Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Municipal Budget And Zoning topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lakeville approves multiple budget and zoning items; public works and school repairs funded
Summary
At the Town of Lakeville special town meeting Oct. 17, voters approved a package of appropriations and zoning amendments including payments for prior-year bills, midyear budget transfers, capital equipment, and zoning changes for filling stations and other special-use rules. Several items passed unanimously or by two-thirds vote.
Lakeville voters at a special town meeting on Oct. 17 approved several warrant articles that provided funding for unpaid bills, midyear budget transfers, capital projects and zoning changes.
The town first divided Article 1 into two parts and unanimously approved the smaller bill-payment portion, which raised and appropriated $12,845.96 plus a $27.60 transfer from the landfill enterprise fund for a total of $12,873.56 to pay bills from prior fiscal years as shown on the warrant. Finance Committee recommended approval.
The larger portion of Article 1 approved a package of midyear transfers and appropriations totaling $1,347,362, funded by $203,362 raised and appropriated, a $2,500 transfer from fire chief wages and $1,141,500 from free cash. The motion included transfers for information technology director wages ($20,000), town administrator wages ($37,500), contracted services for a town administrator search ($10,000), additional IT modules ($66,000), debt service and interest related to the new police station ($69,862 cited in the motion), road repairs ($400,000 from free cash), a $50,000 reserve fund transfer and OPEB contribution ($400,000). Finance Committee recommended approval and the article passed unanimously.
Article 2 authorized $75,000 from the Park Enterprise Fund retained earnings for construction of athletic fields on town land and $2,500 for a new bunker rake; the article passed unanimously. Article 3 authorized $119,910 for capital improvements (including a police boat priced in the warrant at $40,500; a fuel system, storage building foundation and oil tank replacements for the highway department), with $108,500 transferred from free cash and $11,410 from an unexpended balance from the June 4, 2018 annual town meeting; it passed by unanimous vote.
Article 4 authorized $68,025.05 transferred from a Freetown-Lakeville Regional School District settlement account to make repairs at Assawompsett (Assawampuett/Assawomson in transcript) Elementary School; the Finance Committee recommended approval and the article passed unanimously. The presenters noted additional energy grants and prior town funds bringing the expected investment in the school to roughly $715,000 when combined with other awards and prior appropriations.
Article 7 transferred custody of a Cherry Street parcel (about 4,500 square feet) to the Board of Selectmen for possible sale; the article passed by two‑thirds vote. Article 8 amended the zoning bylaw concerning filling stations to restrict locations and passed by two‑thirds vote (127–4). Article 9 amended special regulations for filling stations and related uses; the planning board had recommended the change and Town Meeting approved it unanimously (133–0).
Most of these warrant motions were presented with Finance Committee recommendations, limited public discussion, and passed by voice or counted vote as required by statute or town custom. Detailed vote tallies were recorded on articles requiring two‑thirds approval or when the moderator ordered counted votes.
