Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>>Good evening, my name is Mark Caplin, moderator. I have been informed a quorum has logged in so I will now call the 2020Wellesley annual town meeting to order. This is the start of the much delayed annual town meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic which is being held in accordance with the applicable provisions. OK, we had a little computer malfunction there but we're ready to go. So let me start again. Good evening, my name is Mark Kaplan, Wellesley town's moderator. We have a quorum of more than 121 town meeting members logged in so I will now formally call the 2020 Wellesley annual town meeting to order. This is the start of a much delayed annual town meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is being held in accordance with applicable provisions of both the general laws of Massachusetts and the by-laws of the town of Wellesley. Before we get down to the formal business of the meeting, I want to recognize, and I'm sure I can speak for all of us when I say this, how much we have all appreciated the efforts of our first responders, our police, firefighters, EMTs, employees of the board of Health, other healthcare professionals, school and town employees and other essential workers especially those who work at the supermarkets and groceries in town for all of their efforts in support of our wegbeing during -- of our wellbeing during these last four months. It has truly been appreciated. I want to ask for a moment of silence in memory of the more than 120,000 Americans, including 8,000 residents of Massachusetts, who have passed away due to the virus.
(Silence)
Thank you. This annual town meeting and special town meeting are being held remotely on the Zoom meeting platform as authorised by the provisions of chapter 92 of the Act of 2020 which is the official title of the emergency legislation that was enacted by the Massachusetts State legislature and signed by Governor Baker a little more than two weeks ago. These proceedings are being live-streamed on Wellesley public media and are also being televised on Commcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 40. They will be rebroadcast on those channels on various occasions in the coming weeks and will also be available on demand on Wellesley public media which can be accessed at Wellesley media.org. Wellesley's town meeting is a representative town meeting as opposed to an open town meeting in which any citizen can participate. It was established by a special act of the State legislator applic able only to the town of Wellesley known as chapter 202 of the acts of 1932. I am sure that the drafters of that legislation could have never dreamed of the town meeting taking place in this virtual remote form. In fact, as recently as three or four months ago none of us here could have envisioned it either. I can't help but think what form this prime example of local democracy might take 88 years from now. But that will be a problem for our successors and descendants. For now, we are where we are and we need to deal with the here and now. And that here and now is the task before us tonight which, depending upon actions taken by the town meeting members during the course of this meeting, will also occur possibly on other nights as well but the main objective of what we are trying to accomplish here is to complete the business of this meeting by no later than 11 :59pm on Tuesday, June 30, which is the end of fiscaliary '19/'20. One minute later, fiscal year 2020 begins - 2021, excuse me, and we need to have a Budget in place in order to enable the town Government of Wellesley to continue to function and for the essential public services that that Government provides to have the necessary funding and other legal authorisations to be able to continue on and after July 1, 2020, when fiscal year 2021 begins. My plan tonight is to have this meeting continue until around 10:30 and possibly later if it appears that we can complete the business of both the annual town meeting and the short town meeting that is incorporated within it in a single session. At around 9pm we will have a short 5 or 10-minute refreshment/bathroom break where you're on your own but please return to your computers promptly. If we cannot finish all of our essential business tonight, we will resume tomorrow night at 7pm and if we are not able to finish by 10:30 tomorrow night, we will reconvene at 7pm on Monday, June 29. And if we still haven't finished by around 10:30 next Monday night, we will resume on Tuesday June 30 as early in the day - perhaps even as early as 12 noon - in order to ensure the annual town meeting can be dissolved before midnight when the current fiscal year ends so that the necessary funding and authorisations for fiscal year '21 can take effect. Let's hope that we don't get to that point but I think it's important to alert you to what the future schedule of meetings will look like in case we don't complete by then so that you can all plan your schedules accordingly. But hopefully the substantially reduced warrant, the expanded consent agenda, the prerecording of most of the presentations, the advance opportunity for your questions to be answered in the question and answer session that we had last Thursday night and the three test runs that we have had to try to get everybody familiar and comfortable with the process, as well as the advisory committee's very comprehensive and informative report to the town meeting and two supplemental reports, that hopefully all of those measures will enable us to complete everything that needs to be done tonight and, at most, tonight and tomorrow. I am able to report to you from contact with mediators in other representative town meetings in comparably-sized towns in Massachusetts that most of them have been able to complete their business in one session by expediting and employing the procedures I have just described, in some cases it's been two but for the most part they have been able to do it in one session.
There are a number of people with me tonight. For those of you who are not aware of it, I am speaking to you from the Great hall Of the Town Hall which those of us here have come to refer to as Mission Control or Central Command and there are a number of people here who play vital roles in the town meeting that I would like to introduce and you
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
may be seeing them at some point tonight. We have Casey Kato who is our elected town clerk and she is responsible for recording everything that takes place at this town meeting including the actual votes taken and for preparing the official minutes of the meeting. Tom Harrington is our town counsel who is responsible for answering any legal questions and advising me on any legal issues that might arise during this meeting and for ensuring that everything we do during this meeting complies with all legal requirements. Stephanie Hawkenson is the town's director of communications and projects. She is responsible for displaying all motions, Power Points and other essential information on your screens so that you can act in and vote on a fully-informed basis, not in the Great Hall but in an office nearby watching everything that we do to make sure we do it right is Meghan Jopp, the executive director of the town of Wellesley. And last but certainly not least is Brian Dupo n t, the town's director of information technology, who has been educating all of us, especially me who had the steepest learning curve of anybody, on the technology that is enabling us to conduct this town meeting in a way that will enable us to complete the essential business that needs to be completed before the end of the fiscal year while at the same time keeping all of us as safe as possible so at this point I'm going to recognize Mr Dupont who will give us all a short refresher on exactly how we are to access the Zoom meeting platform and the Zoom poll voting procedure that we'll be using tonight. Mr Du Pont. >>Hi, good evening, folks. I'm hopeful and confident this is the last time you will actually have to hear from me throughout the rest of tonight and however long this goes. I'm hoping that all of you have received the technology guide that we distributed this morning to all town meeting members and registered visitors. I understand there were a few technical glitches getting that email out to a few folks. It is my understanding that everybody has it.
That technology guide should be your guide book for any sort of technology issues that will arise in tonight's meeting. Everything that we have discussed in our previous test is there.
Once again, I wanted to say a quick note of thanks to our volunteers and league of women voters who have provided support both tonight and in our previous test meetings of helping to get people signed in to our meeting. I don't want to take more than a minute here but very quickly just to run through a couple of the Zoom meeting controls.
I want to make sure everybody is very familiar with the participants list. We've gone over this a couple of times in the test. This participant list will allow you to see the name and precinct for everybody who is in the meeting so each individual town meeting member appears in the participants list and they're prefixed by the precinct that they represent.
You will also find some folks in that participants list who are prefixed with an S. Those are staff members like myself and there are some folk whose are prefixed with a V. Those folks who have a V are non-town meeting members who have registered to participate in this town meeting.
Again, very quickly, the way to get the noterator's attention as we move throughout this meeting is to raise your hand. That function should be available to you at the bottom of the participants list so please pay attention and understand where that button is. That will become very important as these protoings move forward. Lastly, I want to make sure everybody is aware of the help line we have set up, the phone number is at the bottom of the technology guide. It is for your reference 78s 14894251, in the course of this meet figure you are having any technical problems with voting or raising your hand and getting the moderator's attention, that is the number you should call during the meeting. With that, I will turn back to our moderator.
>>This is a good opportunity to test the voting system.
>>This is a good opportunity to test the voting system. OK, so, this is a good opportunity to test the voting system that we will be using tonight. So, I'm going to give a question - it is a real softball question so nobody has to worry about getting the right or wrong answer and we'll make sure that everybody is comfortable with the process. So the question is: Do you think that the Major League Baseball players and the team owners will be able to reach agreement on a shortened baseball season this year? Doubt for you will have 45 seconds after the poll question appears on the screen to answer yes or no or to abstain. Only town meeting members may vote. Non-town meeting members will be assigned to the Zoom waiting room. Sounds like going to the principal's office but it's not quite. That will all be done by Mr Du Pont and you will be in the Zoom waiting room during the vote. You will be brought back into the meeting after the voting period has ended and before the vote is declared. So if we can have the question on the test. Move them to the waiting room. Now we have 45 seconds for you to vote on the question. The question again, basically, will there be a Major League Baseball season this year? You can vote yes, you can vote no or you can abstain. You have 45 seconds to vote. You can vote as many times as you want but the only vote that counts is the last vote so let's start right now. There are 15 seconds left. The voting period is now closed. And those in the Zoom waiting room will now be brought back in to the meeting. Now we will share the results. Wow, that was pretty close. We had 52% in favour, 40% no and 8% who abstained. So that may be the closest vote we have tonight. I'm now going to turn to Ms Kato, the town clerk, for the purpose of swearing in all of the newly-elected town meeting members. Ms Kato.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>>Good evening. Congratulations to everyone who was elected on June 13th. Jumping right into it tonight now so please everyone who was recently elected please raise your right hand and we're going to swear everyone in at the same time. Do you solemnly swear to faithfully and impartially uphold the duties of a town meeting member of your precinct for the term you were elected to? Everyone can say "I do" and nod your head. Great. Thank you. Congratulations.
>>Thank you, Ms Kato and also thank you for conducting such a well-run town election under such unusual and difficult circumstances due to the pandemic and also congratulations to all of the newly elected town meeting members for their willingness to step up to the plate by participating in this form of representative Local Government that is, as far as I know, unique to the six New England States.
I now recognize Ms Kato once again to read the official return of service for the 2020 annual town meeting special town meeting and the other official documents that have brought us to this time and place. Ms Kato.
>>Because we have many more notices to read into the record, I will actually waive the reading of all of them I'll do a slightly condensed version and Stephanie will share the screen. The first one is the town meeting warrant. I will read this one. On January 28, 2020, I have this date caused the within warrant to be served by posting two copies in two conspicuous places in the town, Town Hall and mres station, and causing the warrant to be posted on the town of Wellesley website. The next one is the note offence the first postponement. Again, this was signed on March 17, signed by Phil Giuliani as he posted it at the Town Hall and police station as well as on the town of Wellesley website. In addition per the legislation we posted it on the Town Hall doors as well as Wellesley middle school oughtatorium doors. Mr Giuliani signed this one. For our second deck largz and postponement of annual and special town meetings, signed April 12 and posted on the 16th by myself so true Then we had another declaration of postponement on May 26, 2020. We posted for 1/3 time and I posted it on the town hall, police station, as well as the town hall doors in the Wellesley middle school doors. Finally what has brought us to tonight is we posted a notice that the annual special town meeting shall be held via Zoom videoconferencing platform at 7 PM Monday, June 20's -- June 2, 2020. On June 9 I declared the notice was served by posting two copies at the town hall and police station as well as posted on the town of Wellesley website. I also posted at the town hall doors and Wellesley middle school auditorium. And that is it for all of the notices. Thank you. >> Thank you Ms. Kato. Now I want to say a few words about how we are going to try to coordinate the procedures, customs, and practices of our in person actual town meetings with this remote virtual zoom town meeting. We have a number of new town meeting members. You have just been elected. And we have a number of non-town meeting member register voters who are residents of Wellesley who have submitted a requisite 48 hour notice to participate in this meeting. So we have a lot of people who are here for the first time. I want to take a few minutes to familiarize the new town meeting members. The non-town meeting member register voters and those of you who have not been to one of these meetings for I think eight or nine months ago that we had the last one. First of all my role as moderator is defined by chapter 39 section 15 of the General laws of Massachusetts and by section 4 of article 9 of the bylaws of the town of Wellesley. Pursuant to those governing legal authorities, the moderator is responsible for presiding over and regulating town meetings for deciding all questions of order, and for making a public declaration of votes. All town meeting members and all other residents of Wellesley have had a prior opportunity to read those portions of the advisory committee's reports and the two supplemental reports of the town meeting that pertain to those limited matters that we will be taking up at this annual town meeting. In addition the proponents of all of the articles that the board has selected have determined to be essential to the continued operation of town government and to the provision of essential public services on or after July 1, 2020. Have pre-recorded the presentations and support of those articles which all town meeting members and other interested citizens have had an opportunity to view on the town website. I was also an opportunity provided by last Thursday night for all town meeting members and others to ask questions of the presenters on the zoom meeting platform so as to better understand any aspect of the presentation that may not have been clear to them. The objective of the pre-recording of the presentation and the advance question-and-answer session was to enable all town meeting members to come to this meeting fully informed of the issues that they will be asked to vote upon without the necessity for the type of extended debate during this town meeting on zoom. But sometimes can takes place at the more typical forum of actual town meeting when we are all together and the auditorium at the middle school. However, notwithstanding that the pre-recording on the opportunity to fully inform yourselves by examining and reading the advisory report, there will still be an opportunity for questions to be asked and for debate to be held on any issue where one or more town meeting Meiners members or register voters who have registered to participate in this town meeting deem it to be appropriate. Also, if asked, and when any of the citizen conditions are moved and not subsequently laid on the table they will also be ample opportunity to discuss those issues. The order in which I will recognize speakers on any issue is as follows. I will first recognize those town meeting members who quote raise their hands by pressing the appropriate button stop this in the manner described by Mr. dewpoint. Then I will recognize those register voters who are not town meeting members but who reside in Wellesley and who have given the required 48 hours advance notice of their desire to participate in this meeting. After the non-town meeting member register voters have had the opportunity. I will circle back to see there's any town members who wish to say anything that has not been said before. At that point
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
