Hello, hello!
I’m back, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for the FINAL (and no, this is NOT wishful thinking) installment of May Town Meeting! First, some other interesting town news.
General Bylaw Review Committee Recap
Though unlikely, I actually made it to the GBRC meeting last night. Very brief recap:
- Stormwater Bylaw update is going back into subcommittee to work up the language once more. The goal is to protect homes nearby to a project without placing undue burden on the homeowner.
- GBRC’s interpretation of state law is that the Moderator must be voted in by residents, and there’s not mention of representatives voting in the Moderator. I need to re-read the law, because that’s not quite what I walked away with. Regardless, no subcommittee was formed. Also, this very idea brings up a cascade of other questions.
- A subcommittee will look into the feasibility of creating a Home Rule to allow hybrid participation in Town Meeting. Lots has to happen before this would ever be put in place, and my personal interpretation of all I’ve seen and heard over the last year is that September Town Meeting will be in person, by law. Things could change between now and then, but as of now that’s how it appears to stand.
Property Auction
Today at noon, an auction will occur for the property at 15 Wellesley Ave, which was seized by the Town for nonpayment of property taxes. Normally, I probably wouldn’t know about this kind of thing, but some residents brought it to my attention due to the property’s proximity to Mill Pond.
These residents contend the property could be used for various recreation purposes, such as a parking area for Mill Pond, an open green space/picnic area, etc. Patricia O’Brien, of Land Use Committee, circulated a petition requesting for a pause of the auction to give the Town the opportunity to create a “formal decision making process” regarding land that could be used for municipal/recreational purposes.
Nick Priest, Chair of the Select Board said the town staff discussed usability, recreation, and conservation vis-a-vis this property. “The staff came to the conclusion that it was not in the best interest of the town to obtain the property and after discussion, through a vote, the Select Board agreed,” said Priest.
I’m interested mainly in process here, and will do my best to have more information for you soon about how these decisions are made and what stakeholders are involved. Meanwhile, it’s super short notice for this particular auction, but if you’d like to weigh in – especially regarding process – you’re welcome to contact the town with your thoughts.
Today in Burlington
Town Meeting wraps up today, of course, but here’s what else is going on:
- 5:30 PM – Board of Health Subcommittee meets to review housing inspection data.
- 5:30 PM – Select Board – Strategic Planning Session to discuss a whole slew of things such as trash, water restrictions, the Mission Statement, the coordination of mental health services, and more.
- 7:00 PM – Historical Committee meets to discuss the upcoming celebrations as well as a library display and some other items.
- 7:30 Annual Town Meeting – Continued
You know how some fish will grow to the size of their tank? Sometimes that feels like how meetings can be – not just Town Meeting, but all meetings. If you’ve got an hour, even if you don’t have an hour’s worth of material to get through, somehow you find yourself filling the time anyway. But let’s see if we can (have a wonderful and productive dialogue and still) cap it off early enough for us all to be able to watch a quick TV show before bed, eh?
See you tomorrow!
Nicci
