by Frank Schroth
Town Meeting members will assemble on Monday evening at the Charles Winchester Auditorium at Milton High School and deliberate on the 53 articles contained in the warrant for annual town meeting (Note: you can find the warrant online here.). It is a large number of articles. Most deal with the town’s budget (i.e. appropriations to be made to various departments). However, there are also a number of zoning articles, projects looking for funding, and presentations that could push town meeting to 4 nights or more.
Town Meetings, like town elections, are nothing if not unpredictable. One never knows which articles are likely to generate the most discussion. That said, the articles likely to get significant attention are:
Article 8 – Capital Equipment Appropriation –
To see what sum of money the Town will vote to appropriate for capital items; to determine how said appropriation shall be raised, whether by borrowing or otherwise; and to act on anything relating thereto.
Why does this matter?
The article as presented to the Warrant Committee contained a line item of $300,000 for design engineering of “Weiser Plan” – a plan to construct parking and pedestrian and traffic changes to the East Milton Deck. The Warrant Committee’s recommendation of $2,873,255 does not include that amount. The Board of Selectmen are expected to make a presentation to town meeting advocating the restoration of that amount. The Milton Chamber of Commerce is in support. The is a complex issue with a long history.
Articles 43 & 44
Why do they matter?
These are just 2 of several articles related to zoning. Town Meeting voted to make the fall town meeting a regularly scheduled meeting that would focus on zoning issues. One question members may have is why zoning issues are being taken up now rather than in the fall. Regardless of that, the assisted living article (#43) which would enable the construction of an assisted living facility to be built on the Horseplay stables site on Randolph Avenue is likely to receive a bit of attention. Town Meeting had reviewed this article last fall and referred it back to the planning board to review accommodation for affordable units and revise language considered to be too restrictive.
Article 22 – Master Plan Appropriation
The Master Plan Committee has just completed there initial phase of drafting a visioning statement for a new Master Plan for Milton. The committee is seeking $100,000 to fund the completion of that plan.
Why does it matter?
The Master Plan represents a formal statement of purpose for the town that the community has bought into as a whole. It identifies what the residents seek to preserve and what they would like to change or see improved. The second phase of the plan will propose specific measures to implement components of the plan. Examples of components are preservation and development of specific parcels of open space, housing, and economic development.
In addition town meeting will hear from the Government Study Committee on recommendations they have developed to improve town hall operations and efficiency.
It will be interesting.
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