I will ask Mr. Cook, Todd Cook who is the chair of the advisory committee for the advisory committee's recommendation on the matter that is to be voted on. I will then call for the vote that will be conducted. Let me back up. After Mr. Cook recommendation, that is the point in which there may be questions, there may be some further discussion. After that discussion or questioning up your head has ended I will then call for the vote that will be conducted by the Zoom polling method that we have just used. Only town meeting members will be permitted to vote on any issue and as explained before during the test question, non-town meeting members who have registered to participate in this meeting will be assigned by Mr. dewpoint, pressing the right buttons I hope to the resume waiting room, and there will be released from that waiting room and brought back into the meeting after the voting period has ended and before the vote has been declared. Once the question to be voted on appears on your screens, you will have 45 seconds to vote yes, vote no, or to abstain. As I said before, if you vote one way and change your mind during that 45 seconds, you can cancel your vote by simply voting the other way. But only your last vote counts. I will try to give notice to everyone when there are just 15 seconds of voting time left. In addition to being the only ones who are committed to vote. Town meeting members are also the only ones who are allowed under the rules of this town meeting to introduce motions to amend motions on the floor. Any such motions or proposed amendments must be within the scope of the article that is under consideration. The articles under the warrant basically set up the agenda for discussion. Being within the scope of the article is sometimes referred to as being within the four corners of the article which is a determination to be made by the moderator in his sole discretion applying the standards that exist under the pulmonary procedures that we use. If any member does wish to make a motion to move an amendment during a town meeting. You should have a written version so that it can be displayed for all to see. If that has not been adequately explained it will be if and when the issue arises. And the mechanics of everything that I've just said have been explained in the various notices that have been sent to all town meeting members. Now the speaking procedures are as follows. First of all any town meeting that raises his or her hand on the zoom platform to speak and is recognized start off by stating the first and last name and the precinct that you represent. Non-town meeting register voters that are recognized to speak after the town meeting members have had the opportunity should start off by stating their first and last name, confirming our registered voter in giving their street name and address. This is all done in a very formal way. Although many of us particularly when I seen him pop up on scream screen it is hard to resist. We will not call each other by first name tonight. I will be calling on you as either Mr. or Ms. and you will be addressing me as Mr. moderator. After you have introduced yourself you can say it almost like a question. Mr. moderator and I will respond by saying Mr. Smith or whatever your name may be which is your signal that it is OK to start saying whatever it is that you have reached her hand to say. Under our town meeting guidelines. Speakers from the floor are limited to five minutes. However you will be surprised at how much you can actually say in one or two minutes. So please try to be as brief as possible. If you do start to come close to using your full five minutes I will alert you to start wrapping up at about the four minute mark. If anyone has a question to any of the chairs of the various boards or committees sponsoring the motion under consideration, it should be directed to me as the moderator and I will redirect it to the most appropriate person in that particular department who can answer your question. There is to be no dialogue in the town meeting floor. Everything goes through the moderator. Your remarks should always be focused on the issue at hand, be clear that you rise to agree or disagree with a particular issue or argument rather than with a particular person. It is always out of order to question anyone's motives or good faith or to indulge in references to personality. We are discussing and voting on issues, not people. We do have a disclosure policy which I want to say a few words about. Especially since this is a been an issue in some prior meetings that I have moderated. The town's guidelines for the conduct of the representative town meeting provides, quote on individuals who have a personal or financial interest with respect to a matter may speak or vote thereon but should frankly disclose their interests before speaking. Quote off this is always been understood to encompass not only the speaker but also the immediate family members of anyone who rises to speak on the town floor. Please note that this is only a disclosure requirement. It is not a disqualifying factor for either speaking to or voting upon any motion. The reason for the disclosure requirement is to enable other town meeting members to be able to put any such speaker's remarks on a particular topic into their proper context. I would caution that anyone with even the slightest possibility of a personal or financial interest in a matter of which he or she wishes to speak to interpret this disclosure requirement and to apply it quite liberally. It is much better to air on the side of disclosure that on the slide of nondisclosure. Now want to conclude this portion with just a couple of general guidelines. I will try to recognize everyone in each category of speakers. Namely town meeting members or non-town meeting members. I will try to recognize everyone in each of those categories once before recognizing anyone of that category for a second time. Except of course if there are limited number of follow-up questions when you are directing questions through me to one of the board or committee chairs. Our town meeting guidelines do not provide motions to move the previous question or to otherwise close off the debate. In other words Wellesley representative town meeting features unlimited debate. So anyone who wishes to speak on a question before the vote is called will be given the opportunity to do so. However let me say that if the point you wish to make has already been made by one or more previous speakers. You should carefully consider whether repetition of that point would really be helpful to the position that you seek to advance. Finally as I said at the outset. The moderator is solely responsible for ruling on any points of order or other procedural questions that might be raised during the course of these meetings. Now under section 8 of chapter 92 of the acts of 220 which is the statute pursuant to which we have been authorized to conduct this remote town meeting. I will quote this. Quotes on prior to taking a business and representative town meeting held through remote participation under this section, the
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
town meeting members present and voting in the them meeting shall vote whether or not to commence business at the town meeting remotely by means of the chosen video or telephone conferencing platform. And that is pretty straightforward. It is an absolute requirement for us to go any further. So at this point I will call upon Ms. Olney of the board of selectmen to make the requisite motion. Ms. Olney. >> Move that pursuant to the acts of 2020 chapter 92 and before taking any other vote… Lisa Olney, town meeting member for precinct E and member of the board select moderator. Technic nothing is happening. >> Nothing has happened that she give the motion? >> OK Ms. only recognize you for the motion. >> Can you hear me? Mark can you hear me? >> Yes Lisa we can hear you. >> Thank you. Move that pursuant to the act of 2020 chapter 92 and before taking another vote at this annual town meeting, the town meeting members hereby vote to continue conducting this annual town meeting remotely by means of zoom videoconferencing, platform and to address the articles included in the annual town meeting warrant? Technic the motion having been made, it will now be >> The motion having now been made it will be your opportunity to vote on it. Once the zoom pole pops up on your screen you will have 45 seconds to vote yes or no or to abstain. Remember, only town meeting members should vote and at this point non-town meeting members will be assigned to the resume waiting room. Mr. with ski wakes ski so what ski so what ski so what ski >> I just voted. I was not looking to make a comment. >> OK. >> You have 15 seconds to complete your vote. The voting period is now over. The non-town meeting members will return to the zoom meeting. The vote is 99% in favor and 1% opposed. And zero abstentions. The vote having passed. We pastor first test and we will now proceed by remote participation to address the articles included in the warrant. I just now am going to talk for a minute here on the order of business. The original warrant for this annual town meeting contained 50 articles. Like virtually all of the representative town meeting towns in the state, and so far as I have been able to determine the overwhelming majority of open town meetings. The Wellesley board of selectmen has determined that this town meeting which is being held under unique and emergency circumstances with very tight time constraints should focus only on those articles among the 50 that are absolutely necessary to enable the town government to function and to provide the essential public services for the citizens of the town on and after July 1. And therefore out of the 44 emotions that were originally sponsored by the board of selectmen and by other town boards and committee, only 22 will be presented to you tonight. They will be a another 21 towns sponsored articles which are important but would not have been there in the first place. But not essential to enabling the town government to function after the start of the next fiscal year next week. So that adds up to 43. Number 44 is article 1 which is just a knowledge meant of the reports that have been submitted and does not require a vote. And the remaining six articles to make up the 50 are this sick citizen petitions about which I will speak at a later point in these proceedings will become to them. We are now ready to take up article 1 on the annual town meeting reports. Article 1 does not require a motion since it is simply acknowledges my receipt as moderator of the advisory report to the annual town meeting. The first supplemental report of the advisory committee to the town meeting and the second supplemental report of the advisory committee to the town meeting. And having that succession of reports is at least in my experience unprecedented and as a result of the unprecedented pressures put upon all of this by the COVID- 19 pandemic. In addition I acknowledge my report of the reports of various other boards and committees that are printed at the back of the original advisory report to this annual town dating which will I will now identify and acknowledge therein the submission and receipt. There is a report of the community preservation committee. A report of the natural resources committee. A report of the planning board and a report of the sustainable energy committee. Have I hit the mall? Is that all of them? Yes? OK. There's no motion under article 1. So article one is now closed and we move on to article 2. Article 2 consists of the board of selectmen's presentation of the townwide financial plan and the five-year capital budget program. They are presented to this town meeting as they presented to all town annual town meetings pursuant to section 19.16.2 and 19.5.2 respectively of the town's bylaws. They can be found on pages 12 to page 40 of the original advisory report with the COVID-19 update on pages two through 18 of the first supplemental report of the advisory committee to the annual town meeting. I now recognize Marjorie Fryman, chair of the board of selectmen to make the motion under article 20. Ted McMurtry Fryman, precinct C, board of selectmen, Mr. moderator. >> I now recognize Ms. Fryman, chair of the board of selectmen to make the motion on article 2. >> Thank you Mr. moderator. I move that this town meeting hereby acknowledge presentation of the townwide financial plan and the five-year capital budget program pursuant to section 19.16.2 and 19.5.2 respectively of the town bylaws. >> Is the motion? The question is before you. You will have 45 seconds to vote yes or no or to abstain from voting on whether to accept the townwide financial plan and the five-year capital budget program. >> This is Brian to pot just as a quick reminder I will be moving the non-town meeting visitor participants into the waiting room before we launch the pole. >> There are four people with their hands up. Before we vote I will recognize these people. The first is Ms. Monahan. >> Mr. moderate career move moderator
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>> Monahan receipts A. I did not raise my hand. I was looking for the vote. It just did not come up. So thank you for recognizing me but I really do not have anything else to say. >> OK and thank you. I am not seeing any other hands. >> No other hands and I will move… >> I see Tom Nelson has raised his hand Mr. Nelson. >> Mr. moderator my name is Carl Nelson, register voters 69 Temple Road precinct F. Are we talking about the motion article number two? >> Please repeat that Mr. Nelson >> I want to make sure were talking about article number two? >> That is hopefully what we are talking about. >> Excellent, thank you for that. In the spirit of for disclosure, as many people know I the chair of the Wellesley Republican town committee but I'm only speaking for myself and not as a representative of the W RTC and I would certainly love to hear any thoughts on my comments tonight and can be reached at [email protected]. I want to thank Megan, and Cheryl for their leadership on this important townwide financial plan process and I applaud the calling to the town services and I would like to make a couple of observations and request. As in town 25 year resident of the town I do not feel that the town's financial management can be described as it was in the presentation as conservative. In just the last two decades we have debated and voted on many budget items like the new library, the high school, acquisition of the North 40, the development of 900 Wister. The COA and now were going to embark on major elementary school buildings and each and every one of those projects and personnel decisions have had alternative proposals that were more fiscally conservative and those alternatives were rejected by the representatives of the town meeting. Each and every year we develop a budget that is the maximum increase allowed by law. Of course try not to require an override vote. We could choose a more conservative course for finances and each and every year we develop a budget built on the need for new growth in town property values. We take one and two million-dollar houses and we tear them down every Pat Gleason with four million-dollar houses. This new growth helps balance our ever increasing budgets. But relying on tear down to my opinion is not a conservative approach. Over the decades we've increased the number of town employees and personnel calls while our town population has remained stable and enrollments in school are declining. To end each and every year with increasing capital budgets. Our nonconservative approach is now led to the side in the presentation, the mountain of debt slide. I just want town meeting members to be aware of the impact of their financial decision and make sure that they listen to this presentation. I wanted to let them know that because of the high property taxes, more and more residents are telling me that unfortunately they plan to leave the town shortly after the children finish high school. More and more people are telling me the younger kids and new residents with younger children are telling me that they come here with such high expectations, that they get highly disappointed with things like remote learning does not come to their fruition and even the seniors because of the high taxes they are extremely set thankful that the COA was built. They love it but they still feel that the town budget is unfairly allocated and not applied fully to their needs. They do not want to leave town but they're finding it increasingly hard to afford the taxes. So one person told me there even going to take leave last year and getting things and then selling them online. Looking at exploring reverse mortgages and other creative measures to stay afloat. These three groups are all different demographics but they show that our townwide financial plan and the decisions behind it have real consequences for town and the residence. My plea is just for each and every town member to carefully read the town financial plan that Megan and Cheryl have put together and the presentation for this meeting. Myself I will be over the next three months reviewing and conducting deeper analysis of the finances and asked to work with Cheryl and be happy to look more than to just the five years data provided in the presentation but about the thirty-year list information from business leaders in the real estate and that type of thing. Just to conclude we face challenges ahead and I'm thankful to our town employees and volunteer boards that are here today. Working hard to deal with these challenges and it is my hope that in everything we do tonight that we will listen to each other and will speak the truth with love and grace and together we will address all of the challenges that we have before us. Thank you Mr. Moderator. >> Thank you Mr. Nelson. Before I recognize Mr. Cook, the chair of the advisory committee, is there anyone else who wishes to speak to article number two? Seeing no hands raised… There is one. I'm sorry. Christine Crowley. Ms. Crowley. TechNet Christine Crowley precedes B Mr. Moderator. Technik Ms. Crowley. >> I've wish to raise the concern in general question about personnel. In the last year the advisory committee is highlighted the rapidly increasing cost of town personnel. In particular in 2016 advisory reported that the school personnel costs continue to outpace all other material elements of the budget. In 2017 employee benefit costs are one of the fastest growing area of cost for the town in the past 10 years. In 2019 increases in salary continue to be one of the primary drivers of budget increases. In 2020 during the past 10 years employee benefits costs has been the fastest growing component of the overall town budget. Despite the statements from 2014 to 2019. According to information presented in the annual reports. 15 departments increase the number of personnel. Moreover in 2019 the number of employees earning over 150,000 per year tripled from 2014. At the number of employees earning over 125,000 has increased over 250%. Towns of similar size including debtor and Franklin had significantly less personnel per resident. For example Dedham has approximate 1400 employees with a population of 24,007 or 29 while Wellesley listed approximately 2001 and 66 employees in 2019 with a population of 27,009 are needed to. A conservative estimate of the workforce cost increase since 2014 is about 20 million. My question is is this space
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
sustainable? How much longer can we support such increases and what are the consequences for the residents I have to pay for them beyond the skyrocketing property taxes. Think you Mr. moderator. >> Thank you Ms. Crowley. Next I see that Ms. Cluj has raised her hand. >> Mr. moderator I was called a point of order at the speaker prior to the last. We do not recognize… We do not announce our political affiliations, Republic, Democrat, independent, socialist or whatever they may be at this town meeting and I was surprised that you would not call him out on that Mr. moderator. I would hope that we do not start that type of partisanship in this town meeting. Also I am wondering why we're having this type of discussion under this article which is simply acknowledgment of the townwide financial plan and the five-year capital budget program whereas these kinds of discussions about personnel issues and costs along under other articles. My primary concern is that I am upset and concerned about people identifying their political affiliation. That is all I have to say. >> Thank you and I think that was a good point. I think at least speaking for myself, attempting to deal with the technology here and also with the rules of the town meeting may have been overlapping. If there is nobody else who wishes to speak on this. I will ask Mr. Cook for the recommendation of the advisory committee and after this vote I will asked that we take a short break here just so I can coordinate with my colleagues here on the technology. Mr. cook. >> Hello everyone Todd Cook receipt G chairman advisory. >> Mr. cook. And before you begin, let me just say that our practice is to have the chair of the advisory committee provide a recommendation to the town meeting after the completion of the motion and her presentation and before the vote. It is in that spirit that Mr. Cook is being recognized and for that purpose that Mr. Cook is being recognized. OK Mr. Cook. >> Thank you Mr. Margarita. Under article 2 tell meeting is asking to acknowledge the presentation of the time my financial plan and five-year capital budget plan for fiscal year 2011 but not specifically approving them. The advisory appreciates the scope of the townwide financial plan and the capital budget program as well as the efforts to document on the part of the board that is been provided detailed information about the town's financial status and course. The townwide financial plan was updated for the currently foreseen impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. Advisory recommends favorable action 14 to 0. >> Thank you Mr. Cook. We are now ready to vote on the question as Mr. Cook indicated, this is merely a vote to accept the townwide financial plan in the five-year budget capital budget program. It is not a vote or whether or not you agree with the content of either or both plans. As soon as the question appears on your screen. Mr. duPont will assign the non-town meeting members to the waiting room and you will have 45 seconds to vote and we will call it when you're ready to start voting.the report, receiving reports, question is on your screen. 45 second voting period begins now. There are 15 seconds remaining. The voting period is now closed. We have 98% voting in the affirmative. 1% voting no, 1% voting abstained. I declare that the vote on question article number two… The motion under article 2, excuse me, passes. Article 2 is now closed and we move on to article 3. At this point it is a little earlier than planned. But this may be a good time to take a five or 10 minute break just to coordinate some of the technology here that the moderate is having some difficulty understanding. Let's take a 5 to 10 minute break right now. (Break)
