May 6, 2019 Special Town Meeting

[Article 1 would pay any bills from prior fiscal years, which were not received before the books were closed, and for which prior year budget funds had not been encumbered.] 

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to transfer from Undesignated Fund Balance the sum of $2,400 to pay an FY 2018 bill owed by the Public Buildings/ Facility Expense for to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure for the Shattuck Street elevator.

Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen support Article 1. 

Article 1 approved by unanimous vote.

To see if the Town will vote to amend the FY 2019 Operating Budget, as adopted under Article 4 of the May 7, 2018 Annual Town Meeting and amended by Article 2 of the October 29, 2018 Special Town Meeting, by adjusting budget line items, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

[Article 2 adjusts the FY 2019 operating budget by moving money between line items.]

Article 2 withdrawn by Board of Selectmen. No affirmative action taken by town meeting.

To see if the Town will vote to amend its vote under Article 17 of the May 7, 2018 Annual Town Meeting by increasing from $397,966 to $477,559 the sum for authorized road improvements and other projects provided for under Chapter 90 of the General Laws for Fiscal Year 2019, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

[Article 3 appropriates $79,593 in additional Chapter 90 funding for road projects on public ways. This is Littleton’s share of a one-time supplemental increase in State Funds for FY 2019.]

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to approve Article 3 as printed in the warrant.

Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen support Article 3. 

Article 3 approved by unanimous vote.

To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to MGL C.44B, §3b½, to appropriate/transfer a sum or sums of additional municipal revenues to the Community Preservation Fund, which also increases the base for CPA state matching funds, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

[By adoption of the so-called Blended CPA, the Town's one percent (1%) CPA property tax surcharge can be augmented by municipal revenues up to the equivalent of another two percent (2%), which increases the base for CPA state matching funds. The only available funding source this year is from Newtown Hill cell tower leases that are restricted to open space.]

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote. pursuant to MGL C.44B, §3b½, to transfer $42,000 to the CPA Open Space Reserve for conservation and passive recreation purposes from the Conservation Land Acquisition Funds established by Article 1 of the June 15, 2000 Special Town Meeting for cell tower leases at Newtown Hill.

Finance Committee, Community Preservation Committee, and Board of Selectmen support Article 4.

Article 4 approved by unanimous vote.

To see if the Town will vote as follows:

Whereas, the Library Trustees selected the so-called “Slope Site” behind the Littleton Town Offices Building as its proposed site for a new library in the grant application submitted to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (“MBLC”) by January 2017 for the 2016-2017 Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Grant Round; and

Whereas, the May 1, 2017 Special Town Meeting voted under Article 4 (a) to accept the schematic design for the proposed new Reuben Hoar Library building dated January 5, 2017 and prepared by Johnson Roberts Associates, Inc., provided, however, that such acceptance shall be contingent upon the Town receiving the award of a grant by the MBLC; (b) to authorize the Library Trustees to apply for any state funds which might be available to defray all or part of the cost of the design, construction and equipping of the library project and to authorize the Permanent Municipal Building Committee to accept and expend any such funds when received without further appropriation; and (c) to transfer the care, custody, control and management of the so-called “Slope Site”, shown as the “Proposed Parcel Area” on a plan entitled “Littleton Town Library Topographic Plan”, dated November 3, 2016 and prepared by BSC Group, from the School Committee for school purposes to the Board of Selectmen for library purposes, said parcel was acquired by the Town in the deeds from Augustus Hager to the Town of Littleton dated February 21, 1868 and June 30, 1896; and, said vote is conditioned upon the award of a grant by MBLC and the appropriation of funds for the new library within six months of receipt of grant funds; and

Whereas, the total library building project cost is $13,173,554, towards which MBLC is expected to award a grant of $5,844,747 in July 2019; and

Whereas, MBLC requires an appropriation of local funding for the project within 6 months after the provisional grant award is made by the MBLC; and

Whereas, in order to be able to accept said provisional grant award, the Library Trustees intend to seek authority for construction funding at the Fall 2019 Special Town Meeting, for which design funding is being sought at this town meeting;

Therefore, the Town votes to borrow the sum of $1,500,000 or any other sum of money, to be expended by the Permanent Municipal Building Committee for the design of the new Reuben Hoar Library building at the so-called “Slope Site” behind the Littleton Town Offices Building; and that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to M.G.L. c. 44, §7(7) or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the Town therefor. Any premium received by the town from the sale of any bonds or notes authorized by this vote, less the costs of issuance of the bonds or notes paid from the premium, and any accrued interest may be applied to pay project costs in accordance with General Laws Chapter 44, Section 20 and the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay those costs shall be reduced by the same amount applied;

or to take any other action in relation thereto.

[Article 5 would authorize borrowing of $1.5-million to undertake design of the new library building to be sited behind Shattuck Street Town Offices. If the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners makes a provisional grant award this summer, as anticipated, Fall 2019 Special Town Meeting voters would be asked to approve construction funding.]

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Library Trustees that the Town vote to approve Article 5 as printed in the warrant.

Finance Committee, Library Trustees, and Board of Selectmen support Article 5.

Article 5 passes by required 2/3rds vote (538-117)

ARTICLE 6 - Board of Selectmen - Establish Senior Center Stabilization Fund [2/3rds vote required]

To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to Chapter 40, Section 5B of the General Laws to create a Senior Center Stabilization Fund for the purpose of funding a Senior Center; and further to transfer from available funds a sum of money to be deposited in said fund; or to take any other action in relation thereto.

[Article 6 establishes a new stabilization fund for future funding of a senior center project, towards which $3,000,000 would be transferred from the Capitalization Stabilization Fund to this new Senior Center Stabilization Fund.]

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote, pursuant to Chapter 40, Section 5B of the General Laws to create a Senior Center Stabilization Fund for the purpose of funding a Senior Center; and further to transfer $3,000,000 from the Capital Stabilization Fund to be deposited in the Senior Center Stabilization Fund.

Finance Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Council on Aging support Article 6.

Article 6 passes by declared 2/3rds vote.

ARTICLE 7 - Voter Petition - Senior Center at Old DCU Building [2/3rds vote required]

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $3,000,000 for a Senior Center at the old DCU building located at 255 Great Road, Littleton, MA, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

[Article 7 is a petitioned article submitted by over 100 registered voters.]

Article 7 withdrawn by petitioner. No affirmative action taken by town meeting.