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Charter and Bylaw Review Committee approves two warrant-article motions for Fall Town Meeting
Summary
On Aug. 27, 2025, the Town of Natick Charter and Bylaw Review Committee approved two motions to place changes to Bylaw Article 81 and to add a special zoning advisory council (Bylaw Article 22) on the Fall Annual Town Meeting warrant; both motions passed on roll-call votes.
The Town of Natick’s Charter and Bylaw Review Committee approved two warrant-article motions on Aug. 27 that will go before the 2025 Fall Annual Town Meeting.
Committee member Paul Griesmer reported the committee had received copies of the two proposed Fall Annual Town Meeting (FATM) motions earlier in the day and that they were the same motions previously approved for the Spring Annual Town Meeting. Christine Weithman confirmed the motion for the first item matched the version voted in Spring 2025.
The first approved motion addresses Bylaw Article 81 (a renumbering of previously proposed Warrant Article 25 to Warrant Article 31). Saul Beaumont moved to approve the motion shown on the screen; Harriet Merkowitz seconded. The committee carried the motion by roll-call vote, 5-0-0.
The second approved motion would add a special zoning advisory council to support the Planning Board, the Finance Committee, and Town Meeting (identified in the meeting as changes tied to Bylaw Article 22, presented as Warrant Article 31). Committee members noted the motion was identical to a revised spring motion that had not previously been presented to the Finance Committee and corrected a typographical error before the vote. Donna McKenzie expressed strong support. Harriet Merkowitz moved to accept the edited motion; Saul Beaumont seconded. That motion also passed by roll-call vote, 5-0-0.
Paul Griesmer reminded members that the committee must move to hear its report for the 2025 FATM; Merkowitz moved and Beaumont seconded that motion, which the committee approved 5-0-0. The committee noted it will dissolve when the 2025 FATM dissolves.
Town Moderator Jeff Alderson pointed out that the recently voted motions retained the lettering from the Spring Annual Town Meeting (motions E and F) rather than new lettering for FATM. Without objection, Griesmer said the lettering would be changed to Motion A and Motion B.
Next steps: the approved motions will be placed on the Fall Annual Town Meeting warrant as edited; the committee’s report will be heard at FATM. The CBRC’s next meeting was scheduled for Sept. 9, 2025. Outstanding meeting minutes were deferred to that meeting.