>> The meeting will now come back to order. This is a learning experience for all of us. We had some issues with the voting procedures that the vote counts that we were not all familiar with. So what will happen from this point forward is for whatever reason the vote counts do not show up on the moderator screen. But to see the percentages. They do show up on Mr. DuPont's and mosquitoes. So at the end of each vote Ms. Kato will announce what the actual vote count is and then I will give the percentage. That is the way we will do it. At the end of each session the votes will be posted on the town's website by the close of business on the following day. For example, the votes that are taken tonight will be on the town's website but no later than let us say 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. In all likelihood it will be much before then. But in order to be on the safe side I just want to make a promise that we cannot fulfill male fulfill. So will say by close of business following day. That also resolve some internal questions we're having here. Hopefully we have that behind us and no doubt further problems will surface as we go on. But we're doing OK so far and hopefully we will continue to do OK. We now come to article 3 which is the consent agenda. There are two motions under article 3. At least on my screen. I hope on yours as well. Two motions under article 3 which seek approval of those, I believe 19 articles which have been placed on the consent agenda. The first motion seeks approval of all of the motions submitted under the 14 articles that require only simple majority vote for passage. The second motion seeks approval of all of the motions under five articles which because of the subject matter are required by state law to receive a two thirds favorable vote for passage. And the reason edge is that those five articles involve either bonding or land issues such as lease granting or abandonment of easements which under state statute require two thirds vote. I will now recognize Mr. Thomas vice chair of the board of selectmen to present the first motion under the consent agenda. >> Mr. moderator Tom of precinct board of selectmen. >> Go ahead. >> In light of the length of these motions I ask that you waive to regain the motions as they appear on the screen and have been distributed previously to town meeting members. >> So waived. So the first motion under article 3 is now open for any questions or comments. I will wait a few
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seconds to see if anybody raises their hand. I am not seeing it so I will turn it over to Mr. Cook. Mr. Cook may we have the recommendation of the advisory committee on motion one under the consent agenda? >> Todd Cook precinct G and chairman advisory. Advisory continues to believe that a consent agenda is both expedient and productive on the articles proposed for inclusion on this motion one meets the criteria for inclusion. Although some members were concerned that the number of articles on this year's consent was large it was understood that under the consent agenda it would help expedite the town meeting necessary due to the virtual platform that we are going through here during the coronavirus crisis. Motion one includes those articles which require only a majority vote time passage in all of the articles on this motion have received unanimous support for your advisory and please note that in the second supplemental support we indicated that motions four through seven of article 5 have been removed from this motion which of those related to the collective arguing agreements. And will be voted on later on tonight. Advisory recommends favorable action 12 to 0. >> Thank you Mr. Cook and I may have misspoke before. This is the point at which there cannot be questions or comments or items on the consent agenda under motion one. The way we will proceed is I will read the number and title of each article that is covered by the various motions. I will ask if anyone has a question on any such article or motion. If so, raise your hand and I will recognize you. I will wait five or 10 seconds to see if anybody raises their hands. It shows up on my list of participants on the screen. So if you have a question I will call your name, you will address the moderator in the way that it described before the stop you will direct your question to me and I will redirect it to the appropriate board committee or person to answer. I will then ask if there's any town meeting member that believes that that particular article should be removed from the consent agenda in order to be fully debated before being voted upon. You do not need to give a reason for request at a particular article be removed from the consent agenda. So we have a very liberal ruling on removal of articles procedures. Excuse me we have a very liberal procedure of removal of articles on the consent agenda. There are many towns unfamiliar with require that there be 10, 15, 20 people to move an article from the consent agenda. But in our case we allow just anyone person to do it. You do not have to give a reason for your request. But I want to caution that a few of the necessity of concluding this town meeting before the end of the fiscal year I would respectfully ask that you not asked for the removal of an article from the consent agenda unless you do in fact have a valid reason for its removal from its agenda. One such a request is made the article is removed from the consent agenda and will be taken up in its regular order in the warrant. I will call the articles that appear under motion one to see if anyone has any questions or seeks the removal of any article in that motion from that consent agenda. This will take a few minutes because we have a lot of articles and a lot of motions under this particular article. The first is article number four which is an article by the human resources board to amend the Townsend job classification plan. I not seeing anyone raising their hand. Does anyone wish to remove that article from the consent agenda? I'm not seeing that either so we will move on to the next which is article number five emotions one, two, and three as was explained by Mr. Cook. Four through seven are going to be heard separately. Motions one, two, and three encompass the human resources board motion motions to amend the town's salary plan and pay schedule. If there are any questions or comments, raise your hand please. Saying then I will ask if anybody seeks the removal of article 5 motions one, two, three from the consent agenda. See no one raise their hand I will go to article 6 which is a motion to set the salary of the Town Clerk. Are there any questions on that? Does anyone seek removal of the article from the consent agenda? Not seeing any I will announce article 7. A motion by the board of selectmen seeking supplemental appropriations for certain items in the fiscal year 20 budget. Are there any questions? Seeing then does anyone seek the removal from the consent agenda of the article Chic not seeing any hands raised I now identify the next article which is number nine. An article by the board of selectmen regarding the town's revolving funds. Any questions please raise your hands. See none does anyone seek removal of the article from the consent agenda? See none we move on to article 10. It is an article that was submitted by the board of selectmen to increase the funding for your interest on dueling fund for police or firefighters injured under Mass. law. Are there any questions? If anyone seeks removal please raise your hand. Next we go to article 11 which is an article sponsored and submitted by the board of selectmen seeking additional funding for the special education reserve fund. If anyone has a question on that please raise your hand. Seeing then if anyone seeks removal of that article from the consent agenda please raise your hand. Seeing then we moved to article 12. This is an article submitted by the Board of Public Works. Requesting a contribution to the Baylor stabilization fund. That contribution to come from free cash. Are there any questions please raise your hand. If anyone seeks removal of the article from the consent agenda please raise your hand. Seeing then we moved to article 4D which is another article submitted by the Board of Public Works that pertains to the town's water program. If there is anybody who has any questions concerning the article please raise your hand. If anyone seeks removal of the article from the consent agenda please raise your hand. Seeing then I moved to article 15. Looking at the town's sewer program. If anyone has a question please raise your hand. If anyone seeks removal of the article from the consent agenda please raise your hand. Seeing then we move on to article 16. This is an article submitted by the municipal light plant pertaining to the town's electric program. If there's anybody who has any questions on this please raise your hand. If there's anybody who seeks removal of this article from the consent agenda please raise your hand. See none. We move on to article 17. There are several motions under this article which has been submitted by the community preservation committee seeking appropriations for certain projects that have been approved by the committee. If there are any questions please raise your hand. I have a question and the full name
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
does not come out. I think it is Weston Burke. Is it Weston Burke? Yes. Ms. Weston Burke. The floor is yours. >> Can you hear me? >> I can. >> Mr. moderator Nancy Weston Burke precinct E. >> Ms. Weston Burke. >> This may be the wrong part. This is to remove all of the motions or just some of the motions under article 17? >> You would have to identify the ones you would seek to remove. >> Sorry I am reading down the list I thought it was for all of them. Motion to please. >> You what motion number two removed? >> Is not the only one >> I believe so. Yes. Technik that is it? >> Yes. >> So motion to under article 17 has been removed and will be taken up in its regular order which will be after article 8 the way that we are structuring this unless something else comes up. The other six or seven motions under article 7 remain on the consent agenda. Article 23 is an article submitted by the board of selectmen, authorizing the expenditure of certain state transportation infrastructure funds. I believe these come from the Uber and lift fans. Are there any questions on article 23? I see no hands raised. Does anybody seek to remove of article 23 from the consent agenda? I do not see me there. So we move on to, this is our annual favorite, article 50, article submitted by the board of selectmen regarding the appointment of one or more from the number as the fire engineer at the town of Wellesley. Are there any questions about that one? Does anybody seek its removal. So I will now call for the vote on the first motion under article 3, with the following amendment and that is the exclusion therefrom of motion number two under article 17. So if that can be posted. The pause as we are removing the non-town meeting members to the waiting room. I see now that the question has been posted stop this is a vote on the consent agenda, motion one that includes everything that is in the original motion with the exception of motion to under… Five seconds to vote yes or no or to abstain. Only town meeting members may vote. >> >> Mr. moderator Brian teapot looking to request your recognition for one second. >> Mr. DuPont. >> Hello people. Just a couple of quick questions on the voting I just wanted to review a couple of procedures now that were couple of folks into this town meeting. I want to make sure as we've had a couple of folks having difficulty seeing the pole on their screen. If you are in grout gallery view in this zoom meeting. I believe in order to see this poll he must be on page 1 of the gallery. There are 261 participants in this meeting and you cannot see all 261 faces at the same time. So on the left side of the gallery view, if you are in gallery view make sure you click that arrow so you're scrolling all the way back to page 1 on the gallery view. The other quick thing I will mention right now as well is that in the same place where you would click the button to raise your hand. That is the nonverbal feedback section. At the bottom of the participants list. There are two buttons there. I green button with the checkmark that said she ask -- yes or already on this is no. Do not use those buttons. Those votes will not be counted in the pool. In order to be counted your poll must be taken through the buttons that actually appear in the pole screen when it appears on your screen. We are not two minutes into the spell question and I will await the moderator. We can start the 45 seconds now. >> We have 15 seconds left in the voting period. The voting period is now closed. Ms. Kato will announce the actual vote numbers. >> Thank you Mr. moderator. Those so the results of the consent agenda for article 3 motion one, yes 217 votes to know for, and two people abstained. >> Arrived quickly down the arithmetic in my head and that amounts to 97% in favor, 2% oppose, and 1% abstained. So motion one under article 3 is now closed. And we move on to motion to under article 3 and once again I recognize we are still on that 2% second motion under article 3. >> To do this one separately. I did this one together the first time through. If appropriate I can do this one again. >> That I did not hear the first part. I do not have my speaker on. >> I actually refer to both of these when I moved them at the beginning. If that was improper I can do this one separately. >> If you would please. >> Certainly. Mr. moderator I ask that you waive the reading of the motion as it appears on the screen and has been distributed previously for the town meeting members. >> So waived. >> Mr. Cook. If we could please have the recommendation of the advisory committee. >> Taught Cook precinct G chair advisory. Motion to will include those articles that require super majority vote of town meeting for passage and all of these articles on this consent agenda have received unanimous support of advisory. Advisory recommends favorable action 12 to 0. >> Thank you Mr. Cook. Now we will follow the same procedure as we did under the first motion under the consent agenda. Again I will ask if there any questions or requests to remove any of these articles from the consent agenda.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
And just to reinforce the point that these all require two thirds vote because they either require or involve the bonding of funds by the town for certain projects or they involve land issues such as leases granting or abandonment of easements. I will not go through the list. This is fortunately a much shorter list than under motion one. So the first article under motion number two is a combined board of selectmen and Board of Public Works article seeking construction funds for projects on Great Plains Avenue. Does anybody have any questions about this motion and order cool? Does anyone seek removal of this article from the consent agenda? Seeing no one's hands raised we moved to article 21 submitted by the Board of Public Works, seeking authorization for the bonding for certain water and sewer projects. Does anyone have any questions under article 21? Does anyone seek removal of article 21 from the consent agenda? Seeing none we will remove to article 22 with another article sponsored by public works. Regarding the abandonment or acceptance of certain utility easements. I see a question by Ms. Lang. >> Mr. moderator Elizabeth laying precinct F. >> Ms. Lang. >> Just a quick question regarding article 27. I think that is what we are on. >> Ms. Lang I see that I skipped over 23. Go ahead and ask your question on 27 I will come back to 23. >> I just wondered as there was not mentioned whether the affected citizens that the easements have changed. >> To whom are you directing that question? >> Against you Mr. moderator. To the Board of Public Works. >> I understand Mr. Wexler is going to be leading the questions or redirecting them to the Board of Public Works. Mr. Wexler? Technik hello Mr. moderator. Technik Mr. Wexler. >> Can everybody see and hear me I hope. So these are done in conjunction with the homeowners or with their property owners with their filing. These are not things that are moved without the knowledge or participation of the people related to the properties. >> Thank you Mr. Wexler. >> Does that answer your question Ms. Lang? That looks to me like a thumbs up. >> OK I translated the thumbs up between the two speakers. Any other questions on article 27? Does anyone seek removal of article 27 from the consent agenda? Not seeing any let us go back to the one I skipped. I should note that it's getting very dark in here and probably will not be the last thing I skipped over. Article 23's article by the board of selectmen seeking… This is actually article 22. This is an article by the board of selectmen seeking approval of the town to enter into a lease agreement at 254 Washington Street. Are there any questions on article 22? Does anyone seek removal of article 22 from the consent agenda? Seeing then we moved to article 47 which is an article submitted by the board of selectmen although warrants every year to resend certain authorized and unissued loans and to transfer certain unused proceeds from previously issued loans. These are typically cases were not all of the funds have been bonded have been needed for the project in question. Are there any questions about article 47? I see a question from… Ms. Wang. >> This is a Wong Wong from precinct a moderator. I seek a removal of article 47 from that list. >> Article 47 will be removed from the consent agenda and taken up in the order in which it would otherwise appear in the warrant. So, I guess we are now ready for the vote on the second motion under article 3 which will be to accept or approve the motion number two under the consent agenda with the exception of article 47. So we are now going through the process of removing home the non-town meeting members from the zoo meeting to the zoom waiting room. But when that is completed we will have the question posted and you will have your 45 seconds to vote. Article 47 has been removed. The question has been posted. You have 45 seconds to vote either yes or no or to abstain only town meeting members may vote. There are 15 seconds remaining. The voting period is now closed. >> Mr. moderator would you like me to read the results. >> Please mosquito. >> On the consent agenda, article 3 motion true carries with a vote of 219 yeses to one know and one abstained. >> On a percentage basis that comes out to 99% and the one know and the one abstained not enough to register. So it's a 99% to nothing with no extensions for the official record. Article 3 is now closed. And we will move on to motions four, six, and seven under article 5. That may make some introductory comments on this. Under the public sector, labor law in Massachusetts. The town meeting which is the town's legislative body must approve the appropriations necessary to implement of the cost items and collective bargaining agreements that cover nonschool department employees which have been negotiated by the town's executive branch. Which in the case of Wellesley is the board of selects. We are now going to take up the order of the number and motions the matter of the funding for the four recently negotiated collective bargaining agreements. Often get fair warning that these four motions involve only the question of whether the four collective bargaining contracts in question should be funded by this town meeting. If anybody starts to stray from that limited topic. I will ask them to return to the question at hand and if they continue to stray stop there will be no alternative other to meet them. In other words we are here just to vote on whether or not these collective bargaining agreements should be funded. We now turn to motion for under article 5 which requests funding for the collective bargaining agreement that was recently negotiated between the town and the union representing the supervisory personnel and the police department. I recognize Mr. Oldfield or vice chair of the board of selectmen to make the motion under motion for of article 5 >> Mr. moderator Tom Oldfield or precinct C. I ask that you waive the reading of the motion as it appears on the
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
screen and has biz distributed previously to the town meeting members. >> Reading of the motion has been waived. Is there a presentation of any kind on this or has it all been given on the pre-recorded presentations? Have it has been given on the prerecorded presentations except I would ask that you recognize the Executive Director whether she would like to make additional comment at this time.
