What You Need to Know About Concord's Annual Town Meeting

Concord's annual Town Meeting opens at 7 p.m. next Monday, April 22, at Concord-Carlisle High School. For the uninitiated, Town Meeting is the municipality's major legislative body, making decisions about budgets, bylaws, land use and, in these parts, bottled water bans.

The warrant essentially breaks down the meeting's business -- in both legalese and layman's terms. Need a refresher on the warrant? Click on the PDF posted to your right. 

Other meeting protocols and information are posted below, courtesy of the town website.

PARKING: Town Meeting attendees should enter the high school parking lot via the Walden Street entrance only. On-site parking is limited. Carpooling is encouraged. Parking for people with disabilities is available at the flagpole circle at the high school. In the event that the parking lots at the high school are full, attendees will be directed to Alcott School first and, once Alcott is full, then the Concord District Court. Shuttle buses will be available to bring residents to and from the satellite parking.

CHILDCARE: Childcare will be provided at the high school for children 2 1/2 and older. The Concord Recreation Department is offering the service at a cost of $5 per child per hour or $25 for two or more children for the evening. In order to guarantee a space, reservations should be made in advance by calling the Concord Recreation Department at 978/369-6460.

SENIORS: Seniors may arrange transportation with the Council on Aging office @ 978/318-3020. Advance reservations are necessary.

CHECK-IN: All voters who were registered to vote by February 27, 2013 are eligible to participate at Town Meeting. Voters should check-in at the tables in the main lobby by last name and pick up a Town Meeting ballot on each night of attendance. Only one ballot per voter per evening of attendance. Ballots are not transferrable.

SEATING: Seating is available in either the auditorium or the cafeteria. The auditorium will be the main meeting room.

ASSISTED LISTENING DEVICES: Assisted Listening Devices will be available in the lobby.

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS OR NEEDS: Anyone with a disability requiring special arrangements for Town Meeting should contact Douglas Meagher, Deputy Town Manager/ADA Coordinator before 4:30 p.m. on April 12, 2013 at (978) 318-3000. The earlier that special arrangement needs are communicated, the more likely that time will allow for special accommodations, if possible, to be met.

TELLERS: Voters willing to be a teller at Town Meeting are asked to call Abe Fisher, head teller at (978) 869-9233 e-mail at abefisher@misterfisher.com or Greg Englund at (617) 439-6779 e-mail at GJEnglund@EnglundLawFirm.com.