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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980-11-13 Adjourned Session, Subsequent Town Meeting MinutesZ 7 7. ADJOURNED SESSION, SUBSEQUENT TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School November 13, 1980 The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, John W. Faria, at 8:00 P.M. The invocation was given by the Rev. Richard M. Woodman of the Unitarian Universalist Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. ARTICLE 17. On motion of Marvin M. Rosenthal it was voted to bring up this Article after Article 22. (Mr. Rosenthal withdrew his previous motion of November 10th, 1980) ARTICLE 22. On motion of Douglas A. Cowell it was voted that th,is_Article be taken up in advance. ARTICLE 22. On motion of Douglas A. Cowell, as amended by Elizabeth W. Klepeis, it was voted that the sum of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) be raised and appropriated for the purpose of making improvements to the water system, including the construction, original equipping and furnishing of an addition to the Town's water treatment plant, remodeling and reconstruction of filter beds and the construction of a pumping station building with original pumping station equipment and also including engineering services and other facilities incidental thereto and necessary in connection therewith, and to meet said appropriation the sum of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) be raised and appropriated by borrowing, and that the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Selectmen, be and she hereby is, authorized to borrow said Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) payable in accordance with Chapter 44, Sections 7 and 8, of the General Laws so that each such issue shall be paid in not more than twelve years (12) from its date or at such earlier time as the Treasurer and Selectmen may determine and said bonds or notes shall be signed by the Treasurer and countersigned by the Selectmen, and that the Board of Public Works be, and it hereby is, authorized and empowered to file in the name of, and on behalf of, the Town applications in form and manner as required by the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or any other appropriate fund - granting agency and to do whatever else may be required or necessary to obtain a grant or grants from said fund - granting agencies to the Town of Reading, Massachusetts to be used to defray all or part of the cost of construction of said improvements to the water system, and that the Board of Public Works be, and it hereby is, authorized to proceed with said improvements and enter into all contracts and agreements with respect thereto and to do all other acts and things necessary or proper for carrying out the provisions of this vote. 126 voted in the affirmative 10 voted in the negative 2/3 vote required ARTICLE 2. On motion of Elizabeth W. Klepeis it was voted to take Article 2 from the table. ARTICLE 2. On motion of Elizabeth W. Klepeis it was voted that the following instructional motion be addressed to Michael J. Barrett, Reading's Representative to the Great and General Court: Proposition 2S4 does not provide for exemption of debt service payments. We are concerned with the affect this will have on the ability of cities and towns to borrow in the long and short term market. Municipalities are finding it extremely difficult to float bonds right now. Also, the interest rates for Bond Anticipation Notes and Tax Anticipation Notes are climbing rapidly. Banks do not want to loan money in anticipation of a bond sale if they have no assurance that the bond sale can indeed take place as scheduled. Danger of default does exist. Reading's Town Meeting has authorized a two and one -half million dollar bond issue, upon which we must begin short term borrowing in January, 1981. We instruct you to bring our concern to the attention of the State Legislature, requesting that consideration be given to exempting debt service for issues exceeding five (5) years from Proposition 2'/z. An exemption of this nature was written into the law mandating a 4% cap on expenditures in Fiscal 1980 and 1981, thereby preventing the financial crisis with which,we are now faced. 82 voted in the affirmative 48 voted in the negative 278 Adjourned Session, Subsequent Town Meeting November 13, 1980 ARTICLE 2. Stephen G. Viegas moved that the Board of Assessors be and hereby are instructed to place on the Warrant of the 1981 Annual Town Meeting an article to appropriate a sum of money sufficient for the Board of Assessors to contract with a private outside firm to conduct a town wide revaluation of all real estate, personal property and utilities as mandated by the voters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in their approval of Referendum Questions #1 of 1978 and #2 of 1980 (commonly known as the "Tax Classification Amendment" and "Proposition 2 %z" respectively). This motion was voted in the negative. ARTICLE 2. On motion of John W. Price it was voted to lay Article 2 on the table. ARTICLE 17. Marvin M. Rosenthal moved that the Board of Selectmen be authorized to petition and /or approve the filing of a petition to the General Court for special legislation in essentially the following form which will transfer the parks, playgrounds and recreation areas and programs currently under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Works to the Recreation Committee which will then be known as the Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners in the Town of Reading and which will provide that the transfer shall not become effective prior to July 1, 1981. "An Act Establishing Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners in the Town of Reading. Be it enacted, etc., as follows: Section 1. The current members of the Recreation Committee of the Town of Reading hereby are established as the Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners of the Town of Reading. Each such Commissioner shall serve for the balance of his or her original term as a member of the Recreation Committee pursuant to his or her appointment by the Board of Selectmen, and upon the expiration of the term of any such Commissioner his or her successor to the Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners shall be appointed by the Board of Selectmen for a term of three years. Section 2. The Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners shall have jurisdiction over and be responsible for the maintenance of all park, playground and recreation areas within the Town and over the park, playground and recreation programs of the Town excepting, however, those playgrounds and recreation areas and programs under the jurisdiction of the School Department. Section 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 118 of the Acts of 1921 and any other general or special law to the contrary, said Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners shall have all the rights, powers, duties and liabilities vested in a board of park commissioners under Chapter forty -five of the General Laws or any other general or special law, and upon the effective date of this act, said Board of Public Works shall cease to have any jurisdiction over the park, playground and recreation areas and programs in the Town, and upon such date, the Board of Public Works shall turn over to the Parks, Playgrounds and Recreation Commissioners all contracts, papers, documents, plans and other property of any kind or nature whatsoever then in their custody, relating to their activities under Chapter 118 of the Acts of 1921 as Board of Park Commissioners. Section 4. This Act shall take effect upon the passage of this Act or July 1, 1981 whichever date is later to occur." This motion was under discussion at adjournment. On motion of Mary S. Ziegler it was voted that this meeting stand adjourned to meet at 8:00 P.M. on Monday, November 17, 1980, in the Reading Memorial High School auditorium. Meeting adjourned at 10:55 P. M. 140 Town Meeting members were present. A true copy. Attest: Lawrence Drew Town Clerk