>> Would you like to sanding further?
>> No. I will take questions as received. Mr. moderator chef Mr. Cook may we have the recommendation of the advisory committee under article 5?
>> Todd Cook increasing G chair of advisory
>> Mr. Cook
>>… For the positions under the collective bargaining agreements but must seek approval from town meeting for the appropriation to fund the jobs covered by these grievance. Advisory is confident that the negotiations are fail and the salaries negotiated in the collective bargaining agreement are reasonable and... As the salaries will be included in the town's budget for the next three years. A detailed report of these have been found in our supplementary reports. Advisory recommends action 14 to nothing.
>> Thank you Mr. Cook. The floor is now open for discussion on the motion.
I see Ms. Allen has raised her hand. Ms. Allen?
>> Marlene Allen precinct H. My concern here is not for the amount of race or any such thing. It is only my question concern about why we are getting ourselves into three-year contracts in the financial climate we are in with the pandemic. And we have not yet talked about the assumptions made in the budget that would fund all of this.
>> So who are you directing your question to Miss Allen?
>> Probably the board of selectmen.
>> Do you want to redirect this question to whomever it should be asked of?
>> Mr. moderator I would ask that you recognize the Executive Director?
>> Ms. job.
>> Megan job Executive Director. So the town had largely been underway into negotiations before COVID-19 had hit. We were largely settled with these four unions were close to settlement at that time. In addition settlement for a three year contract gives us assurance and terms of the amount of money needed for a particular budget year. We have cost out for all of these personnel. And understand the impacts in FY 21 through 23. The board of selectmen had considerable as to whether we should return and the answer was no for the simple fact that our people our number one asset and would rather invest in staff and ensure that staff would be continue to be adequately paid as we move forward. If we at some point had to diminish staffing levels in anyway, we certainly wanted to make sure that those people that are retained were being paid adequately.
>> Thank you Miss job. Are there any other questions or comments concerning motion for under article 5?
Seeing none, I am going to call for the vote on this one.
When the vote is posted, the non-town meeting members will be assigned to the waiting room and you will have 45 seconds within which to cast your vote.
OK. The question is now posted. It concerns the appropriation of funds for the police supervisory contract. You're 45 seconds to vote on this question.
We have 15 seconds remaining.
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The voting period is now closed. Ms. Kato will declare the vote when we have it.
>> Thank you Mr. moderator. On article 5.4, yeses 214, to know, five people voted no and for people abstained.
>> Thank you Ms. Kato on a percentage basis of that represents 96% in favour and 2% opposed and 2% abstention's. Motion for under article 5 is closed and we now move on to motion five. Motion five request funding for the collective bargaining agreement that was recently negotiated between the town and the union representing the patrol officers in the police department and once again I recognize Mr. old fellow to make the motion under article 5. This is motion five under article 5.
>> Mr. Moderator Mr. old Feld and present see I ask that you waive the reading of the motion as it appears on the screen and has been distributed previously to town meeting members peer
>> The reading of the motion is waived. Is there any presentation?
>> No. It was pre-recorded.
>> Thank you. Mr. Cook. May we have the recommendation of the advisory committee on motion five under article 5?
>> Todd Cook creasing G chair of advisory, this motion five again advisory is confident in negotiations were fair and that the salaries negotiated in this collective bargaining agreement were reasonable and competitive with your communities. The advisor recommends action 14 to nothing.
>> Thank you Mr. Cook. The floor is now open for discussion. On motion five under article 5.
I see Miss Klink has raised her hand. Miss Klink?
>> Yes Ruth Klink precinct C.
>> Miss Klink.
>> Mr. Moderator chief of police if he is here, I don't know if this is the right time to ask this question but in light of what has been happening in our country recently is there any talk about how this these funds would be allocated or are they purely salary negotiations?
>> Miss Klink, under the law, this vote is strictly to appropriate funds to fund the collective bargaining agreement that was reached. That is the law. Are there any other questions?
Seeing none we are ready for the vote. Once the vote is posted, you will have 45 seconds to vote. It will be posted after the non-town meeting members have been assigned to the Zoom waiting room.
OK the question is now posted. The 45 second period will now begin.
We have 15 seconds remaining.
The voting period is now close. Ms. Kato will declare the result.
>> OK. Mr. Moderator. On article 5 motion five, passes favourably 213 to 6 opposed. With one of staying.
>> And that represents 97% in favour and 3% opposed. So motion five under article 5 is now closed. And we move on to article motion six under article 5. Which request funding for the collective bargaining agreement that was recently negotiated between the town and the union representing the firefighters and the supervisor is a personnel in the fire department. Unlike the police department the firefighters and the supervisory personnel in the fire department are all covered by one collective bargaining contract. So I recognize Mr. old Felder with the board of selectmen's to make motion six under article 5.
>> Old Felder's pre-succeed. Mr. moderator asked that you waive the reading of the motion as it appears on the screen and has been distributed previously to town meeting members.
>> The reading of the motion is waived. Will there be any additional presentation? Beyond the pre-recorded presentation?
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>> No.
>> Mr. Cook, they we have the recommendation of the advisory committee on motion six under article 5?
>> Todd Cook presents he chair of advisory.
>> Mr. Cook
>> Again on this motion six advisory is confident that the negotiations were fair and the salaries were negotiated under this bargaining unit were reasonable and competitive. The advisory recommends favourable action 14 to 0.
>> Thank you Mr. Cook. The floor is now open for debate on motion six, under article 5.
Mr. Parker?
>> Mr. Moderator, during these negotiations, has anyone asked the question with 700+ housing units coming on board online here in Wellesley, are we discussing that for the future and what that looks like in any of these three- year contracts?
>> To whom are you directing that question?
>> I guess to the board of selectmen. Sorry.
>> OK. Mr. Olson Elder?
>> Mr. Moderator I will ask you to recognize Megan job our Executive Director in one moment. But I do want to say through you that when we were negotiating with John Hancock with the Wellesley office Park for example there were lengthy discussions regarding both police and fire coverage in terms of equipment and personnel access. Those kinds of concerns that I think Mr. Parker is addressing were woven into those negotiations and were certainly on the mind of people who were involved. But as the specifics of the negotiations, I would ask that you recognize the Executive Director Ms. jobs.
>> Ms. jobs?
>> So when negotiating with regards to salaries, we were not negotiating the additional impacts of those particular units. As Mr. offender indicated and I would've expressed the same under the PSI for those projects such as 148, it is considered, it is also, we received funds under the 40 our district which could compensate us in the long run if we needed to hire additional personnel and that was discussed as part of the 40 are. And that would be additional funds presented at the town receives its payment ultimately when a building permit is pulled. So we get the building permit and then we then get the 40 R fee that looks at the infrastructure impacts which in this particular instance could also be related to additional personnel. We did not negotiate for additional personnel as part of the contract negotiation.
>> Thank you.
>> Are there any further questions or comments under motion six? Seeing none I think we are ready for the vote.
Mr. DuPont will take care of the mechanics of getting us ready to vote.
OK. The question is posted on the Zoom and you a 45 seconds to vote.
We have 15 seconds remaining.
Voting period is now closed. Ms. Kato will now announce the results appear
>> Thank you moderator. It passes favourably with 214 in favour and five opposed and to abstaining.
>> And on a percentage basis that represents 97% in favour and 2% opposed and 1% abstained. So motion six under article 5 is closed and we now move on to motion seven under article 5. It request funding for the recently negotiated collective bargaining agreement between the town and the union which represents the employees of the Wellesley free library. I recognize Mr. offender the vice chair of the board of selectmen to make motion seven under
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
article 5.
>> Mr. Moderator Mr. Ulfelder. I asked that you waive the reading of the motion as it appears on the screen and has been distribute previously to town meeting members.
>> The reading of the motion is waived. Will there be a presentation beyond what was previously pre-recorded? Seven no Mr. Moderator.
>> Mr. Cook, could we please have the recommendation on the advisory committee on motion seven under article 5?
>> Todd Cook precinct G chair of advisory.
>> Mr. Cook.
>> In this motion seven for the libraries and the advisor is confident that the negotiations were fair and the salaries are announced negotiated in this collective bargaining agreement are reasonable and consistent with peer community. The advisory recommends favourable action 11 to 0.
>> The floor is now open for debate on motion seven under article 5.
Anybody that wishes to participate in debate please raise your hand.
I am not seeing any hands raised. So I'm going to ask us to move on to arrange for the posting of the question to be voted upon.
The question is now posted. You have 45 seconds to cast your vote. 15 seconds remain.
Voting. Is now closed. Ms. Kato will declare the vote.
>> Thank you Mr. moderator. For article 5 motion seven, the yeses are 206 opposed seven opposed and three abstained.
>> OK. And on a percentage basis that represents 95% in favour and 3% opposed and 1% abstaining. That concludes the business under article 5. We will now close article 5 and move on to article 8. Which is the budget.
There are three motions under article 8. The first is a motion to accept the payment in the amount of $1 million from the municipal like plant and to reflect the receipt of that amount in the setting of the tax rate for fiscal year 21. The second motion is a motion to appropriate funds necessary for the budget. This motion will be contingent upon the passage of the third motion which will be for an appropriation from free cash to balance the budget.
Turning to motion number one under article 8, I recognize Ms. Frydman chair of the board to make the motion.
>> Thank you Mr. moderator could I move that town meeting appropriate $1 million paid to the town from the municipal light plant to be used by the board of assessors as an estimated receipt when computing the tax rate for the year commencing on July 1, 2020.
>> Thank you. Will there be a presentation beyond what has been previously pre-recorded?
>> No.
>> Mr. Cook and we still have the recommendation of the advisory committee on motion one under article 8?
>> Todd Cook precinct G chair of advisory.
>> Mr. Cook. Jeff article 8 motion one this motion authorizes the town to accept the $1 million payment from the municipal light plant in fiscal 21 is approved by the board. The advisory values the MLPs million-dollar payment and the support roles as a funding source for the ongoing operations of town government. This contribution is in addition to the discounted electric rates and reliable service that the MLP provides to its customers. The MLP has faced significant challenges (inaudible) despite these headwinds the MLP has continued funding the million dollar payment. The advisory recommends federal action 14 to 0.
>> Thank you Mr. Cook. The floor is now open to debate. Under article – motion one article 8. Excuse me. Ms.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
Lange?
>> Elizabeth Lang precinct F Mr. Moderator.
>> Ms. Lange.
>> I have a question. I think this may be a point of order or something. In my notes I had article 7 motion five and article 7 motion six that we were going to do and I wondered if that was something we decided previously under I guess under article 3? I wasn't sure if that was something that disappeared or something we decided separately. I thought article 7 motion five had been pulled from the consent agenda and article 7 motion six –
>> Do you mean article 17?
>> No. Article 7 motion five. Weren't we looking at article 7, motion six
>> No.
>> No, we weren't there?
>> This line where tugboat motion one under article 8. Where are you getting article 7?
>> I'm sorry I thought we had skipped something but as long as it was decided it's fine with me.
>> Are there any questions on motion one under article 8? OK. I am not seeing any. I think we are ready for the vote on this one. Mr. DuPont will do the honours.
There are 15 seconds remaining. I'm sorry. I got ahead of myself. There are 45 seconds remaining. It was just posted. Wishful thinking.
>> We are just trying to move it along.
(Laughter)
>> Now there are 15 seconds.
The voting period is now closed.
Ms. Kato will declare the vote for the results there of elbow.
>> Thank you Mr. moderator. For article 8, motion one, we have 211 yeses, two opposed and three people abstaining.
>> So we have 98% in favour, 1% opposed for acceptance of $1 million and one person opposed. The motion carries. We now move on to motion to under article 8. Motion one being closed. This is the Omnibus budget. And will obviously be the most significant thing we do tonight. So for motion to under article 8 I again recognize Ms. Frydman chair of the board of selectmen.
>> Marjorie Frydman board of selectmen town meeting member precinct see Mr. Moderator.
>> Ms. Frydman
>> I respectfully request that you waive the reading of this motion as it is displayed on the screen. And has previously been distributed to all town meeting members.
>> The reading of the motion is waived. Is there to be a presentation on motion to under article 8 beyond the pre-recorded presentation?
>> No there will not.
>> Then it is time for me to ask Mr. Cook, may we have the recommendation of the advisory committee on the
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
Omnibus budget.
>> Todd Cook precinct G chair of advisory. Chef Mr. Cook Jeff this revised fiscal 21 budget anticipates a number of impacts the revenue that the town foresees due to the coronavirus epidemic in the three primary sources of funds property taxes stated other local sources of revenue. The revised budget proposes to offset these impact by reducing capital budgets and taking other measures to reduce use of free cash and consequently consider reserves. The budget maintains the town's various operating budgets as originally post posed by departments and met the criteria for supportive and unsupportive votes by advisory due to being out of guideline. All of which were supported by advisory. The revised fiscal 21 budget continues to plan funding levels of the stabilization fund as well as pension contributions thereby continuing investments that will ensure the town continues to maintain a b position to make the obligations to both town employees and its citizens. Advisory encourages the board of selectmen working with the Executive Director and finance department to continue to identify and be proactive to in regards to potential changes to the budget and impacts that may have to be addressed that the plan as special town meeting later in the fall. And finally we commend the actions taken by the board of selectmen as well as the Executive Director and finance department in collaboration with all the town departments boards and committees, that has resulted in this revised budget that addresses the anticipated impacts that have been identified to date from the pandemic. The advisory recommends favourable action 14 to 0.
