The Rochester Board of Selectmen on February 29 officially decided to not hold a special town meeting, given that an annual town meeting isn’t too far off.
Town Administrator Michael McCue advised the board that since a special town meeting wouldn’t be possible until some time in late April, it would be prudent and more economical to simply wait until the annual town meeting and hold a special then.
Selectmen had been waiting to schedule a special town meeting until the state legislature passed special legislation to uphold the votes of the June 8 Annual Town Meeting that was discovered to have been held without a quorum. That legislation, although making progress, still has the town waiting.
“Given the unpredictability of determining the date in which the [legislation] we’re waiting on … will come to fruition,” McCue said, advising selectmen to support his recommendation.
McCue said an annual town meeting at the end of May would suffice, and any financial requests that various departments had prepared for articles on a special town meeting warrant have been addressed with the Finance Committee through other means of funding.
A special town meeting warrant would have featured an article to return the town meeting quorum back to 75 from 100 but, as McCue pointed out, holding a special town meeting now would still not be enough time for it to pass through the attorney general’s office for final approval before the annual town meeting.
“As much as we want to make that change, the timing is such that it won’t work out,” said McCue. “It’s my recommendation that we forego it.”
No motion was required, just the unanimous support of the selectmen.
Also during the meeting, McCue said the Town has applied for $37,000 of a $2 million state technology grant to allow for a major upgrade of the town’s email system, which McCue said was “sorely in need of an update.”
McCue is also hoping to secure some funding from the A.D. Makepeace Neighborhood Fund grant for a new thermal imaging system for the Fire Department, funding to offset the rising cost of running the Rochester Country Fair, and for funding requested by the Conservation Commission for the improvement of walking trails in town, specifically near Mary’s Pond.
The next meeting of the Rochester Board of Selectmen is scheduled for March 7 at 6:30 pm at the Rochester Town Hall.
By Jean Perry