What's On the Warrant For Tewksbury's Special Town Meeting?

The warrant for Tewksbury's Oct. 1 Special Town Meeting was posted on the town website earlier this week, with a total of 25 articles on the warrant. 

Click here to view the full warrant article. We've included a selection of articles from the warrant below, along with brief descriptions of the intent of each article. 

Article 1 calls for the appropriation of funds for a new labor agreement with International Association of Firefighters AFL-CIO, Tewksbury Firefighters Local 1647 as well as implementation of the agreement and distribution of the funds in FY13. A funding source and amount is not provided on the initial copy of the warrant posted to the town website, but will be included on the warrant at Special Town Meeting (read the full article on page 3 of the warrant).

Article 3 asks voters to appropriate $814,400 to fund FY14 budgets, with the additional funds available since state aid and local revenue will be higher than originally projected. $306,000 will fund school budget salaries, $94,000 will fund school budget fixed costs health insurance. The remaining Town line-items fund budgets that are projected to have deficits, to replenish funds that were reduced at the Annual Town Meeting in May 2013 and in addition fund new staff initiatives such as a dedicated payroll clerk for the Finance Department and part-time assistance in Administrative Services (read the full article on pages 3 and 4 of the warrant). 

Article 5 asks voters to transfer $215,768 from the General Fund Free Cash to fund one time expenditures including:

• Electronic Work Parks Department Garage $5,000
• 15-foot Wide Gang Lawn Mower $65,000
  
• Voting Booths $60,000
  
• Police Cruiser Modems $26,957
  
• Police Department Ford Explorer $37,832
  
• Two Police Motorcycles $20,979
  

The $60,000 for new voting booths will replace the current booths that "are broken and are beyond repair," according to the warrant article. $26,957 will replace 20 modems that are 10 years old for police cruisers. $37,832 would purchase one new unmarked SUV to replace 2001 Ford Crown Victoria. $20,979 would purchase two new 2014 police motorcycles to replace the current 2007 and 2010 models that do not have ABS brakes which is unsafe (read the full article on pages 4 and 5 of the warrant).

Article 6 calls for the transfer $300,000 from  General Fund Free Cash for School Department one-time expenditures including: 

• School Buildings and Maintenance $154,000
• School Technology $98,000
  
• School Instructional $48,000
  

Buildings/ Maintenance: $22,000 for a new maintenance van; $24,000 to repair Recreation Center roof; $75,000 for security enhancements; $15,000 for kitchen plumbing upgrades; $18,000 for heating and plumbing repairs North Street School. 

Technology: $30,000 to upgrade the Tewksbury Memorial High School Network; $26,000 to replace/ upgrade Wynn Middle School computer lab; $7,000 to upgrade PEG channel workstation; $25,000 to replace/upgrade Center School phone system; $10,000 to install wireless devices at the Elementary Schools.

Instructional: $30,000 for instructional/performance equipment for the Music Department; $6,000 for uniforms for the TMHS Marching Band; $12,000 for a High School wrestling mat (you can read the full article on page 6 of the warrant).

Article 9 asks voters to approve the transfer of $350,000 from General Fund Free Cash to the Other Post Employment Benefit account to fund the town’s outstanding unfunded liability of $166 million for retiree health insurance (you can read the full article on page 6 of the warrant).

Article 11 calls for a transfer of $2,500,000 from certified Free Cash to the Town Stabilization Fund to be used in the future emergencies or one time purchases (you can read the full article on page 6).

Article 15 asks voters to appropriate $350,000 to rehabilitate existing playgrounds at the town’s elementary schools, the playground site at Livingston Street Recreation Area, including and surrounding Funway Park. $200,000 would be transferred from the Community Preservation Fund’s Open Space Reserve Account and $150,000 shall be transferred from the Community Preservation Fund Balance Reserve for expenditure. 

This request will allow for approximately $200,000 to be spent at Funway Park and its surrounding area for replacement of the existing playground equipment and other associated improvements. 

The $150,000 will be used at the elementary schools at approximately $37,500 per school for the replacement of the existing playground equipment with accessible age appropriate equipment, an allowed use of Community Preservation funds (you can view the full article on page 8 of the warrant).

Article 18 will ask voters to authorize the Board of Selectmen to obtain the necessary easements and layout alterations of the right of way for the roadway reconstruction on East Street and Shawsheen Street (read the full article on page 9 of the warrant).

Article 20 asks voters to accept April's Way as a public way (you can view the full article on page 10 of the warrant). 

Article 21 calls for acceptance of the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 138, Section 12, allowing common victuallers who hold a wine and malts license to also sell liqueur and cordials with written approval from the Board of Selectmen (you can view the full article on page 10 of the warrant).

Article 22 asks voters to amend town zoning bylaw regarding interim regulations for medical marijuana treatment centers to extend the interim moratorium on such treatment centers through May 31, 2014. The moratorium will allow the Town of Tewksbury the necessary time to evaluate the law and its impacts on public safety, public health, and zoning issues (you can read the full article on pages 10 and 11 of the warrant).

Article 23 asks voters to approve deletion of the cluster subdivision section of the Zoning Bylaw and revise the Open Space Residential Design Section of the Zoning Bylaw. Revisions include deletion of the affordable housing requirement and the density bonus as well as updated language on ownership of the open space (you can read the full article on pages 11 through 18 of the warrant). 

Article 24 asks voters to amend the Tewksbury zoning bylaw section 8680 Community Village Overlay District allowing for drive through facilities by special permit from the Planning Board in the Community Village Overlay District (you can read the full article on page 18 of the warrant).

Article 25 calls for amendment of the Interstate Overlay District of the Tewksbury Zoning Bylaw and Town of Tewksbury Zoning Map 2013 by extending the overlay district to to vicinity of the Woburn Street exit of I-495 (you can read the full article on page 19 of the warrant).

Several additional uses within the Interstate Overlay District would be allowed:

• Automotive refueling station and incidental accessory uses 
• Car Wash
  
• Garaging and towing of motor vehicles
  
• Motor vehicle rental or leasing agencies, as an accessory use only
  

For a full glossary of terms related to Special Town Meeting, check out pages 21 and 22 of the warrant, and again, click here to view the Special Town Meeting warrant in full.

Ever wonder the difference between Annual Town Meeting and Special Town Meeting? Town Moderator Keith Rauseo explains the difference in a blog.