>> Thank you Mr. Cook. The floor is now open for discussion. On motion number two. Under article 8. Raise your hand if you wish to discuss. I see a Mr. Ethan Davis has raised his hand. Mr. Davis?
>> And commit to moderator Ethan Davis from creasing D.
>> Mr. Davis.
>> I guess this question is directed to the school committee. My question is related to covid and first of all I would like to know what if anything we are doing to prepare for possible budget expenses in the fall related to reopening our schools in this budget and also, if we are not doing anything in this budgets related to reopening the schools, what is the plan for added expenses in case we encounter them? That is one question. My second question is what if any impact did covid and the closing of our schools have on the school budget in the spring?
>> I am going to call upon Melissa Martin who is the chair of the school committee to answer those two questions relating to the impact of COVID-19 both in the current fiscal year and in the coming fiscal year. Ms. Martin.
>> Good evening Mr. Moderator. Melissa Martin chair of the school committee and town meeting member precinct B.
>> Miss Martin.
>> Thank you. Mr. moderator I would ask you to recognize Superintendent David Lucille to provide further details in response to the question.
>> Doctor Lucille.
>> Thank you Mr. moderator. David Lucille superintended to Wellesley public schools. The two parts to the question that was asked. In terms of preparation for next year, we have already began that process in ordering necessary medical supplies and PPE that the state has recommended that we will need regardless of the type of opening that will have in September. We've made technology purchases already this summer. We like everyone else, are awaiting the guidance from the Department of Elementary and secondary education on the states luminary guidance to what that opening will look like. We may be receiving that as early as tomorrow or on Wednesday. So the short answer is, we've already begun some of the ordering. We've considered some of that impact but there is still much to determine and plan for and that may have an impact on further budget requests but it is too early to know the full extent of that. That answer connects to the second party or question in terms of the impact of the closure. Our estimates are that we will close this fiscal year with approximately $1 million surplus. In fact with some of those funds, we are using those to leverage some of the purchases right now we know we are going to need in addition to some state and federal funding that has been made available to us.
>> Thank you Doctor Lussier. Mr. John Marcus has raised his hand. Mr. Marcus.
>> Mr. Moderator John Marcus.
>> Mr. Marcus.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>> I have a question for Doctor Lussier as well. First reading this document, it is fascinating to me that funding for police is 60 times higher than that of the youth advisory of the use commission. But regardless, Doctor Lussier, it says that there is a special school police is allocated for 130 K. I would appreciate it if you would describe what police do in schools and what the responsible of these are.
>> Doctor Lussier. He's not?
>> The school resource officer program if that's what you're referring to falls under the police department budget it does not fall under the school department budget. The broader question I think you asked was what is the role of the police in schools. I'm happy to answer that question. The school resource officer program which is existed for some time, is really a partnership between the Wellesley Police Department in the Wellesley public schools even though the budget for both officers for many years was a single officer it does come out of the Wellesley Police Department budget. I think it's really important to note and I know there's been a great deal of conversation around this topic. That in Wellesley, which is not the case in every community, that program is really not designed around law enforcement. SROs are not there to provide security. Rather, as has been the case for some years, either the single SRO or now too, are really there to engage with students and build relationships in a proactive and positive way starting at the elementary school through high school. They are not involved in discipline. Often they are critical partners working with whether it is our social worker or adjustment counsellors or guidance counsellors with school administration to help support students and families in a real proactive way. In fact I would argue that in some of the conversations around the country about the model they would like to shift to I think Wellesley represents that model which has been really positive and is much more tailored to a social and emotional support fitting into that larger constellation of student supports that exist so it has been really a terrific partnership between the Wellesley Police Department and the Wellesley public school to help support students.
>> Thank you Doctor Lussier. I recognize Mr. Jones.
>> Mr. Moderator, Mr. Jones precinct B. Chef Mr. Jones.
>> Mr. Moderator through you is there someone who could explain whether the school committee has funding for political ethics training regarding some of the things that have been happening with the teaching staff getting involved with political outcomes of the town meeting voting. And of course, we have to follow the school committee's recommendations for ethics, which I've read, and also the ethics rules. And the second part of the question would be, if we do have funding for this, what steps have been taken to prevent the activity that many of the, as a matter fact all town meetings have experienced to this pandemic?
>> Can you handle that one Doctor Lussier?
>> I will do my best Mr. moderator.... A course that is required by the state. So that is true of all of our staff. I am not really try to respond to the second question I what behaviour Mr. Jones is referring to. I'm not sure I can comment on the latter half of that question Mr. Moderator. Shaft you want to clarify Mr. Jones?
>> Yes Mr. moderator. The emails that were sent to all of us and barraged our mailboxes, you notice that there was a number of teachers who were using their positions in those emails and using them to influence the town meeting members in their voting. And from what I can see of the school committee's rules and regulations, that is not ethical and as far as the ethics rules for the state of Massachusetts to use your position as a teacher in a school to influence a vote is not acceptable. I wondered if there is additional training or whether the school committee is aware that this has been happening and can take action on it.
>> Mr. Moderator may respond?
>> Please peer
>> I appreciate the clarification Mr. Jones. I think the first important point is teachers have every right to contact town meeting members and express their opinion. I think that prohibition is doing that from the Wellesley public schools emails accounts or on the Wellesley public schools laptop as an example. As those issues have come to our attention, we have worked with our teachers Association to provide reminders to teachers about how to engage with that prohibition and mine.
>> Mr. Moderator.
>> Yes Mr. Jones.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>> Through you. The issue is they make reference to themselves as being Wellesley public school teachers. And they use that as a crutch basically to influence the votes. I would like somebody to take a look at that and if there is additional training that has to be done I would like that to be done.
>> Is to moderator I hope were not imputing the characters of the teachers of Wellesley public school pay check no. I think this is an opportunity to ask questions not to engage in a –
>> I was interested in funds for additional training because it is pretty obvious to those of us who are getting the emails that using the name of a teacher is not good. I'm not trying to appear in it I am trying to figure out if there is a better way to instruct the teachers so that they do not use their stature as a Wellesley teacher to try to influence somebody in a political matter.
>> It seems to be Doctor Lussier that that is a question you can answer PHF I'm not aware of any prohibition...
>> OK. Were to give some body else a chance now. We have a number of people who have raised their hands. Ms. Allen.
>> Mr. moderator through you I believe perhaps two schools, I have been really concerned about the revenue assumptions because if they are off a little bit it can toss this whole budget off quite a bit. So I noticed in trying to wade through all the information and and it has been tough because it is come, there's addendum's and another supplement and I've had a hard time tracking it. So my problem might be that I have not tracked it all appropriately. But what I have read was that both the schools and the selectmen were assuming level funding from chapter 70 which is 11% of the school budget. And however on the municipal contributions I found that the board of selectmen was assuming a flat rate and the estimate from 21 would be up 4 million by the school committee assumed $4 million bump up from the municipal contribution. Could someone clarify what the assumptions were across-the-board through the whole budget on the state chapter 70 funds and the municipal contributions for education because that's 90% of how we fund education.
>> it sounds to me like maybe that's a question for the board of selectmen. Ms. job.
>> Mr. Moderator Megan job. Because the legislator, the only thing that's been currently put forward as the Governor's budget. This matter-of-factly received information today from the Department of local services with regards to the... Where they taken the same approach. They have level funded at a flat rate from FY 20 because there are unknowns. So that's why in every document that we have produced and with regards to the COVID-19 update we've indicated that we will come back in the fall. We will have additional information with regards to state aid and if we need to make adjustments to the FY 21 budget we would do so at that time. Whether it is through stabilization funds or re-cash to make up the addition difference and assumption spared we think we have been conservative in our approach with regards to reductions. In growth. Considering we continue to have inspections from the assessors and we continue to get new building permits and construction continues. So we are confident that we are gonna weather the storm but we have been very straightforward that we would return to the special town meeting upon the legislators approving the budget.
>> Thank you Miss job. Does that answer your question?
>> Is it true that we are just across the board even the schools budget was assuming a flat rate for the municipal revenue?
>> Doctor Lussier do you want to try to answer that question?
>> Mr. moderator I'm not sure I can add much more than what Ms. job indicated peer we remain closely connected in collaborative with our colleagues at Townhall to think about those assumptions and I would reiterate that I think a lot of unknowns going forward in the fall which would require us to maintain a tight coordination going forward so I'm not sure I can offer much more than what's been said.
>> Thank you Doctor Lussier. Alright. Next we have Ms. Oldman.
>> Lisa Allman precinct E. Mr. moderator Wellesley Boris Lachman.
>> Miss Allman.
>> This is in regard to some comments that were made earlier. I think Doctor Lussier addressed them. I want to say that I think that the students at the high school and beyond should be commended for their engagement on issues
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
before town meeting and I know many of them have been involved for many months and I just think –
>> Were talking about the budget here.
>> And I'm talking about a comment that was made pitch have but we are talking about the budget.
>> Thank you.
>> OK. Mr. Henson.
>> Yes that would be handwritten.
>> I'm sorry.
>> Mr. Moderator.
>> Mr. Hendren.
>> Am I allowed to comment on anything that Mr. Jones stated earlier regarding the state ethics commission guidelines which are clearly stated on the website.
>> This is not a forum for dialogue. This is a opportunity to ask questions pertaining to the budget. So if you have any questions pertaining to the budget, now is the time for you or anybody who has any questions about it to ask them.
>> OK.
>> OK. Next we have, I hope I'm pronouncing this correctly, miss mayal.
>> Jean May L precinct H.
>> Ishmael.
>> I think that it is a point of order that I want to raise. You allowed Mr. Jones to speak about our teachers in an ethics situation and I think some of us in town meeting are uncomfortable with that and it is on the record. It is on the television. And I object to it. I object to what he said. I support our teachers. I think our kids did a great job in expressing how they feel. I cannot, it is fine if some body wants to look at the ethics of it but I do not think that this form should be used to intimidate any teachers and I support our teachers and I am happy with what they did.
>> Thank you Miss May L. We have a question. Or a raised hand from Mr. Marcus.
>> Mr. Moderator John Marcus. Precinct day. Doctor Lussier I think in the hubbub I appreciate your response but I was just trying to differentiate that the budget for the Police Department and then special school police. You said that SROs are under the Police Department budget so what then is the special police?
>> Doctor Lussier.
>> I'm sorry Mr. moderator can you repeat the question?
>> Mr. Marcus.
>> Doctor Lussier on the budget and has Police Department for 6 million and then it has special school police for 130 K. One of the special school police?
>> Mr. moderator, I guess I'm not sure exactly which line is being referred to if in our budget, he is referring to police details and need for things such as athletic advance etc. where an officer may be needed which is outside of the typical school day.
>> I think he was talking about the school resource officer that you are concerned about?
>> If you go down one more. I just want an answer.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>> I believe that is in the police department budget where your question is. I believe that is referring to the SRO. I would go back to my previous answer.
>> Maybe miss job should answer that question. It is a Selectman's budget.
>> Make a job Executive Director. That is correct. Under the special school police those are the two SRO positions. Under the header, under Public Safety, within the police department budget as Doctor Lussier had indicated.
>> OK.
>> I take that back. Can I correct that?
>> Sure.
>> And looking further it is actually the crossing guards. That's what the special school police are. It is the crossing guards.
>> OK. Alright. I'm not seeing anymore questions. Or comments or raised hands under motion two. So we will now begin the process of scrolling through the budget that's set forth in the motion. That Miss Harkins and will scroll the budget for us. I will comment upon the subtotals and the grand totals so that you will have it both visually and through audio. And then there will be a vote on the Omnibus budget. So if we can, we have to coordinate this now, it's a lot easier in the middle school but we will get through. So OK, let's start scrolling.
Hopefully I'm gonna, I'm gonna look at my own copy of the budget and hopefully Ms. Parkinson and I will be coordinated as we go through this. So are we ready to go? Ready to go? OK. We start with the general ferment budget. And the first subtotal is the general government under the board of selectmen a total of $4,721,533. Then the next subtotal is for other general government. And that totals out to 2,305,642 and the two numbers combined general government and other general government, total $7,027,175.
The next subtotal is for the facilities management. And that total is, the subtotal is $8,291,919. The next series of line items all fall under the umbrella of public safety. And they total $13,014,187. We now go to public works.
The next subtotal is for the library. $2,677,402. For recreation, we have $386,672.
For health, we have $1,057,277.
For natural resources, we have a total of $414,282 for a total nonschool total of $40,162,311. Next we come to the Wellesley public school. For instruction administration operations special tuition transportation and inclusion. We have a total of $80,379,651. For Wellesley public schools.
The next item is for employee benefits. And the employee benefits total $32,398,243.
Adding up all of the figures that I've given you thus far for personal services and expenses we have $152,940,205.
Next we come to capital and debt. The various cash capital accounts. Line items I should say excuse me. Total $3,881,232.
The actual debt service and debt both inside the levy and outside the levy, total, $16,191,579. For a capital and total capital and debt total of $20,072,811. And the last item are receipts received from appropriation and these are funds taken from the parking metre receipts. They total $1,228,015. For a total appropriation under motion, article 8 and motion two. Reverse. Excuse me. All these numbers. Total appreciation of my motion to for article 8 for $174,241,031. That is the requested appropriation under motion 2 that you are going to be asked to vote upon and as I indicated at the outset of the discussion in article 8, this vote will be contingent upon the passage of the next vote which is the transfer of funds from free cash to balance the budget. So if we can now post the question Mr. duPont.
The Omnibus budget is now posted. You have 45 seconds to vote.
We have 15 seconds to go.
Voting period is now closed.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>> For article 8 motion to we have 208 in favour, and 11 opposed, and zero abstained.
>> Thank you Ms. Kato and that amounts to percentage totals of 95% in favour, 5% opposed . Before that can become final we need the motion under motion three under article 8 which seeks the appropriation of the sum of money from the free cash account to balance the tax impact budget for fiscal year 21 that has just been conditionally adopted by the vote on motion number two. And I recognize Ms. Frydman chair of the board of selectmen to make motion three under article 8. Ms. Frydman.
>> Thank you Marjorie Frydman board of selectmen town meeting member precinct C. Mr. moderator.
>> Ms. Frydman.
>> I moved to transfer the sum of $2,639,066. From free cash is certified on July 1, 2019 to reduce the tax rate.
>> Will there be any presentation in addition to the prerecorded presentation Ms. Frydman?
>> No there will not.
>> Mr. Cook can we please have the recommendation of the advisory committee. On motion three. $2,639,066 From fee cash advisory recommends favorable action 14-0.
