LONGMEADOW –  The Longmeadow Annual Town Meeting took place at 7 p.m. on May 8 in the Longmeadow High School gymnasium. Hundreds of residents attended to vote on 35 Warrant Articles.

Article One

Article One was to see if the town would vote to choose three trustees to administer the William Goldthwait Bequest. The Goldthwait Bequest is an endowment fund that was left to the Town for assistance to “the worthy poor of Longmeadow.” At Town Meeting, voters raised their pink voter cards in a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Two

Article Two was posed to the town to see if they would vote to transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $264,000 for the purposes of funding the Fiscal Year 2018 snow and ice removal deficit. On the original Town Meeting warrant, the amount was listed as $250,000, however at Town Meeting the amount was changed to $264,000. Chairman of the Finance Committee Maury Garrett told residents that the Finance Committee voted on the $250,000, they did not schedule a vote for the $264,000. With that said, residents raised their cards in a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Three

Article Three was to see if the Town would vote to transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $205,466 to the Town’s Operational Stabilization Fund. These funds would secure the Town’s General Reserve Policy levels and help maintain operating revenues. On the original Town Meeting warrant, the amount listed was $220,500. However at Town Meeting, the amount dropped to $205,466. Garrett once again explained that the Finance Committee had voted on the original amount listed, not the lower amount. Continuing, the Town voted in a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Four

Article Four was posed to the Town to see if they would vote to transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $50,000 for the purpose of conducting a street light feasibility study. The purpose of said study would be to determine a cost benefit assessment of the purchase and maintenance of any or all of the Town’s street lights, as well as identifying where the street lights should be best placed and if replacement of lighting heads should be considered.

One resident came to the microphone and spoke in opposition of the article, stating that residents should “vote no because Western Mass. Electric will perform this service for free. It’s a waste of $50,000.”

Following the residents comment, the article went to vote. The motion failed.

Article Five

Article Five was to see if the Town would vote to transfer from available funds in the Treasury the sum of $50,000 to supplement the FY 2018 Police and Fire Department overtime budgets. Town Manager Stephen Crane told Reminder Publications that the overtime was due to vacancies and injuries that had occurred over the course of the year. Garrett shared with the Town that this article was recommended by the Finance Committee. The Town subsequently passed the article with a majority affirmative vote.

Article Six

Article Six was to see if the town would vote to accept the provision of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 44 Section 53F1/2 in order to operate a Stormwater Enterprise fund. The article passed with majority affirmative vote.

Article Seven

Article seven was to see if the town would vote to fix the FY 19 salary and compensation of the moderator at $100 and the Select Persons at $2,000 each, to provide for a reserve fund, and to approve the operating budget.  The warrant offers a specifically itemized list of how the funds are allocated.

“This is a true base-level budget. The services we provided with the FY 18 budget are the same level of services that will be provided with the FY 19 budget,” Crane told Reminder Publications prior to Town Meeting.

At the meeting, Garrett explained that Article Seven was recommended by the Finance Committee, as the budget met the Finance Committee’s recommendation that they do not meet proposition 2.5. With this budget, the Town would stay roughly at 2.3.

Following Crane’s budget presentation, the Town voted in a unanimous affirmative vote in favor of the budget.

Article Eight

Article Eight was in place to see if the Town would vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $33,150 to a Salary Settlement Account to fund approved collective bargaining and wage settlements. This Article passed with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Nine

Article Nine’s purpose was to see if the Town would vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds an itemized list of a mounts, listed on the warrant, for capital projects and that any remaining amounts from the capital projects be returned to the Capital Stabilization fund. The Article passed with a two-thirds declaration affirmative vote.

Article 10

Article 10 was to see if the Town would vote to authorize the Treasurer to borrow the sum of $520,000 for the purpose of repairing the Morningside Drive culvert. The article passed with unanimous affirmative vote, declaration two-thirds majority.

