Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1988-04-28 Adjourned Annual Town Meeting Minutes2,1 R Adjourned Annual Town Meeting April 25, 1988 April 28, 1988 Line 98 - From Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax local receipts - $663,087 with Out -of- State Travel not to exceed $800. Line 99 - From Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax local receipts $1,826,901 with Out -of- State Travel not to exceed $8,400; and $4,000 received from PL 81 -874. ARTICLE 9. On motion of Barry J. Mitchel, it was voted to lay Article 9, Line Item #99 on the table. 67 voted in the affirmative 61 voted in the negative On question of Margaret W.Russell, as to Commonwealth of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71, Section 34, Town Coun- sel, Ted Cohen, reported that ..." a Town shall vote on the total amount of the appropriation requested and not allocate appropria- tions among accounts, nor place any restrictions on such ap- proriations. The Town Meeting may make non - binding monetary recommendations to increase or decrease certain items allocating such appropriations ... °t It is correct that we would either have to table the entire School Committee Budget because basicly we need to take a vote under line item #100. On motion of John W. Price, it was voted this meeting stand adjourned to meet at 7:30 P.M. on Thursday, April 28, 1988, at the Reading Memorial High School. Meeting adjourned at 11:20 P.M. 108 Town Meeting members were present. A true copy. Attest: 6&�� � - jatrct 9t ci_ Doris M.Fantasia Town Clerk ADJOURNED ANNUAL TOWN MEETING Reading Memorial High School April 28. 1988 The meeting was called to order by the Moderator, Paul C. Dustin, at 7:50 P.M., there being a quorum present. The Invocation was given by Reverend Francis O'Hare of St. Athanasius Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Town Meeting member, Maria E. Silvaggi, Precinct #8, was recognized on a point of personal privilege. Mr. Moderator: Move that all Town Meeting Members and Town Office holders here assembled be directed to attend the tree planting ceremony and colation to be held on Arnold Berger Day in honor of Arnold Berger on Friday, April 29, 1988, at 6:45 P.M., at the Reading Memorial High School, 62 Oakland Road, Reading, Massachusetts. Adjourned Annual Town Meeting April 28, 1988 We all are beneficiaries of his continuing and meaningful contributions to Reading's quality of life. Attendance, participation and contributions to the Scholar- ship Fund in Arnold Berger's name is a most appropriate t ank you. ARTICLE 2. On motion of Eugene R. Nigro, it was voted to take Article 2 from the table. ARTICLE 2. The attached report of Philip B. Pacino of the Municipal Light Board, was accepted as a report of progress. ARTICLE 2. On motion of Eugene R. Nigro, it was voted to lay Article 2 on the table. ARTICLE 9. On motion of Donald C. Allen, it was voted that the Town approve and appropriate the Proposed FY 1989 Budget as presented for line item 101; as stated. Funds to be provided as follows: Line 101 - From Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax local receipts, $209,643. On motion of Donald C. Allen, it was voted that the Town approve and appropriate the Proposed FY 1989 Budget as presented for line items 102 -104; as stated. Funds are to be provided as follows: Lines 102 -104, Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax local receipts. On motion of Donald C. Allen, it was voted that the Town approve and appropriate the Proposed FY1989 Budget as presented for line items 105 -110; as stated. Funds are to be provided as follows: Lines 105 -110, Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax local receipts. On motion of Donald C. Allen, it was voted that the Town approve and appropriate the Proposed FY 1989 Budget as presented for line items 111 -114; with Out -of -State Travel as stated. Funds are to be provided as follows: Lines 111 -114, Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax and local receipts. On motion of Donald C. Allen, it was voted that the Town approve and appropriate the Proposed FY 1989 Budget as presented for line items 115 -118; with Out -of -State Travel as stated. Funds are to be provided as follows: Lines 115 -118, Property Taxes, State Aid, and non - property tax local receipts. ARTICLE 8. On motion of Elizabeth M. T. Greene, it was voted that the Town disapprove both the amount of a $5,976,000 debt authorized by vote of the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational School District School Committee adopted on January 7, 1988, and the amount of the $4,680,000 debt authorized by vote of said Regional Vocational School District School Committee adopted on March 22, 1988, both votes having been adopted for the purpose of reconstructing, remodeling and making extraordinary repairs to the District School, including costs incidental and related thereto. Adjourned Annual Town Meeting April 28, 1988 ARTICLE 15. On motion of William C. Brown, Precinct #8, it was voted to lay Article 15 on the table. ARTICLE 16. William C. Brown moved that the sum of Two Mil- lion Dollars ($2,000,000) be raised, by borrowing or from the tax levy or transfer from available funds, or otherwise, and ap- propriate said sum to the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Read- ing, or to a committe appointed by the Board of Selectmen for the purpose of remodel'ng, reconstructing, or making extraordi- nary repairs to the property shown on Board of Assessors Revised January 1, 1987 Plat 105, Lot 10, and commonly known as the Pearl Street School for the purpose of housing Town government, includ- ing the School Committee and School Department administrative of- fices and Senior Citizens Drop -In Center, including the cost of site