Join the Natick Patch Live Blog of Fall Town Meeting

Fall Town Meeting will begin Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m., at Natick High School, and Natick Patch will be there for a live blog, providing up-to-date decisions and a chance to comment on those decisions for those who can't make it.

Originally scheduled for Oct. 15, Fall Town Meeting was moved due to the Special State Primaries for the 5th Congressional race to fill Ed Markey's seat, which was vacated when he was voted into the U.S. Senate earlier this year.

Residents and town leaders will debate and vote over a 23-article warrant.

For more information on Fall Town Meeting, visit the Town of Natick website.

Below are the 23 articles:

ARTICLE 1

Report from South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical School District Regarding Roof Replacement Project

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to receive a report from the South Middlesex Regional Vocational Technical School District regarding the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s invitation for said School to participate in the Accelerated Repair Program in conducting a feasibility study for a roof replacement project, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 2

Personnel Board Classification and Pay Plan

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town, pursuant to the authority contained in Section 108A of Chapter 41 of the General Laws, will vote to amend the by-laws by amending the Classification and Pay Plan as referenced in Article 24, Section 3, by deleting certain position titles, adding new position titles and effecting changes in the salary ranges as presently established, or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 3

Street Acceptance –Portion of Summer Street

(Board of Selectmen)

To see if the Town will vote to accept a portion of Summer Street as a public way, and any appurtenant easements thereto, as laid out by the Board of Selectmen and as shown on a plan or plans, a copy of which is on file in the office of the Town Clerk; to see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase, eminent domain or otherwise, easements in any land necessary for laying out and acceptance of a portion of Summer Street, and any appurtenant drainage, utility or other easements related to said Summer Street, and/or to accept grants thereof; and, further, to authorize the Board of Selectmen and other applicable Town of Natick boards and personnel to take all related actions necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this article. Or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 4

Committee Article

(Board of Selectmen)

To see if the Town will vote to receive the reports of town officers, boards, and committees, or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 5

Amend Zoning By-Laws: Limited Salesroom for Motor Vehicles

(Planning Board)

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning Bylaws to add a new use of “Limited Salesroom for Motor Vehicles”; or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 6

Amend Section 6-3 of the Charter to Allow Greater Flexibility Re: Comptroller Position

(Board of Selectmen)

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town Charter, specifically by deleting in its entirety the fourth sentence of Section 6-3, paragraph (a) and replacing it with the following: “The comptroller shall devote his entire time, as committed to and agreed upon by the Board of Selectmen, to the performance of his duties and the supervision of the employees of his department.” Or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 7

Senior Tax Work Program (to Specify up to 125 Hours of Work vs Current

$1,000 Dollar Limit

(Council on Aging)

To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59, Section 5K, which Section was previously accepted by the Town of Natick, to adjust the maximum reduction of the real property tax bill to be based on 125 volunteer service hours to the Town in a given tax year, rather than $1,000, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 8

Amend Town By-Laws Re: Contracts/Procurement

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town By-Laws, Specifically Article 41, Section 1, by deleting in their entirety the second, third and fifth paragraphs therein, or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 9

Feasibility Study of the Kennedy Middle School

(Superintendent of Schools)

To see if the Town of Natick will vote to appropriate, borrow or transfer from available funds, an amount of money to be expended under the direction of the School Committee for a feasibility study of the Kennedy Middle School, 165 Mill Street, Natick, MA, for which feasibility study the Town may be eligible for a grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The MSBA’s grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any costs the Town incurs in connection with the feasibility study in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the Town.