Article 11

Article 11 was to see if the Town would vote to authorize the Treasurer to borrow the sum of $123,000 for the purpose of replacing Water Mains on Kingsbury Rd. This article passed with a unanimous majority affirmative vote by declaration.

Article 12

Article 12 was to see if the Town would vote to transfer the sum of $5,378.04 from the Edgewood Water Mains account, $7,110 from the Forest Glen Pump Station account, and $9,511.67 from the Sunset Lane Water Mains account and to authorize the Treasurer to borrow the sum of $104,100 for the purposes of replacing water mains on Farmlea Rd. Article 12 passed with a unanimous majority affirmative vote.

At this point in the meeting, a resident inquired if Article 34 could be moved up in the warrant to come after Article 14, as he felt that this article would provide for discussion.

Article 13

Article 13 was to see if the Town would vote to transfer funds from the Colton Place Sewer Lines account, from the Maple Road Sewer Lines account, from the Ellington Road Sewer Lines account and from Sewer Retained Earnings for the purpose of replacing sewer lines on Western Drive. This Article passed with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article 32

Resident Roger Woljcik came to the microphone and asked to move to dismiss Article 32 from Town Meeting. The dismissal of Article 32 was presented to the town, which passed by a two-thirds declaration. Then, the Town voted to take no action on Article 32. Woljcik spoke to his reasoning for dismissal, stating the “article has no value.” The Town passed the motion to take no action on Article 32 by a majority affirmative vote.

Article 14

Chairwoman of Longmeadow’s Building Committee Mary Beth Bergeron presented to residents in attendance a slideshow of photos of what the current Adult Center looks like, and what it could look like should Article 14 pass. Article 14 was in regard to the raise and appropriation of $14 million for the purpose of constructing a new Council on Aging facility. Bergeron then introduced architect John Catlin who made a brief presentation of the blueprints of the potential new Adult Community Center.

At Town Meeting, the article provided for copious discussion with numerous residents for and against the project.  However, many of the residents who expressed that they were against the project stated they were not against a new senior center. Most said that they were against the scope of the project in regard to its cost or its location in Greenwood Park.

At the end of the discussion the Town voted to pass the article with a two-thirds declaration vote. Following this motion, cheers and clapping erupted throughout the room.

Article 34

Article 34 was a citizen petition that was in place to see if the Town would vote to reduce plastic bag use by banning lightweight, non-biodegradable, single use, plastic carryout bags. Catherine Labella gave a brief presentation, explaining why she hoped the Town would vote to approve this petition. Several residents spoke for and against this article. Following discussion, the article passed by majority affirmative vote.

At this point in Town Meeting, a resident moved to advance Article 33 to follow Article 15. This passed with a two-thirds declaration.

Article 15

Article 15 was to see if the Town would vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $97,400 for the purpose of establishing the FY 2019 District Improvement Financing Fund budget. The Town passed this article with a majority affirmative vote.

Article 33

Article 33 was a citizen petition to see if the Town would vote to fund from its annual operating budget the amount of $7,000 for trash removal from the senior community in town known as the Villas at Glenmeadow. The Villas consists of 39 residents, all of whom are 62 years of age or older. The residents requested that they be provided the same weekly trash pickup service that is provided to other homeowners in Longmeadow.

Garrett explained that the Finance Committee voted unanimously against this article. Following discussion, residents failed the motion with a majority negative vote.

Article 16

Article 16 was in place to see if the Town will vote to appropriate $473,389 from the state for highway improvements under the authority of M.G.L. Chapter 90 including funds to be received in FY 2019 or any other applicable laws, and to authorize the Select Board, if necessary, to apply for, accept, and borrow in anticipation of state aid for such projects. The motion passed with a two-thirds declaration vote.

Articles 17 and 21

At this time, Select Board member Marie Angelides asked that the town vote on articles 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 in a consent agenda, which would mean that all seven articles would be voted on at the same time to provide for faster voting. Residents asked that articles 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23 be held aside so comments could be had, leaving the consent agenda with articles 17 and 21. Residents then voted to pass articles 17 and 21 with a majority affirmative vote.

