Town Meeting: Article 15 Fails, CMLP Internet Expansion Funded

Below you'll find a summary of articles and actions from the second night of Concord's annual Town Meeting, held Tuesday, April 23 at Concord-Carlisle High School. For opening night coverage, click here. And be sure to stay tuned to Patch for continuing coverage of Town Meeting.

Article 8, Concord Public School Renovations

Town Meeting easily passed a $795,000 appropriation for remodeling, reconstructing, extraordinary repairs or related work at various Concord Public Schools. According to Maureen Spada, the presenter for the School Committee, the lion’s share of these funds will be put toward electrical improvements, roofing and HVAC work at the Peadoby and Sanborn schools, while a smaller portion will go toward heating and paving work at Alcott and field irrigation and paving at Thoreau.

Article 15, Petitioner’s Article to Address Educational and Fiscal Concerns in the Concord Public Schools

After some tense debate and a “secret” vote, the motion failed, by the count of 285 No votes to 201 yesses. While most who spoke agreed the past year has been a rough road for Concord’s public schools, adminstrators and elected officials, opponents of the motion argued Town Meeting was no place for staff evaluations.  “Whatever your feelings are, Town Meeting is not the right way to go about this,” said Louisa Paushter, of Jennie Dugan Road. Supporters countered that argument by saying Town Meeting should be able to hold officials accountable. “This issue tonight is as simple and plain as the nose on your phase,” said David Stephens of Philip Farm Road. “It has to do with trust, based on responsibility and accountability and both of these has been violated repeatedly by the leadership and the administration.” The motion, brought by Hill Street resident Valerie Tratnyek, would have urged the school committees to make changes in the central adminstration to ensure an effort toward greater transparency and fiscal responsibility; request an annual 360-degree review process for the superintent; examine the “top down” style of leadership within the schools and “address problems which are the result of poor planning, fiscal management and failure to communicate.”

Article 19, High School Debt Stabilization Fund Addition and Use

By more than a two-thirds majority, Town Meeting approved the transfer of $750,000 from the existing free cash balance to the CCHS debt stabilization fund and the subsequent expenditure of $230,000 from that same fund for the town’s portion of debt service on the bonds issued for ongoing high school construction. 

Article 36, Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Side Yards in Residence B Zoning Distrct and Article 37,  Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Definition of Height in Residence B

Town Meeting approved both articles 36 and 37. Article 36 amends the zoning bylaw so that it uses the same language adopted for the Residence C District in 2011, meaning structures in the Residence B district will be limited in height to no greater than 15 feet within 12 to 15 feet of a side yard. Article 37 amends the language so that it’s consistent with Residence C, and adapts accordingly the method for measuring the height of a structure.

Article 38, Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Government, Utility and Other Public Service Corporation Uses

This article, which passed easily, amends the zoning bylaw to differentiate between the Town of Concord and other cities and towns to provide for a higher level of review for projects proposed by municipalities other than Concord.

Article 39, Zoning Bylaw Amendment – Medical Marijuana Treatment Center

Town Meeting approved Article 39, which means medial marijuana treatment will be permitted—so long as they obtain a permit—within Medical Professional Districts in Concord, but will not be allowed within 3,000 feet of elementary, middle or high schools or public libraries. Asked why pre-schools or daycare facilities were not included in that provision, Planning Board member Coleman Hoyt explained the board did not believe children young enough to attend those facilities would be enticed to experiment with the drug based on proximity to a medical marijuana treatment center.

Article 48, Funding for Telecommunications Operation

By a wide margain, Town Meeting approved a $1 million appropriation to enable the Concord Municipal Light Department to begin offering broadband services—high-speed data services, for now—to Concord residents and businesses. The appropriation, to be repaid through user charges, allows CMLP to finance the startup expenses associated with connecting residential and business customers to its existing fiber-optic network. Mark Howell, Concord’s chief information officer, said the Internet speed will be faster and the rates comparable, if not better, than competitors. Prospective customers should be able to sign up for CMLP’s high-speed Internet service by this fall. 

Article 49, Police/Fire Radio System

Town Meeting OK’d the borrowing of $450,000 to purchase and install a new raidos system for Concord’s Police and Fire departments. 

Article 51, Community Preservation Committee Appropriation Recommendations

With no debate, Town Meeting approved all CPC appropriations under Article 51, totalling $397,770. Those recommendations include:

Project Amount Recommended/Approved Town of Concord (ToC) -- Regional Housing Services Program $25,000 ToC -- Heywood Meadow Stone Wall Engineering and Design $15,000 ToC -- Wheeler-Harrington House Studies $33,000 ToC -- Old Calf Pasture Habitat Restoration $25,000 Concord Housing Development Corporation (CHDC -- Maintaining Concord's Affordable Housing $50,000 CHDC -- Everett Garden Expansion Roof Replacement $100,000 Wright Tavern Roof Replacement and Historic Structure Report $50,000 Emerson Umbrella -- Cupola Restoration Project $60,000 Concord Children's Center -- Phase II of the Natural Playscape at Ripley $9,700 ToC -- Staff and Technical Support $30,000

Article 55, Town House Exterior Renovations

Similarly, there was no debate prior to Town Meeting’s approval of  $950,000, plus another $800,000 from the Community Preservation Fund, for exterior renovations to the Concord Town House.