preparation, construction, originally equipping and furnish- ing said site and all other costs incidental thereto, including architectural, engineering, and construction fees and services, inspection fees, relocation costs, contingencies and costs of financing in connection therewith; and the Board of Selectmen or such other committee a5 may be appointed by them are authorized to enter into any and all contracts, agreements and grant ap- plications necessary therefor and incidental thereto, including without limitation, contracts for architectural, engineering and construction services and applications for a grant or grants, and to do all other acts and things necessary and proper for carrying out the purposes of this vote. 56 voted in the affirmative 78 voted in the negative 2/3I vote required This motion was ARTICLE 16. Douglass L. Barker, Town Meeting Member Precinct #8, moved reconsideration of Article 16. 71 voted in the affirmative 52 voted in the negative 2/3I vote required This motion was ARTICLE 17. On m tion of Eugene lay Article 17 on the table. On motion of Russell H. Graham, stand adjourned to meet at 7:30 P.M. the Reading Memorial High School. Meeting adjourned at 10:40 P.M. R. Nigro, it was voted to it was voted this meeting on Monday, May 2, 1988 at 117 Town Meeting members were present. A true copy. Attest: r Doris M. Fantasia Town Clerk Mr. Moderator, Town Meeting Members What follows is a report on the state of the Reading Municipal Light Department or more loosely termed "The World According to Your Local Utility ". This report must start with a compliment for the outstanding work being done by the RMLD management and staff in servicing its customers. This work can be best exemplified by the recent connecting to the system of the Martins' Pond area in North Reading, an area previously without electric power. The RMLD is operating with some of the lowest rate in the entire state of Massachusetts. A major financial development in the last year was DPU ruling 85 -121. The ruling in summary approved the rate structure and various operating policies of the RMLD. However, the DPU did in the ruling change the policy with respect to how Reading is to calculate their allowed earnings. The DPU stated that the calculation must be based on the net plant and not the gross plant. The allowed earnings is used for two purposes. One is to provide capital funds for maintaining and improving the system and two to provide the Town of Reading with a return on its investment in the RMLD. The ruling means that the allowed earnings will be less in the future than in prior years. The Commission of the RMLD has looked at this ruling and its effect carefully and has come to the conclusion that for the short term the present operating revenue and costs of the department plus the judicial use of certain reserve funds will allow the department to operate properly, to adequately fund needed maintenance and improvements to the system and to maintain the present return on investment to the Town of Reading. Town Meeting should be aware that at a future time that in order to maintain and improve the system and to maintain the present return to the Town on its investment that the Town of Reading may need to bond the system's maintenance and improvement costs. Barring bonding the return to the Town may have to be reduced. The separation from the system of the Town of Wilmington has taken up an inordinate amount of the Commission's and Department's time and energy in the past year. The RMLD and the Town of Wilmington are maintaining ongoing negotiations to try to resolve their differences on the numerous matters involved in the situation. The RMLD has presented three proposed policy changes to the Town of Wilmington. ONE is that all streetlighting rates for each of the 4 Towns in the System will be equal. The RMLD, as was seen under the Town's budget appropriation, has already implemented this change to be effective July 1, 1988. TWO is the establishing of a citizen advisory committee. This will ensure that there will be greater public input into major commission decisions effecting all RMLD ratepayers. THIRD will be the establishing of in lieu of tax payments to all 4 towns in the system. The payments as proposed will be 2 -1/2% of the net book value of the electric plant located in each town. Even though negotiations are ongoing both sides have filed petitions for the determination of value of the Electric Plant plus damages that the Town of Wilmington must pay to the RMLD in order to separate. As has been reported the RMLD's valuation of the plant and damages to be received vary greatly from those of the Town of Wilmington's. It is the RMLD intent, should the present negotiations break down, to pursue the full recovery of the plant value and all damages before the DPU in order to minimize any potential excess cost that the remaining system ratepayers would bear after the separation. Last Monday night the Town Meeting of Wilmington voted to appropriate an additional $150,000 to facilitate the separation of the Town of Wilmington from the RMLD. The RMLD will continue to try to negotiate a amicable solution on all matters mentioned previously. However, this Town Meeting action will hinder those negotiations. The RMLD will be reviewing this development and will be deciding on its next steps of action taken at its next meeting. In conclusion the Commission of the RMLD in the past year has tried to be accessable to all town officials, ratepayers and citizens of the 4 towns. Additionally the commission and the department have made many efforts to communicate its services and policies to the public. It is the RMLD intent to maintain this openness and to represent the entire 4 town areas as best it can in the future. Thank you, Mr. Moderator.