Article 18

Article 18 was in place to see if the Town would vote to fund the Community Preservation Project for the repair of the Bliss Park Playground equipment in the amount of $30,000, or a greater or lesser sum, funded from the Community Preservation Recreation / Open Space Fund Balance. Residents voted to pass this article with a majority affirmative vote.

Article 19

The Town voted to have no action on Article 19 as Steve Weiss shared that the Town Counsel believed that this article was not permitted under statute.

Articles 20, 22, 23 and 24

The four articles passed by majority affirmative vote. All four articles were in regard to community preservation projects for Bliss Park, Wolf Swamp field leveling, the Wolf Swamp field ring road and for a feasibility study for the former train station.

Article 35

It was asked that Article 35 be moved up in the warrant. Article 35 was a citizen petition that was to see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $155,000 for the continuation of the Phase 1 Renovation of Wolf Swamp Fields, or a greater or lesser sum.

Garrett explained that the Finance Committee did not recommend this article. He shared that following listening to a presentation on the article, they felt that articles 22 and 23 are already “embarking on a project to work on Wolf Swamp fields” and that “approving additional funds would put our budget over 2.3 percent tax levy.” He stated, “Approving this would undo all of our work.”

After discussion regarding the condition of the Wolf Swamp fields, the motion ultimately failed with a majority negative vote.

Articles 25 and 26

Both articles 25 and 26 passed with majority affirmative votes. Article 25 was to see if the Town would vote to amend their General Bylaws by adding a section on the Council on Aging so they have a revolving fund. Article 26 was to see if the Town would vote to establish a funding limit for the Town’s Council on Aging Revolving Fund with payments from the fund to be expended by the Director of the Council on Aging up to $85,000.

Article 27

Article 27 was in place to see if the Town would vote to authorize the Select Board to acquire land parcels and or rights in land parcels within the Town for the purpose of obtaining a secure and public right of way. This would allow for construction and roadway safety improvements under a project known as the Dwight Road Corridor Improvements.

A resident commented that he believed that by passing this article it would make the town a cut-through for surrounding towns to enter onto interstate 91. Crane responded stating that he respected the resident’s opinion, however he didn’t think the situation he described added up with what the article entails. In the end, the article passed with a two-thirds majority affirmative vote.

Article 28

Article 28 was in response to concerns from residents’ regarding the town’s zoning bylaws on commercial vehicles being parked in driveways as opposed to stored in garages.

Prior to Town Meeting, Crane explained to Reminder Publications that the wording of the article did not have the intended meaning. At the time of Town Meeting, there was a movement to take no action on Article 28 to provide for time to revisit the issue and rework the verbiage. Crane stated this could potentially be on the fall Town Meeting warrant or at the next annual Town Meeting.

The motion of no action passed by majority affirmative vote.

Articles 29 and 30

Articles 29 and 30 were both in regard to monument signage.

“This proposed addition to the Zoning Bylaws would allow for non-residential uses located in residential uses to have entry signage subject to a special permit granted by the ZBA and subject to dimensional restrictions. Monument signs would improve way finding to non-residential properties and allow for decorative landscaping features,” the article description reads.

The Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend article 29. Ultimately, articles 29 and 30 both passed by two-thirds declaration affirmative votes.

Article 31

The final article of the evening, article 31 explained that, “At the Town’s Annual Town Meeting held May 10, 2017, the Town approved Article 38, which re-accepted the provision of Massachusetts General Law Chapter 32B Section 20 dealing with an OPEB Fund, as amended by Chapter 218, Section 15 of the Acts of 2016, otherwise known as the Municipal Modernization Act. Additional requirements of the statute require the designation of a custodian and trustee or a board of trustees. Given the Town’s desire to have the Trust assets professionally managed full time in the State Retiree Benefits Trust Fund (SRBTF) this article would designate the Town Treasurer as the Custodian and Trustee in order to further fulfill the requirements of the Statute.” The article was passed with a majority affirmative vote.