Wakefield Town Meeting Warrant: What You'll Be Deciding On

WAKEFIELD, MA — Town Meeting will convene at the High School Field House on Sat., Nov. 6, at 8 a.m.

The following nine articles are on the warrant.

ARTICLE 1. To see if the Town will hear and accept a report of the Fiscal Year 2021 budget; or to see what the Town will do about it. Town Administrator

ARTICLE 2. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Assessors to use such free cash as may be in the Treasury or any part thereof in computing the tax rate for fiscal period ending June 30, 2022; or to see what the Town will do about it. Town Council

ARTICLE 3. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money for remodeling, reconstructing or making extraordinary repairs to, and for constructing additions to, the Public Safety Building, 1 Union Street, including the costs of originally equipping, furnishing, landscaping, paving and performing other site improvements incidental or directly related to such remodeling, reconstruction, repair, additions and new construction, and including architectural, surveying and engineering fees and other costs incidental or related thereto, and to determine whether this amount shall be raised by taxation, transfer from available funds, borrowing or otherwise; or to see what the Town will do about it. Permanent Building Committee

ARTICLE 4. To see if the Town will approve the $317,422,620 borrowing authorized by the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District Committee, for the purpose of paying costs of designing, engineering, constructing and equipping the New Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School and related athletic facilities located at 100 Hemlock Drive in Wakefield, MA 01880, including the payment of all costs incidental or related thereto (the “Project”), which school facility shall have an anticipated useful life as an educational facility for the instruction of school children of at least 50 years and for which the District may be eligible for a school construction grant from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), said amount to be expended at the direction of Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School Committee. The MSBA’s grant program is a non-entitlement, discretionary program based on need, as determined by the MSBA, and any Project costs the District incurs in excess of any grant approved by and received from the MSBA shall be the sole responsibility of the District and its member municipalities. Any grant that the District may receive from the MSBA for the Project shall not exceed the lesser of (1) seventy-six and eighty-four one hundredths percent (76.84%) of eligible, approved project costs, as determined by the MSBA, or (2) the total maximum grant amount determined by the MSBA; or take any other action relative thereto; or to see what the Town will do about it. Town Council

ARTICLE 5. To see if the Town will vote to implement collective bargaining agreements between the Town of Wakefield and the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library Staff Association for the period July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024 and to provide therefor that the Town raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds a sufficient sum of money to carry out the purposes of this Article; or to see what the Town will do about it. Board of Library Trustees

ARTICLE 6. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds, a sufficient sum of money to supplement the Library Department Budget for the period of July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022 to provide Sunday library service; or to see what the Town will do about it. Board of Library Trustees

ARTICLE 7. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate from tax levy or transfer from available funds a sum of money for the design and installation of roadway, sidewalk and drainage improvements, including, without limitation, for the design, purchase and installation of quad-gates at the Broadway railroad crossing; and to authorize the Town Council to apply for, accept and expend without further appropriation grants and gifts from any source, including the federal government and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for such purposes; or to see what the Town will do about it. Town Council

ARTICLE 8. To see if the Town will vote to amend Article III of Chapter 9 and § 9-3 of the General Bylaws to re-name the “Commission on Disability Issues,” so that as revised the said provisions will read as follows: “Article III. Commission on Disabilities “§ 9-3. Establishment; powers and duties. “There shall be a Commission on Disabilities, having all of the powers, duties and functions provided under M.G.L. c. 40, § 8J.”; or to see what the Town will do about it. Commission on Disability Issues

ARTICLE 9. To see if the Town will vote to repeal Zoning Bylaw Section 190-31(H); or to see what the Town will do about it. Citizen Petition

And to transact such other business as may properly come before this meeting.