Marion Annual Town Meeting
May 9, 2016

For a complete text of the Articles click here for the PDF of the Meetng Warrant

Special Town Meeting

Article 1. To see what compensation the Town will pay its elected Town officials:

PASSED

Article 2. To see what sums of money the Town will raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds in the treasury in order to pay interest and maturing debt and for charges, expenses and outlays of the several Town departments and Reserve Fund for the ensuing year.

PASSED

Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the sum of $2,093,376 to be used to operate the water enterprise fund, the following sums to be appropriated to salaries and expenses, $932,138; reserve fund, $60,000; debt, $785,128; and indirect costs, $316,110; and the funds be raised from department receipts, $1,693,376 and $400,000 from water retained earnings; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 4. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the sum of $2,737,119 to be used to operate the sewer enterprise fund, the following sums to be appropriated to salaries and expenses, $942,111; reserve fund, $60,000; debt, $1,425,591; and indirect costs, $309,417; and the funds be raised from departmental receipts, $2,337,119 and $400,000 from sewer retained earnings; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 5. To see if the Town will vote to transfer from the Overlay Surplus Account the sum of $25,000 to be used by the Board of Assessors for the revaluation of real and personal property as mandated by the Department of Revenue; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 6. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $50,000 to the compensated absence account for the purpose of funding accrued benefits for retiring employees; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 7. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $200,000 to the Other Post-Employment Benefit Liability Trust Fund as established at the Annual Town Meeting of 2010 under Article 14; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 8. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $10,000 to the Stabilization Fund; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 9. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $50,000 to the Capital Improvement Projects Stabilization Fund; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 10. To see if the Town will vote to raise or appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $12,265 for the purchase of 7 Automatic External Device (AED) Defibrillators to be used by the Police Department, Recreation Department, and Facilities Department; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 11. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $6,194 to be expended by the Facilities Department for the repair/replacement of the Silvershell Beach House roof; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 12. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of the permitting and design of the lagoon improvements, including Waste Water Treatment Plant modifications to accommodate changes in the lagoons in order to meet the schedule provided by the EPA and MassDEP; and to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by authorizing the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to issue bonds or notes in the amount of $1,500,000 under the provisions of Chapter 44 of the General Laws, or other appropriate enabling authority; or to take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 13. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate a sum of money for the purpose of replacement of the Marys Pond Well to include construction and incidental and related costs; and to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by authorizing the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to issue bonds or notes in the amount of $630,000 under the provisions of Chapter 44 of the General Laws, or other appropriate enabling authority; or to take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 14. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $120,000 to develop and implement a Capacity Management Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) program which is EPAs approach for managing and maintaining collection systems, and that to meet this appropriation, the sum of $120,000 be transferred from Sewer Enterprise Retained Earnings; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 15. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $55,000 to be expended under the direction of the Harbormaster for the purchase of two (2) outboard motors and that to meet this appropriation the sum of $55,000 be transferred from the Waterways Account; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 16. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $150,000 to develop an Asset Management Program, and that to meet this appropriation the sum of $150,000 to be transferred from Sewer Enterprise Retained Earnings; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 17. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $81,804 to be expended by the Fire Department to install a ventilation system and gear racks at Station 1, and that to meet this appropriation the sum of $61,804 to be transferred from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) and $20,000 to be transferred from Article 29 of the 2015 Annual Town Meeting; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 18. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $50,000 to be expended by the Department of Public Works for the MS4 Permit Needs Assessment; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 19. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $25,000 to be expended by the School Department to replace vinyl composition tile (VCT) in various areas of the Sippican School; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 20. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $92,400 to be expended by the Facilities Department for the replacement of asphalt and rubber roofs as well as duct insulation of the Elizabeth Taber Library; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 21. To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds in the Treasury (Free Cash) the sum of $39,905 to be expended by the Facilities Department for the repairs to Fire Station 1 building; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 22. To see if the Town will vote to approve the $603,000 indebtedness (Marions share $171,473) authorized by the Regional District School Committee of the Old Rochester Regional School District on March 21, 2016 for the purpose of financing the cost of the Capital Improvement Plan at the Regional High School and Junior High School, including the financing of all costs incidental and related thereto, upon and pursuant to Chapter 71, Section 16(d) of the General Laws, as amended and supplemented; subject to voters approval of a debt exclusion under the provisions of Chapter 59, Section 21C of the General Laws; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 23. To see if the Town will vote to act upon the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee to appropriate, from Fiscal Year 2016 estimated annual revenues, $2,000 to the Community Preservation Committee for administrative expenses; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 24. To see if the Town will vote to act upon the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee, from the Fiscal Year 2017 estimated annual revenues, $84,300 for the purpose of meeting the requirements of the Community Preservation Act, MGL c. 44B, s. 6 for the purpose of Open Space, Community Housing, and Historic Reserves for Fiscal Year 2017; and $194,700 to the Community Preservation Act Budgeted Reserves; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 25. To see if the Town will vote to act upon the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee to appropriate $20,000 from Historic Preservation reserves and $91,950 from undesignated fund balance for a total of $111,950 for the purpose of replacing and restoring the historic windows at the Pythagorean Hall; or to take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 26. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $20,000 from Open Space reserves and $45,000 from undesignated fund balance, for a total not to exceed $65,000 of Community Preservation Act funds, as recommended by the Community Preservation Committee, for the purposes of open space and public water resource protection, by purchasing an interest in land within the Town of Mattapoisett, shown on portions of the Mattapoisett Assessors Map 25, Lot 21B and Map 24 Lots 16 and 17 and consisting of 114 acres, more or less, for the primary purpose, in conjunction with others, of permanently preserving said 114 acres for the protection of the Town of Marions public drinking water supply, provided, however, that should the Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Department not acquire the entirety of said land or fail to identify the Town of Marion as a grantee of a conservation restriction as defined by G.L. c.184, ss.31-32 in said land, any approval of this Article as authorized by Town Meeting shall null and void, and further, should the Mattapoisett Water and Sewer Department acquire said 114 acres and thereafter identify the Town of Marion as a grantee of a conservation restriction running against said land, to authorize the Board of Selectmen to negotiate the terms of said conservation restriction in the best interests of the Town of Marion and thereafter execute the same, or take any other action thereto.