>>Thank you Mr Cook and we will post that question and vote on it. The question is now posted. You have 45 seconds to vote. Yes or no or to abstain. There are 15 seconds remaining. The voting period is now closed the vote totals will be announced.
>>Thank you Mr moderator for Article 8 motion three we have 217 in favor for opposed N0 of same.
>>That is a vote of 98% in favor, percent opposed N0 percent abstain so Motion 3 has now been adopted and by the adoption of Motion 3 Two under article 8 is confirmed so I declare that Motion 2 and three as well is Motion 1 under Article 8 have been voted affirmative and we can now close article 8 and at this point I want to talk about scheduling.
We are already at 10:05. We had two motions that were pulled from the consent agenda, Article 17 Number 2 and I think it was community preservation and article 47 had to do with unused, borrowed funds and we also have a special town meeting to deal with one item in the fire department involving one member of that department.
And I would not want the individuals are here for the special town meeting to have to come back another night so I am now going to recognize Ms. Sullivan Woods of the board to adjourn -- to move to adjourn the stone meeting so we can have the warrant for the special town meeting.
>>(Inaudible) I move that we adjourn (inaudible) the official town meeting (inaudible).
>>Alright. Thank you Ms. Sullivan was. The way we are going to vote on this purely procedural motion is I'm going to ask for a showing of hands on this one. We are doing that because we have a limitation on the number of recorded votes that we can make according to the arrangement with the zoom people so all in favor of a journey this annual town meeting so that we can take up the single issue in the special town meeting, please, raise your hands to say yes.
OK and scrolling down I see a lot of blue raised hands, I'm going to the bottom of the list and I'm not seeing too many people who haven't raised their hands. Still going here. OK. Now I ask for those who oppose the journey the annual so we can go to the special town meeting, so please, raise your hands.
Actually going through it quickly. I see one person voted no, so I declare that that vote carries and the annual town meeting is now adjourned and we will turn to the special town meeting. Now, we have to go through some of the same legal procedures for the special that we did for the annual.
So I will now call the special town meeting to order. Ms. Kato, do we have a quorum present?
>>Mr Roddick -- Mr moderator we do have a quorum
>>Would you please read the official return of service and the other official documents that have brought us to this time and place?
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>>Thank you Mr moderator. I'm reading the revised special town meeting warrant dated March 17, 2020 I have this date because within the warrant to be served by posting two copies in two conspicuous places in the town i.e. town hall and police station and causing the ward to be posted in the town of the website and that you copy town of Wellesley.
And then the second set of notices are the same that we presented earlier for the annual town meeting. It was series of postponements for March 17, posted by Phil Giuliani and actually if you can scroll through so it will be shown on the screen.
It is the first, second and third postponements. I don't see them on the screen. So we are going to start at the March 17, 20 21st postponement of the animal and special town meetings. By Phil Giuliani, second postponement. Of the annual and special town meetings dated April 16, 2020 signed by myself Catherine Kato and the third declaration of postponement of the annual and special town meetings sent on March 26 by myself and the notice that annual and special town meeting should be held via zoom conferencing on Monday, June 22 signed June 9 by myself. And that is it for the notices. Thank you, Stephanie.
>>Thank you Ms. Kato. The same rules and procedures that I summarize earlier this evening for the annual town meeting are equally applicable to this special town meeting and that means pursuant to the applicable provisions of Chapter 92 of the X of 2020 the town meeting members present and voting must first vote on whether to conduct the business of the special town meeting remotely by means of the video or telephone conferencing platform that we have chosen and accordingly I now recognize it is only of the board of selectmen to make the necessary motion of your
>>For precinct E and board of selectmen Mr moderator. Move pursuant to the exit 2020 chapter 92 and before taking any other vote at this special town meeting the town meeting members vote to continue conducting this special town meeting remotely by means of zoom video conferencing platform to address articles in the special town meeting.
>>This we do have to have a recorded vote so we will post this question on the zoom poll. The question is should we conduct this special town meeting remotely 45 seconds to vote…yes, no or to abstain. 15 seconds remaining. The voting period is now closed we will announce the vote.
>>Thank you Mr moderator For voting and using assume as a remote option for special town meeting 214 yes, two no and web abstain
>>That is 99% in favor, 1% no and zero abstain. Is simply references the submission of the report of the advisory committee to this special town meeting by receipt of eye which hereby acknowledge so Article 1 is now closed and we move on to Article 2 and I recognize this only to make the selection under Article 2.
>>BC only and Mr moderator I ask you waive the reading of the motion as it appears on the screen and distributed previously to town meeting numbers.
>>The reading of the motion is way. Is there any presentation beyond what was previously recorded myths only?
>>There is not.
>>Mr Cook what is the recommendation of the advisory committee on this motion?
>>Todd cooked precinct G share advisory and advisory supports the efforts to ensure continuity and leadership of the fire department and some members were concerned about present said because only the chief and vice chief are under contract and the mandatory retirement age would only ever be available for those two positions and we were further assured because the language of the warrant is specific only to Jeffrey Peterson and there is no other position in town will be affected and advisory recommends variable action 14-0.
>>Thank you Mr Cook and the floor is now open for discussion. Anybody wishes to discuss, please raise your hand, and I'm not seeing any hands raised. Let's wait another few seconds. OK. I guess we are ready for a vote. The question is on your screen. You have 45 seconds to vote.
15 seconds remaining. Voting period is now closed and the vote totals will be announced.
>>Thank you Mr moderator for Article 2 and it is in favor 212, opposed 4 and abstaining three.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
>>Thank you Ms. Cato and I declare that vote is 97% in favor, 2% opposed and 1% abstained and that completes the business of the special town meeting so I will now call on Ms. Sullivan was in the board of selectmen to move for the dissolution of this special town meeting so we can return to the annual town meeting.
>>(Inaudible) concludes this meeting (inaudible)
>>Thank you Ms. Sullivan Woods and we are going to do this on a hand vote and all those in favor please raise your hands. See a lot of blue hands raised and it is going to be a steep hill for the no votes and all opposed please raise your hand.
Alright I'm seen one, two, three, two…three votes opposed. I declare that the motion to dissolve the carries so I now dissolve the special town meeting and we are going to move back to the animal town meeting and the hour is 10:20 and we had two articles that were removed from the consent agenda so let us take about a 2-5 minute break while I get out the motions and then we will resume, OK?
(Break)
>>OK we are ready to resume. We had two articles pulled from the consent agenda – will one motion under one article and another total article so article 17 Motion 2 back concerns the community preservation committee and I would call upon the chair of that committee Barbara McMahon to make the motion under article 17.
>>Hi this is Barbara McMahon Chair of the preservation committee addressing Article 17 Motion 2 which I am hoping to see on my screen except I don't. Mr Moderator can I waive the reading of the motion? I believe it is the same wording that has been previously distributed to all telecommuting members. -- Town meeting members and this is $400,000 at the request of the Plainfield task force for the second phase of the preservation of the league and Honeywell softball feels on either side of the tennis courts and the original recommended appropriation was for $200,000 as a result of different financial planning on the part of the town as for the Covid-19 allowed.
The CPC was asked if we would consider picking up the town's portion of the completion of that project and this easy boated to support that request and therefore we recommend the town meeting appropriate $400,000 from our community preservation trust to substantially the funds will be used for the field and believe fields are substantially complete and the full presentation was already posted to the town website.
>>Thank you Ms. McMahon. Mr Cook, do we have a recommendation of the advisory committee?
>>Todd Cook Precinct G and this motion revolves around appropriation from funds from the rehabilitation of Lee and Honeywell softball fields and is mentioned as the town was working to reduce capital and spending the town approach whether additional funds could be used for renovations and the motion was changed from 200,000 to 400,000 in this revised motion II an advisory believes this is a necessary project and the CPC's dedication and no other CPC projects would be negatively impacted by the funding is reasonable and appropriate and favorable action is recommended 12-0.
>>Thank you Mr Cook and the floor is now open for discussion. Ms. Weston Berg.
>>Mr Moderator Nancy Westerberg Precinct E and I don't know if this is a question as so much a comment and as I understand it DPW carried 200,000 for this and they had to cut their budget and CPC said they would pick it up and I think they will be a huge asset to the town but I kind of feel there are a lot of cost overruns on this project and we are entering an era of tightening budgets so I wonder what we learned from this when we had lots of departments and committees working on projects is historically we end up with huge cost overruns?
I don't know if it is a question or a comment and I would like to learned from the kind of huge overrun that happened here and how taxpayers ended up now supporting 85% of this say softball field versus a 66% originally pitched to the town meeting and I think originally there were donations promised there but when you get cost overruns a percentage of the donations obviously, as a whole go down. And that is it.
>>Alright this sounds to me like a question for the sponsor of the motion so Ms. McMahon answer the concern?
>>I can answer that and Barbara McMahon Precinct H and the proponents of this application to the CPC did not anticipate needing to be on this call or session tonight so I can as of it is sort of a high level, going back to the initiation, this particular Plainfield project was never proposed to be a one third, one third, one third project like other Plainfield projects in town partly because the estoppel community, the constituencies are not the same as youth
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
soccer, football, youth lacrosse as well as high school programs with boosters that go along with it, and having said that the phase 1 private fundraising for this project was quite substantial and there are private funds being used in phase 2 and I'm not sure where the question about cost overruns comes from because to my understanding this project is not wildly – I am sorry that the proponents are not here and if there is someone on the call from the Department of Public Works maybe they can answer that in better detail than I can but for my understanding that is not an issue here.
I'm sorry I can't remember if there was another portion, but the bid came in last year at 1.3 million and we are funding 400 and the $20,000 is coming from private funds for this portion of it and we – the project had a contingency added in the event of the (inaudible) -- sod rather than seating when the project gets to that point so CPC felt bly this project needs to be completed, bids have gone out, project is have we done and we are trying to help the town get this done in a financial, responsible way and we support this and I hope town meeting supports it as well.
>>Thank you Mr Wexler from the Board of Public Works has raised his hand and maybe he can shed some light on this.
>>Jeffrey Wexler precinct Age and board of Public Works, so a quick background to clarify an agreement with Ms. McMahon, this was not a cost overrun but I understand where the question comes from and there was an original discussion about original estimates internally in town that came in closer to about $1 million but when we put the project out to bid last year it came in in the ballpark of just over 1.3 million and a decision made at the time and effort to move forward with the work and to work with all the parties involved the contractor was able to split the project and we were able to move forward with the lead field component with the original budget and allocations and split out remaining pieces with the Honeywell piece of the project, so this additional funding is directed to that but it is that a coast offer – the cost over and the project itself is in line with the bids submitted and we worked with it was just a bid came in at higher than the originally discussed budgets and that is why we are now before you and all the people across town or before you and without this funding Lee field is essentially complete and a few things being checked off and signed off on, but without this funding the Honeywell portion of the original design project would not be able to be completed and the contractor was sold there was no ability for us to move forward and apologies about any confusion from any of the numbers previously.
>>Thank you Mr Wexler and does that answer your question Ms. Wexenberg?
>>It is responsive. I think maybe I'm not using the right fields and the right projects. Sometimes things get split apart and specified in certain ways. My understanding was that there were some sort of amenities put on the softball field that drove up because but I guess Mr Wexler is saying that is not true so I apologize if that is not the case.
>>OK any other questions or comments under motion to under article 17? Hearing none I think we are ready for the vote and we will make arrangements for the showing of screens and the question has been posted. Motion 2 under Article 17 and you have 45 seconds to vote yes, no or to abstain. 15 seconds to go.
Voting period is now closed and Ms. Kato will announce the vote totals
>>Thank you Mr Moderator article 17 motion 2 you have 207 in favor, opposed 10 and three abstain
>>That amounts to 94% of payroll vote and five opposed and 1% abstained and the motion carries an idea clear article 17 closed and we move on to article 47 Motion 1 and I understand the maker will be Ms. Sullivan Woods of the board of selection.
>>(Inaudible) Mr Moderator I request (inaudible)
>>The reading of the motion is waived and is there any presentation beyond what was prerecorded Ms. Solomon was?
>>There is not
>>Mr Cook do we have the recommendation of the advisory committee on article 47 Motion 1
>>Todd Cook Precinct G under article 47 we are rescinding amounts that have been authorized for borrowings when the projects did not require all those funds so we believed the amounts to be rescinded or reasonable appropriate and recommend febrile action 12-0.
>>Thank you Mr Cook. The floor is open for debate on Article 47. Do we have any questions or comments? An article
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was pulled from the consent agenda. Misalign.
>>Ms. Lang precinct F Mr Moderator and I wondered why wasn't the school security funds not used? I don't remember if that was covered.
>>OK. Is that something Miss Job can answer? The question had to do with school security funds. Why were they not all used?
>>Mr Moderator I believe (inaudible)
>>OK. That is not coming into clearly that common. I see director of finance Cheryl Strother has raised her hand
>>I think what Ms. Sullivan was was trying to say the project came in less then proposed and they did not need all the funding to complete the work as specified.
>>Thank you. Are there any other questions on Article 47? Hearing none I think we are ready for the vote. Yes, because this involves bonding or funds that were bonded it requires a two thirds vote. Thank you Mr Harrington. The question is now posted on Article 47. You have 45 seconds to vote yes or no or to abstain.
There are 15 seconds remaining. The voting period is now closed.
>>Thank you Mr Moderator on article 47 Motion one 213 in favor, zero opposed and zero abstain
>>I clear that motion carries by 100% unanimously so we can now close Article 47 and we can now return to the six remaining articles which involve and have been submitted by citizen petition and we are going to go through these and let us see what happens with them in a number have indicated they are not going to pursue the motions at this meeting so let me make some general comments that pertain to all of the citizens petition.
Unlike the approximately 20 board of selectmen's an article sponsored articles on the worn which the board of selectmen was able to determine would be passed over and referred -- deferred to the special town meeting in the fall the six conditions fall into a different category because they appear on the word as a result of citizen rather than governmental action and at the meeting on June 18, a few days ago, the board of select unanimously voted any citizen groups that voluntary agree not to put forward their respective articles at this town meeting will have them automatically placed on the board at the special town meeting held in the fall without necessity of obtaining new or additional signatures for their petition and the reason for this vote was to hopefully expedite or possibly expedite a town meeting so that we could complete before the end of the fiscal year.
So what this means if any of the citizens position elect the option not to put the motion forward tonight they will appear on the board for the special town meeting with attendant signatures that they already obtained to appear on the board for this meeting rather than having to gather the minimum of 100 signatures of registered voters that are required for citizen petition to appear on the board for a special town meeting, so in order to determine how many of the citizens petitions wish to defer considerations for the articles will take them up in the following order, 41, 44, 45, 46 and then 42 and 43 as appear.