ARTICLE 10

Rescind Authorized, Unissued Debt

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to rescind the authorization for unissued debt that has been determined is no longer needed for the completion of various projects, or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 11

Appropriation from Receipts Reserved Funds from Bernardi Development to Fund Purchase of Foam Concentrate for the Natick Fire Department

(Board of Selectmen) 

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $9,625 from mitigation funds from the Bernardi Auto Group Expansion Project, pursuant to a decision of the Natick Planning Board, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Natick Fire Chief for the purchase of foam concentrate for the Natick Fire Department to assist in the suppression of fires and/or spills, or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 12

Unpaid Bills

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or otherwise provide such sums of money as may be required for the payment of unpaid bills of previous years, incurred by the departments, boards and officers of the Town of Natick, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 13

Fiscal 2014 Omnibus Budget Article

(Town Administrator)

To determine what sum or sums of money the Town will appropriate and raise, or transfer from available funds, for the operation of the government of the Town of Natick, including debt and interest, during Fiscal Year 2014 (July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014) and to provide for a reserve fund for Fiscal Year 2014, and to see what budgets for Fiscal Year 2014 will be reduced to offset said additional appropriations, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 14

Stabilization Fund

(Town Administrator) 

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money from available funds for the purpose of supplementing the stabilization fund under Article 22 of the warrant for Annual Town Meeting of 1961, as authorized by Chapter 40, Section 5B of the General Laws, as amended, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 15

Stabilization Fund –Operating/Rainy Day

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money from available funds for the purpose of supplementing the Operational Stabilization Fund established by vote of the 2011 Spring Annual Town Meeting under Article 4, as authorized by Chapter 40, Section 5B of the General Laws, as amended, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 16

Stabilization Fund –Capital

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money from available funds for the purpose of supplementing the Capital Stabilization Fund under Article 2 of the warrant for Fall Annual Town Meeting of 2010, as authorized by Chapter 40, Section 5B of the General Laws, as amended, or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 17

Collective Bargaining

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or otherwise provide, the funds necessary to implement the Terms of Agreements reached between the Town and the following collective bargaining units:

a) Local 1707 International Association of Firefighters

b) The Deputy Fire Chiefs Association

Or otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 18

Capital Equipment

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and raise, or otherwise provide, a sum or sums of money as may be required for capital equipment for the various departments of the Town of Natick; to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise; or otherwise act thereon.

ARTICLE 19

Capital Improvement

(Town Administrator)

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and raise, or otherwise provide, a sum or sums of money to implement a Capital Improvement Program, to protect the physical infrastructure of the Town of Natick; to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise; or to otherwise act thereon. 

ARTICLE 20

Section 101 Increase

(Retirement Board)

To see if the Town will vote to approve the Natick Retirement Board's vote to adopt the provisions Sections 27 and 28 of Chapter 131 of the Acts of 2010 to amend Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 32, Section 101, to increase the benefit provided therein to widows and widowers of the Natick Retirement System from $6,000 to $9,000.00 per year.

ARTICLE 21

COLA Increase

(Retirement Board)

To see if the Town will vote to approve the Natick Retirement Board’s vote to increase the cost of living for retirees and survivors of the Natick Retirement System from $12,000.00 to $13,000.00 for FY 15; to $14,000 for FY 16; to $15,000 for FY 17; to $16,000 for FY 18; to $17,000 for FY 19; and to $18,000 for FY 20 consistent with the provision of Section 19 of Chapter 188 of the Acts of 2010. 

ARTICLE 22

Statutory Minimum Survivor Allowance

(Retirement Board)

To see if the Town will vote to approve the Natick Retirement Board’s vote to adopt the provisions of Section 30 of Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011 to increase the statutory minimum payment made to the survivors of deceased members of the Natick Retirement System pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 32, Section 12(2)(d), from $250 to $500.

ARTICLE 23

Amend Zoning By-Laws: Modification of the Dimensional Requirements of the RS Zoning Districts to Encourage the Development of Compact, Energy, Efficient Dwelling Units (Randy Johnson, et al)

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Zoning By-Laws to allow the creation of small, energy efficient dwelling units, facilitated by the revision of the dimensional requirements of the RS zoning districts for dwelling units complying with specific energy conservation and life safety requirements.The above articles are to be acted upon and determined exclusively by Town Meeting Members in accordance with Chapter 2 of the Acts of 1938 and Amendments thereto and the Town Charter and subject to the referendum provided thereby.