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Select Board to put contested town boundary on town meeting warrant, asks for map by April
Summary
The Select Board agreed to place a proposed adjustment to the town boundary on the town meeting warrant, conditioned on having a map available for review by April 2; if town meeting rejects the article, the board was told court action (estimated at about $5,000) could follow.
The Select Board agreed on Dec. 18 to place a proposed town-boundary designation on the town meeting warrant so residents can decide whether to accept a change officials say would shift the line about 10 feet to the east and simplify a jagged boundary into a single point. The board required that a map be available for review by April 2 before the warrant article is finalized.
Board members said attorneys for both sides have negotiated a proposed line and that town meeting is the next step to resolve any dispute. A member summarized the legal alternative if town meeting rejects the proposal: a court filing that would prompt the appointment of three commissioners to determine the boundary, with an estimated cost to the town of about $5,000.
Members emphasized the need for clear, mapped materials and a public hearing in advance of town meeting so residents can ask questions. One board member said the town should avoid presenting deed-centric directions without a visual map, and the board agreed to pursue a map from the parties involved before finalizing the warrant language.
The board moved and seconded a motion to place the boundary designation on the warrant conditioned on receipt of a map by April 2; the item was continued off the agenda until April.
