -- we can pay cash for a project. We don’t always have to borrow.

Bloomfield -- make motion to put Keefe Tech roof into capital budget --

CFO cost is $800,000

Bloomfield -- turned down by fuller-farley several times. What is impact if turned down again? What is the bond rate projections for the future?

CFO -- Interest rates for the out years do increase to 3.9%. Last borrowing we did 2.88% when we go out to 2021 is it 3.9%. Evey year we review where the rates are.

CFO -- If rejected a third time what happens on Fuller-Farley it will double the debt service.

Motion -- add article 12 - $800,000 for keefe tech roof .. and not be paid for via cash.

CFO -- it is not in the operating budget. It is a separate article. It is taking money from free cash. It should not impact the operating budget.

William LaBarge -- TMM16 -- speaking -- legal questions

Moderator asking town Counsel - Barbara St Andre speaking

Liability based on a lot of things

building not compliant -- town could be liable for injuries and federal compliance penalties. Hypothetical question - depends on the circumstances

Dick Weader -- on article 20 -- Keefe Roof.

*

CFO read through the list for Pass items -- 10 were passed one.

Moderator asking that all the rest be taken together and voted on by Town Meeting members electronically

2/3rd vote needed

electronic vote

9:35 p.m.

Point of order -- Joel Winett asking for a recorded vote

Moderator says since 2.3rd vote needed - it will be an electronic vote.

Now trying a hand vote ... Moderator says it was unanimous.

9:37 p.m. A12R - Cypress Street Woodland Improvements

Peter Pleshaw - TMM11 - speaking -- like to have more imformation from the conservation department

Conservation - Robert McArthur -- Cedar Swamp land -- Cypress Street Woodland - speaking

16 acre parcel - turned over to conservation in 2007

has some trails on it

lot of encroachment by property owners ... lot of dumping since 2007

138 people have checked in tonight officially but some have left

we would look at the trails - especially on the southern end

QUESTION -- Peter Pleshaw -- speaking -- area in a very close knit neighborhood

It is an area that is a swamp - been around for a long long time.

In 1971 - property bought and put under control of the town.

Fencing they are taking about - would be on the back property -- Cedar and Mellen fence would be put up

Property been that way for years ...neighbors did encroach

People will do that

I’m not voting for this -- have an amendment -- property that should stay in natural habitat. Fencing and trails will stop any individuals from going in there and living

Move to amend article 12 -MOTION -- Pleshaw

Kevin Crotty TMM7 -- speaking think long over due to look at this propert- perception of Cedar Sway. Stilton Glass was probably the biggest perpertrator. I say give this poor old area its due and protect it and clean it up.

George Lewis - TMM18 -- I live near that neighborhood. We deserve it. My idea was to create a walking path from Waushakum beach through Cedar Swamp to Waverly Street.

Judith Grove - TMM15. I live on Cedar Swamp ...lived there for 33 years live near conservation land that I would not walk though. When I heard about the fences I was not in favor of it ... if you care about your neighborhood you would be in favor.

Ned Price -- TMM17 land on the south side also desrves protection

Ralph Zullio (sp) - TMM9 -- $250,000 is for the design but not for the cleanup

Conservation agent speaking -- surveying and bounding of the property and the fencing

Susan Massed - TMM5 -- rise in support of this. Saw a refrigerator a couch and some old beds -- any clean up of any conservation land would be really great for this town.

Bill Haberman - TMM10 -- moves the question -

Moderator -- hand vote - majority - passed

require a 2/3rd vote and there is an amendment

Amendment by Pleshaw -- reduce to $50,000 from $250,000 (and cleanup only) track of land - no fences .

Majority vote - hand vote - fails.

Main motion -- electronic voting - 2/3rd vote.

VOTE: 124-6-2 - PASSED

10:01 p.m.

Motion to adjourn --PASSED