The reason for taking a 42 and 43 after all the other articles have been acted upon or passed over his FA -- as I think everyone is aware there are two articles that appear to generated the most discussion and therefore take the most time to debate and vote upon and for everyone's information there have been 14 non-town meeting member juror -- registered coaches despite voters have been given 48 hour notice and of course there are more than 200 town meeting members present who can speak during the debate of the two articles without given any advance notice of their intention to do so so claims clear it is appropriate to clear the decks before turning our attention to 42 and 43 so everyone can keep their eye on the clock and the calendar and the reason for all of this is a necessity for this town meeting to adopt a budget for FY20 one and to retain 1/4 so the annual town meeting can properly be dissolved before the end of the fiscal year and the reason forpairing of 42 and 43 is that they do with the same subject matter and when that occurs is the practice of this town meeting in past articles -- past meetings to Paris at articles and then vote separately in the order in which they appear in the board so the way we will handle 41, 44, 45 and 46 is the individual article will be called by me the moderator and I will repeat the option voted by the board of selectmen this Thursday and the spokesman for each citizen petition article will then have the option of either not answered the call or answering the call in Saint there will be no motion under article.
If either courses follow the article will automatically be deferred to the full special town meeting without the need to obtain new or additional new signatures for the petitions and alternatively they can opt to move forward by presenting a motion under their article and at that point I will ask if there's any town meeting member who wishes to move to lay
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
that article on the table and motions to lay on the table are not debatable, not amendable and required two thirds vote for passage.
If such a motion receives two thirds vote in support the article in question effectively killed to this town meeting and proponents will have the option of either obtaining at least 100 signatures in order to get their article unto the Lord for the small -- ball special town meeting or can wait to the next annual town meeting the last Monday in March 2021 when only 10 signatures will be required and the reason I will be asking for such a motion is there has been discussion about using such motions in order to limit this annual town meeting the essential budgetary funding and issues required to enable the town government function after July 1 and unfortunately the platform we are using does not enable us to know what someone is raising their hand for so the only way such a motion can put – might be put before the board before an article begins is by my asking whether anyone wishes to make such a motion – that is a motion to lay on the table after the main motion has been made after the discussion begins.
So if there is no motion to lay on the table or if such a motion is made and does not receive two thirds vote necessary for passage I will ask the Chair of the advisory committee for advisory recommendation of the motion and the floor will be open for debate and we will follow the regular course of action on that motion.
I do want to point out under the parliamentary rules we follow motion delay -- to lay on the people -- on the table can be laid to debate and we get to 42 and 43 I will call on each of them to either pass with no motion or to make their respective motions and assuming both Jews to go forward which I think is probably a pretty safe assumption at this point, I will ask if there is a motion to lay both articles on the table for this annual town meeting any motion to lay 42 or 43 of the table was applied to both motions because they are being considered as a peer and that motion carries those two articles will be effectively over for this annual town meeting.
But if the motion fails to achieve necessary to those for required for passage I will ask for advisory recommendation on these two articles and will open the floor for debate. During the debate I will try to do whatever extent is possible with the technology we are using to alternate between speakers to support article 42 and to support article 43 and a conclusion of the debate I will call for separate votes first on article 42 and on article 43 so that is a procedure we are going to follow and the citizens position and I now tune to article 41, a citizens petition concerning large house review and a residential district and and is there a motion under article 41? Hearing none and see no hands raised we pass over article 41 and it will be included on the board for the fall special town meeting without obtaining any additional signatures.
Article 41 is now closed and we move on to article 44. Article 44 is a citizens petition to promote reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Wellesley and is there a motion under article 44?
Ms. Spearman.
>>Thank you Mr Moderator precinct H and I opt to move forward Mr moderator
>>Do you understand you are no longer eligible for the benefit of the vote of the board of selectmen I summarize?
>>Mr Moderator yes I do understand
>>You may proceed
>>Phyllis German precinct Age -- H and our presentation will go up and I would like to bring our presentation forward and respectfully ask you wave the reading of the motion shared with meeting members in advance and is shown on the screen.
>>The reading of the motion is waived and is there a motion to lay article 41 on the table? -- Article 41 I'm not seeing anyone raise their hand so we will proceed with article 44.
>>Thank you for the opportunity to move forward with our motion and Scott Bender was appointed and served in the sustainable energy committee and was elected this month as a Board of Public Works board number putting him on the board of the life plan and Doctor Jim Orman was a member of the lighthouse green gas working groups and I were most town departments as a member of sustainable Wellesley and since climate change is an issue facing all of us it needs to be addressed now we worked hard with a variety of town departments and did a lot of listening to create an equitable motion regarding walls these voluntary renewable energy program and this formed bills off of years of work by many in our community and six years ago town meeting members like many of us unanimously voted in favor of article 37 which had a goal to reduce our town's greenhouse gas emissions.
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Mr Moderator I would like to request Scott Bender is recognized to speak.
>>Mr Bender.
>>Thank you.
>>Scott Bender Precinct B and if he could go to the next slide, please and the graph you are looking at in front of you and for disclosure purposes as Phyllis mentioned I was recently elected for Board of Public Works and within that is the LMP and I had a conversation with town Council indicating it is clearly not a conflict of interest so just for voter reference and the graph you are looking at in front of you speaks to why this motion is important now.
We have illustrated the greenhouse gas emissions including all sectors residential, commercial, municipal and across all fuel types, gasoline, diesel, release sector and waste and from 2007-2013 the town achieved first goal of 10% reduction and in the years since it has struggled to further reduce the missions where we only achieved an additional 2% reduction, so one of the important points on the graph is the high which indicates a carbon debt that is where we are admitting more than our goal and each year we are adding to the carbon debt so the climate impacts will get increasingly more severe and accelerated and make it further difficult in years to come.
This chart illustrates a program that was started about 10 years ago, so this is a voluntary renewal -- renewable energy program and the sustainable energy committee have done an outstanding job with programs over the years to facilitate greenhouse gas reductions in this program in particular accelerated quite quickly in initial years and had a number of participants, and is up to about 1000 and quickly moved up the ranks nationally and is currently ranked number four program and has been stable for a number of years and our current motion that Jim Gorman will go into some more detail is intended to work in concert with the municipal life plan and sustainable energy committee actions to achieve the greenhouse gas reduction.
So is not intended to compete in any way. Is more to complement programs in town groups and with that I would like to pass a presentation to Jim Gorman.
>>This is Mr Gorman.
>>Mr Moderator Mr Gorman Precinct C and in your advisory packet is the entire text of the original article through a round of two meetings with municipal life plan forward, sustainable energy committee, board of selectmen, advisory committee and natural resources committee we heard many, many opinions and b views and feedback about a number of aspects and we decided to focus on the area outlined in red were a b consensus emerge we could come together around an initiative that is very beautiful focusing on making the voluntary renewable energy program as just described opt out and I will go in more detail to explain how this will work.
This is the motion of language and you have this in your packets and I'm going to go through each point in the next slide please. So this motion is not a mandate, but it would express the support of the town to the town meeting members for the municipal life planned -- later planned to enroll all electricity customers into the voluntary renewable energy program and it would include 7% to the electricity portion of the utility bill and would increase the total cost of electricity by 7%.
Any customer who did not want this extra charge could opt out by contacting the municipal light plant by phone, returning the bill or later or anyway you want and fees collected in this manner will be used for the purchase of renewable electricity which with the program is used for currently as well as local projects directly investing within the town to build renewable energy and infrastructure and that could be initiatives such as solar panels, library, on the roof of various other buildings, around the parking lot and perimeter of Morrises upon, and places deemed appropriate to generate capacity in town, battery storage capacity and electrical vehicle charging stations and there is a long list of direct investment within the town to build infrastructure with sustainable electricity and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
The municipal light board establish a working group to make recommendations about how to expand its mandate and they would be responsible for determining and making recommendations about which initiatives would be most appropriate to invest these proceeds that would be collected in this manner.
A word about opt out programs. These are the gold standards for promoting participation including in the electric sector. In 2019 the US Department of energy reviewed opt out and community choice versus opt in as we currently have for voluntary renewable energy programs and found the opt out is far more effective in structure in terms of acquiring and retaining customers in the program and that is even true for customers and they surveyed customers who want to be in a voluntary renewable energy program and they say they wanted and want to spend more money
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
on it and they have a program available but are not in it so there is a default bias and when the default is to be in it…so they measure the efficacy and find typical of downgrades are on the order of five heaven 50% to 85 to 95 participation peak around 10% which is where we are
>>Establish a 10 to 12 minutes for the presentation and this is gone over 10 Ms.
>>There are a number of communities that have adopted similar measures like Belmont and global – Mike Lowell and measures by other boards and in the advisory book are statements from each of the boards indicated their position on it including the municipal light board which welcomes the opportunity to hear from the Board and welcome initiatives and the SEC issued a similar statement and it is mentioned in the well's -- Wellesley plan…and just to show we are currently 30% – currently more than 30% under the massive average and after this increase it would be 30% below the mass average and for the average household in Wellesley would add seven dollars a month in 2020 and around eight dollars a month in 2021 so we will stop there and take questions. Thank you very much and we would like to request variable action Mr Moderator.
>>I recognize Mr Cook for the recommendation of the advisory committee.
>>Precinct G advisory regarding article 44 Motion 1 we also noted a vote in favor of this article would show the town meeting body has a desire for the municipal light plan to be more aggressive around reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and while discussing the article members commented how impressed they are in this position working diligently and collaboratively with the various boards referenced here and many advisory members expressed concern about negative effect of doubt may have been residents and a concern whether 7% a was rated number and if it was not enough for creative surplus and there was concern how the program would be communicated to ratepayers and how easy it would be for residents to opt out if they chose to an overall the advisory has confidence they would come up with sufficient procedures should they choose to follow the directive and advisor recommends favorable action 13-0
>>Thank you and the floor is open for discussion and debate. Mr Levitan.
>>Mr Levitan precinct's and I don't disagree with the objectives but I find the notion of dishonest and as a marketing tactic of insurance and magazine and the reason the response rate or participation rates are so much higher in these kinds of programs is because the choice all the cracks and people are not objectively and honestly making the decision but it is rather been done to them and given this is a voluntary program I think it is the wrong tactic for the town to employ against the program semi-b at its own merits and I think the historical 10% participation rate actually reflects a conscious desire of the residence at Wellesley at the level of participation choose to participate so I think accepting this program is actually dishonest and inappropriate for a town like Wellesley.
>>Thank you Mr Levitan and next I recognize Mr shed
>>Chris shed here precinct A and I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Levitt on and the irony is a voluntary program we are forcing people to do and I am fully for all source of renewable energies and spending money to do that but to force people to pay it or to opt out I think is absolutely against the term voluntary. Thank you.
>>Next. Ms. Morgenstern.
>>Bobby Morgenstern Pre-stink -- precinct be and I stand against this and in full disclosure I participate in this program currently and will continue but I do not like the concept of opt out. If someone was to participate they should do so by opting in.
>>I recognize next Mr Credo. Hope I'm pronouncing that correctly.
>>Thank you. In precinct D I stand very bly for this for a number of reasons. I think many of which have been extremely well laid out in the presentation and discussed with the advisory, the SEC and the others referred to.
The goal set by town meeting back in 2007 was unanimous and was the commitment made by the town in progress towards that has not been successful as in recent years pointed out. This is a single move that would be enormously effective in moving us towards their goal. It does remain voluntary. Nobody is being forced to do anything and it bridges the gap on admissions that we need to make and I would distinguish this issue from arguably all other issues because of its urgency and the climate crisis cannot be solved in the future. You could argue any other problem can be solved at some other point in time and climate change is becoming irreversible and if we do not act in what is extremely effective but modest way like this and we do not stand a chance. Thank you.
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>>Next, Ms. Weston Berg.
>>Nancy Precinct Inc. -- precinct E and I have a question for town Council. Can you hear me? You are cutting out on me.
>>Hear you perfectly.
>>I have a question for you to town Council and I realized the mechanisms for how this program would be in two places are not fleshed out yet but what are the barriers and state law for this kind of thing particularly for a public utility for town Council to answer? For negative option essentially.
>>Mr Moderator I'm not positive I understand the question but if you are asking can the MLP take these actions I believe they can take these actions as I think you pointed out yourself they are not required to. This is a request of MLP and not a requirement.
>>I guess the question was there's usually all source of Federal Trade Commission on the laws about disclosures you have to put on and all of these have them every day and the click through's were you can send to give your life away and way in the deep FinePrint you are told you can call an 800 number and spend five hours of your day opting out of XYZ and if we did those -- did do this I wondered what the legality of it and I have a comment to make Mr Moderator and I believe this is essentially a 7% tax on the elderly who can east of -- least afford to pay it and who are least savvy to opt out.
>>Thank you.
>>Good evening Mr Moderator David Hamel Berger precinct H and I agree these are audible goals and in the context in this unprecedented town meeting to consider urgent, budgetary matters I believe that emotions such as this, which is a recommendation which is nonbinding is not what you should be considering and I respectably moved to lay this motion on the table.
>>Motions laid on the table are non-debatable, not amendable and required two thirds vote for passage so I call on the vote for the motion to lay this on the table. I guess being in a second on that motion I'm being informed. Is there a second for the motion?
>>I see a number of people with their hands raised and I don't know if they are attempting to make a second or not given the late hour. I would hope someone would second it.
>>Mr Levitan
>>Yes, I second the motion.
>>The motion is seconded and I call for the vote to lay the motion on the table and requires two thirds vote for passage. The question is before you. Whether or not to delay article 44 on the table. You have 45 seconds to vote yes in favor, no or to abstain. 15 seconds remaining. Voting period is now closed and town clerk will announce the votes.
>>In favor 108, opposed 97, of staining six.
>>51% in favor, 46% opposed, three abstained and the motion does not carry. A debate continues. Next is Frances Antonelli.
>>Hello. The first thing I have to say is I am not a town meeting member but the poll came to me is well but I abstained and I don't know if that is standard procedure that a non-town meeting member but that is not why I raised my hand
>>According to the rules Ms. Antonelli we have all town meeting members speak first then come to the non-town meeting members
>>OK. I will get another chance to talk then?
>>Just make sure you keep raising your hand will get through the town meeting members. Next we have Ms. McManus.
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>>Hi. Can you hear me? Thank you so much for hearing me this is Reina McManus Precinct Ian currently the vice chair of the natural resources commission but even though my board voted to approve this measure I am speaking for myself tonight. I would like to say it is critically important for the town to stand together to achieve the goals that we set at town meeting and I would like to underline anyone who does not want to participate can easily opt out and the MLP has given assurances it will be very easy to do so.
