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Select Board reviews draft town-meeting warrant; CPC awards, digital billboards and zoning moves on the radar
Summary
Select Board reviewed Version 2 of the Town Meeting warrant: community preservation awards (four projects), capital articles reorganized by function, a proposed transfer to a capital stabilization fund, a proposed zoning amendment to allow digital billboards and several other planning and lease items; staff will refine articles and invite proponents to present at upcoming budget sessions.
Finance staff presented an updated draft of the town‑meeting warrant and walked the Select Board through recurring administrative articles, community preservation (CPC) award recommendations, capital articles and several new or reworked items.
Notable items highlighted by staff included: CPC‑recommended awards for four projects (each to be presented to town meeting by the project proponents and CPC co‑chair Jim Ball), the proposed capital stabilization fund transfer (see separate article), and a reorganization of capital articles by function (vehicles; technology and equipment; facilities), intended to make the warrant more digestible for voters.
The planning and zoning section contains a proposed zoning‑bylaw amendment to allow digital billboards on certain streets; staff said current agreements yield about $10,000 per face and noted that other communities receive up to $80,000 per face, which would represent a new general‑fund revenue source if pursued. The board requested a formal presentation on the proposed digital‑billboard language and asked how the new text differs from prior, failed proposals.
Other warrant items the board flagged for follow‑up: a petition to permit 16‑ and 17‑year-old citizens to vote under a home‑rule petition (proponent to appear), a potential request from the wastewater treatment plant for a major project article, a crosswalk article on Ruggles Street from ATSC and DPW, and a request from the School Committee to transfer 15 East Main Street to school ownership for site‑safety/parking improvements.
Staff also proposed setting a deadline for citizens’ petitions (e.g., 60 days prior to Town Meeting) to give clerks and committees time to vet signatures and provide materials; the board asked staff to bring options for a final decision. Department heads and proponents will appear at the budget summit or future Select Board meetings to present articles and answer detailed cost/funding questions.