PASSED

Article 27. To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to the provisions of MGL Chapter 44, 53E , to establish and authorize for FY17 a revolving fund for the following purposes: Recreation Revolving Fund, for the purpose of accepting receipts from fees collected from participants in the various recreation programs. Said funds to be received by the Treasurer and credited to the said revolving fund and said funds to be dispersed by the Town Accountant to offset the costs of these programs, total expense not to exceed $150,000; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 28. To see if the Town will vote to transfer the sum of $2,000 from the Chester A. Vose Fund, said monies to be used by the Assessors for the reduction of taxes; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 29. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to institute, defend, or compromise suits of law; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 30. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to sell any article belonging to the Town, provided the Town has no further use for the same; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 31. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to sell or transfer any taxation possession property held by the Town, pursuant to General Laws, Chapter 60, Section 77, after the Board of Selectmen has notified the Planning Board, Open Space Acquisition Commission, Conservation Commission, and the Affordable Housing Trust of the availability of such land and said agencies may report in writing within twenty (20) days to the Board of Selectmen any recommendations that they may have with regard to the disposition of said land; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 32. To consider the reports of the Town officers and committees and act thereon; or take any other action thereon.

PASSED

Article 33. To choose by ballot all necessary officers for the ensuing year, viz; one Selectman for three years; one Assessor for three years; one Moderator for one year; one Board of Health member for three years; two Planning Board members for three years; one Marion School Committee member for three years; two Open Space Acquisition Commission members for three years; one Old Rochester Regional School Committee member for three years; and to act on the following ballot question, commencing on Friday, the 13th of May, 2016, at 8:00 oclock in the morning in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, 465 Mill Street (Route 6), in said Marion:

Election on Friday, May 13, 2016

Question 1 Shall the Town of Marion be allowed to exempt from the provisions of proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the Town of Marions share of the bond authorization approved by the Old Rochester Regional School District School Committee on March 21, 2016, for the purpose of financing the cost of the Capital Improvement Plan at the Regional High School and Junior High School, including the financing of all costs incidental and related thereto?