I just know myself it took me a while to sign up despite best intention I just forget and I think a lot of people are like that so opting out is the easy way to go if for some reason you think the seven dollars per month on the average electric bill will be too much. I was very impressed with how the proponents did their due diligence, they went to almost every board in town, they sought input, the changes as they heard and finally I would like to say that I have two children of my own and I am very concerned about their future. We really do need to add now and I would just really vote in favor of this. And I hope everybody else will as well. Thank you very much.
>>The next person to be recognized is Mr Levitan again. Your hand is still up. OK it is come down. Miss Monahan.
>>I was just raising my hand to second the motion for Mr Hamel Berger.
>>Thank you. Kevin Hanh Ron.
>>Mr Moderator Kevin precinct B as ones who said who were in favor of this are to sign up for this but I kept on forgetting. That is exactly what the problems of this article are hoping you will do if you forget to opt out and the reality is it is a cheap marketing ploy and similar tactics have been used was so-called smart meters that electrical utilities use in Pennsylvania declared those policies the legal for those types of devices because of the difficulty of people emptied out because he simply forget to and a second concern that was raised by Ms. Antonelli, I am concerned as a voting member that any of our votes may not be valid if in fact visitors are able to vote.
We have no way of knowing if they are members are not. Thank you.
>>Next we have Mr Jones.
>>Mr Moderator Pete Jones precinct be and I agree, I looked at this program and a lot of his drive electric cars and do the best we can but I agree this is a deceitful type of way of presenting this and you need to opt into programs not opt out of programs and it is a ploy used a lot of times.
Although we want to do environmentally proper things this is not a way of going about it. Thank you.
>>Ms. Keeley. -- Miss Keeley
>>That opt out procedure and looking at them in terms of very self interested, deviant bad kind of use, but isn't there a difference between using a technique for a good purpose and for a self-interested purpose? It seems to me that the use here is for something that we all want.
And I think about the studies that have been done in behavioral psychology about getting people to save, to put money in their retirement if they have a situation where they opt out pretty soon they got money in the bank that if they had to put it in consciously every month they would not do it and that doesn't seem to be to be a dishonest sort of deviant way of getting people to do the right thing, so I'm in favor of this article.
>>Mr Kramer.
>>Yes I would echo the last comment saying sometimes a lot of goals need a nudge and there are many European countries that have passed laws that basically require organ donation to be opt out rather than opt in and therefore they have seen organ donations save thousands of lives and I believe -- I believe the use of terms boy…about a government decision about how to rent our town is inappropriate language and all this is saying if you live in Wellesley you support the goal we already said that have not accomplished and if you don't want to be part of accomplishing a goal the town meeting voluntary voted then you should choose to opt out of the policy.
>>Thank you. Mr Griswold. -- Mr Cruz Paul
>>Thank you Mr Moderator. Paul Criswell precinct H and chairman of the board of the Wellesley municipal light plant and the board of the light plant voted in favor of this and of a written statement in support of it was included in the proponents presentation, so I won't repeat that, but there are a couple of elements of the presentation that I did to advisory on behalf of the board that I would like to emphasize right now.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
Number one in terms of legal authority and Mr Harrington I think said it exactly right, my understanding is the board of the municipal light plant has complete authority with regard to how we set the rates. If the board were to do so it has complete authority to raise rates by seven or 10% without any sort of up though, however, if we do engage in an opt out program we have stated publicly to advisory and I will say tonight at the town meeting, and that is the light plant is dedicated to providing good customer service to all of our customers and to make it as easy as we can do to number one explain the program and two it is easy as possible for people to opt out should they choose to do so.
And number three, what I said to advisory and what I will say again tonight, is that the board has constituted a working group to revitalize and to explore the various uses that we can make for the money that we would collect from this fund and we have pledged that we will not spend a dime of that money unless we can look at the people of the ratepayers in the town of Wellesley and tell you that we are spending that money on an efficient and effective way to promote sustainability within the town of Wellesley and that's what the funds would be used for from this program. Thank you.
>>Next Ms. Robert.
>>Hi Laura Robert precinct D and I am sad to hear this could be some sort of a ploy or devious intent and that is just not what it is. I want to disclose I'm on the natural resource commission but I'm just speaking as a resident right now and I get involved in the community with younger folks, older folks and people just are not aware of some of the things that we do and in general, when Wellesley does something like this it is so well received and so well done and people are really proud to be a part of it.
But lots of busy people here so I may be in my neighborhood talking with the folks and I mentioned this and they say I have to check it out and I will definitely do that and then you go in and someone needs to dinner or whatever and you just don't get it done, so I think we are missing the point that this body is responsible for contributing to the goals that we set and if we can help our community and do it in a classic way the way we do lots of things and you've got to remember if you go to Wikipedia for Wellesley are going to be very proud to see a green community, the green collaborative, green schools and all of the others that we do.
Lots of it grassroots efforts, none of it devious, none of it with bad intent to get folks 7%. I have complete faith in our departments to pull this off in a very positive way and contribute to the goals that this body set because what else are we doing…what is it going to say if we say no to this, that we had something in the palm of our hands and we decided not to do it. That makes no sense to me. Nothing devious is going on here and I think busy people would really appreciate being a part of this and having that easy opt out and I have complete faith we will help people get out of it immediately if they don't want to be in it.
>>Thank you. Mr Mellencamp.
>>I fully support this motion. I don't consider it dishonest or devious to have an opt out and I think the MLP really established a stellar reputation in town for citizens and ratepayers and they work extremely hard to keep the rates some lowest in the area and I heard that they will do everything they can to help people opt out and I believe that.
I think we need to do this and I'm proud to be part of a community that is doing the part to lower the carbon footprint. Thank you.
>>Thank you. Mississaugas. -- Miss puckish -- club dish
>>Precinct G hearing so much negativity I immediately thought to myself how embarrassed I would feel if an article was written that the town of Wellesley town committee refused to put in such a minimal effort on this instance.
I have three quick issues. Number one I would like to hear from advisory quickly into sentences why they voted yes and I would also like to ask the electric light plant if they promise to make an extra effort to communicate with seniors that people may be concerned about you may want to opt out and give them a paper-based opportunity to do so, and also communicate with them to the Council on aging.
And if you could quickly show us again the slide of what other towns are doing and I know some tells plaintiff did it and never asked people to opt out so I am very much in favor of this and I literally would be embarrassed for the town if we don't do this.
>>Alright the advisory already has given his recommendation so if Mr Todd wants to say something else he will raise his hand and your second question was to the MLP?
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>>Yes if they would make an extra effort with the seniors and give them a paper-based manner in which you do this and to opt out?
>>OK. Pete Criswell can you answer that question?
>>Yes I can. I think the easiest way is to call the customer service line which I think is easier than a paper-based method but whatever people find to be the easiest we will let them do it.
>>Please give the multiple ways of doing it.
>>Ms. Klug – your third point was what?
>>The slide showing what other towns have done here
>>Which ever promoted dealt with that side please bring it up again.
>>That's it. No opt out at all. Next, miss the rock -- missile broke
>>Regina precinct be and I'm in favor of this article and I think we need to recognize that this town meeting already made a commitment to the children of this town we would achieve a carbon reduction we have not achieved in this article will move us in that direction of meeting the commitment to our children.
I think were all living through one of the worst crises of our time, a crisis the result of our failure to prepare for a looming catastrophe and I will say that the analogy to the climate crisis is clear and we know we have a short time to take drastic action to make our planet livable for our children.
Much of this time has already passed and we have to get moving and frankly, this article is wholly insufficient and we need to be doing more. The notion that a 7% surcharge on our electricity bill is going to be too much to pay is ridiculous when you think about how much is going to cost all of us for the consequences of failing to act and I think we were all see now that economic consequences of failing to act, so I bly encourage this body to support the citizens decision. Thank you.
>>Next is Mr Broderick -- Roderick
>>This is Jim precinct D and ISO standard in b support of this motion. I will just make two points that haven't been made already and one is that ethicists throughout the world have debated opting in and opt out strategies for many years and have concluded it is ethically justifiable especially when there is benefit to society, which is the case here.
Secondly, all those, everyone on this call participate annually in opt out systems and your employer provided health care system is an opt out system, retirement savings is an opt out system and you can choose to up out at any time and this is not a deceptive strategy and it is commonly used and we all participate in them.
It is only unethical if intended to be deceptive and that is certainly not the case here so I encourage you all to support this motion. Thank you.
>>I still see several more people who wish to speak but I would ask everybody who wishes to speak whether or not the point they would like to make is not already been made by one of the several previous speakers and I will recognize everybody who raises their hand so we have Miss. O Frank.
>>This is co-led precinct H and I was not involved in moving this motion forward and I just wanted to say one of my children graduate from high school this year and the most common thing said to her was please help us solve the problems we are facing in the future and climate change being one of them and that is a lot to put on their shoulders and we have an opportunity here to do something about climate change as a group and if it represents a return I think it is a step in the right direction for a relatively modest investment it could make a great difference to everybody in the town.
The cost of doing something now is surely less then something in the future so I would like to support this bly ensure the burden between leaders of the time and children of the future. Thank you.
>>Amy in precinct B and I believe the intentions are pure and I speak against this change to opt out. Is not the program itself I am against and the way it is running now is the way it should be and it seems wrong to automatically
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
enroll people into a voluntary program and I am concerned about our elderly population many of whom are on a fixed income and I think right now and that economic climate that we are in is say concerning time to be raising people's bills automatically without their say and I also get concerned about any potential shame someone might feel about opting out for financial reasons and putting them in the position that they had to say I don't want to spend more and I'm not comfortable putting people in that position, so I can't support this. Thank you.
>>Ms. Collins.
>>Hi. I want also to speak in favor of his. One of the things I want to say is last year's high school graduation was dominated by discussion regarding asking the next generation to fix the problem that our generation and the generation before made in terms of climate change and I think seven dollars a month, which is probably the cost of two visits to Starbucks is a novel price to play to make a contribution towards a goal we said previously for the greenhouse gases this town produces.
I do think we have a responsibility for the next generation to make some gestures in the right direction in terms of what we can do to help change climate change and when you think about it 20 or 30 years from now town meeting will probably not exist if climate change continues to go on, so I would just say the time to act is now.
I think the problem clearly with climate change is it is sort of bad short-term long-term tactile strategic problem where it is long-term and strategic so we keep putting it off and I think we now see the consequences of that and we see changes in our planet and we as residents can afford to do this.
>>Mississaugas Yale -- Miss May Al
>>Speaking about the elderly I'm in my 70s as is my husband and we are not – we are probably pretty typical of the town's elderly population and I want to leave a legacy for my kids and for other people and for this town and this is a tiny price to pay to leave that legacy.
We vote for schools and all the time that cost or read don't…there is no question that polluting our atmosphere and the consequences of that is something that is not a good in this program we are so lucky to have that option in Wellesley to have a municipal light plant and others said we don't have to be allowing people to opt out but we are, so it is not sneaky, it is not tricky, it is not selfish. Is quite the opposite. It is unselfish, is generation -- generous and that is what we are going for and I pray that town meeting will also pass it. Thank you.
>>Ms. antimony. -- Ms. Antonelli.
>>This is Antonelli from precinct H and I'm not against the renewable energy but I wondered if Mr Criswell prepared the staff for the potential for a lack of angry customers to come to the planned three or five months in demanding a refund because they did not know and somehow they missed the memo and the piles of mail that are on the table or what ever and I almost feel there should be budgeted money for mental health counseling, for the staff who are going to have to deal with the customers who come in raging about this additional contact on a seven dollars or whatever it is per month for their bills demanding refunds because they did not catch it in time, so I'm just wondering if Mr Criswell has considered how this particular setup is going to affect the staff with customer interactions? Thank you.
>>Mr Criswell can you give a quick reaction to the question, please?
>>I will try and suffice to say our electric rates now are approximately 40% lower than the rates charged by the investor-owned utilities and surrounding communities and we will do everything we can do to communicate this properly to all of our ratepayers. That my being that we are only 67% rather than 60% of surrounding communities with the reliability that we provide and with the thoughtful assurance that we will spend any and all of people's money in a thoughtful fashion.
And whether that is an opt in, opt out or a mandatory program. Fundamentally the U.S. Congress has voted to offer massive subsidies to the petroleum extraction industry throughout the United states and I did not have the opportunity to opt out of that so I believe this is a much fairer program than that is.
>>It feels like one of the themes – I fully support this. It thinks like one of the themes is the concern about the opt out future. I think it was a multinational corporation with an 800 number with 27 options to get to a human I would be concerned and the frontline staff is phenomenal, the line workers are great, Mr Chris Paul can probably tell us what that outage time is but is 91 minutes and I laugh when I see an ad in the town for generator company and dislike what are they thinking.
Session Transcript: 22-06-2020 Town of Wellesley - Town hall
I have every confidence that communicable promotion – via communication program…I would be incredibly disappointed to not pass this and that is such a black eye for the town, so I really hope the folks – help your elderly neighbor and let them know about it if you are that worried about them and I also think that all the neighbors when they hear about it they will say is sounds great that they have two kids and running in six different directions and I hope everyone would get on board with this and it is getting late so I will be quite.
>>A point of order has come in from Mr Hamel Berger.
>>Good evening.
>>What is your point of order?
>>My point of order is I've been contacted at least by one town meeting member who has been trying to make a point of order to ask why are we still debating this matter at 11:50 when a lot of people are starting to drop out because they have jobs tomorrow may have to get you and I don't want to rehash this is so critical need to be discussed at this time beating but I'm wondering why our boy pass a 10:30 and fast approaching midnight on a nonbinding recommendation
>>We are doing it because people apparently want to talk about it and hopefully we are nearing the end.
>>Ms. Crown.
>>Mary crown precinct B and I was also wondering why we were going so late and I sent a point email and that is why my hand was raised.
>>Ms. Klug –-ish
>>I know but please, let's get on with it.
>>Unfortunately it's not up to me folks so I will wait a couple seconds so for those people who still have their hand raised take them down and get to a vote. OK I don't see any hands and we are ready for a vote. If you could set up the question. The question of whether or not to have an enrollment in the plan that has been discussed is on the zoom poll and you have 45 seconds to answer.
You have 15 seconds to go. Is now closed Ms. Kato will give us the vote totals.
>>Thank you Mr Moderator for article 44 158 in favor, 48 opposed and one abstain
>>76% in favor, 23% opposed and the motion carries and we are approaching midnight so I think we should resume tomorrow at 7 o'clock and actually it is almost today, but 7 o'clock Tuesday evening and I will now entertain a motion to adjourn. Would somebody make a motion to adjourn? OK. Ms. Crown.
>>Motion to adjourn tonight's meeting.
>>OK we can take that and a raise your hand. All in favor please raise your hand. All opposed. Motion carries. This meeting will reconvene tomorrow, June 23 at 7 PM.