5 Things You Need to Know About Tonight's Annual Town Meeting

Easton residents will gather at tonight at 7 p.m. to vote on 50 warrant articles presented at the Annual Town Meeting.  Here are a few things to expect:

1. After months of deliberations, difficult choices and debate, Town Administrator David Colton is expected to present an operating budget that calls for approximately $600,000 worth of cuts in the town budget and approximately $900,000 worth of cuts in the school budget.

The cuts are a reaction to an expected $1.75 million deficit in Fiscal Year 2012 as a result of state aid and revenue decreases coupled with rising insurance and benefits costs. are three firefighter positions, two police officer positions, one Department of Public Works position, two clerks in Town Offices and - 15 of which are full-time.

At a recent Board of Selectmen meeting, the that included the elimination of a foreman position in the DPW and cutting the hours of a clerk in Town Hall. The result, they said, would be more funding for the police and fire department.

The budget is expected to be discussed in Article 8 of the Town Meeting Warrant.

2. In addition to an operating budget in Fiscal Year 2012, Colton is expected to present a capital budget that would fund 26 projects in the amount of approximately $3.4 million.

Many of the projects involve new vehicles for town departments, including police cruisers, an ambulance, DPW trucks and plows, an animal control van and a Special Education van. Other projects include Prospect and Foundry Street intersection improvements and the reconstruction of Summer Street with sidewalks.

Of the $3.4 million, approximately $1.75 million would come from borrowing and $985,000 would come from water borrowing. Approximately $188,000 would come from capital reserve, approximately $15,000 would come from surplus articles, $22,000 would come from overlay surplus, $150,000 would come from mitigation funds and $272,000 would come from water surplus.

The capital budget will be discussed in article 27 of the Town Meeting Warrant.

3. In addition to the budget and capital budget, a hot topic at this year's Town Meeting will be the Community Preservation Act.

Article 19, a citizen petition, calls for the reduction of the CPA surcharge from 3 percent to 1.5 percent. The result would be a difference of $60 per year for the average Easton resident. Currently, the average resident pays $120 per year towards the CPA fund, which is money set aside for the funding of historic preservation, open space and community housing. Easton's Board of Selectmen have said they

This year, residents will vote on several CPA projects.

Money could be used to fund Governor Ames Estate (article 20), 48 acres off of Oliver Street. A non-profit group, Trustees of Reservations While both the Finance Committee and the Board of Selectmen have said they like the intent of the article, the Finance Committee the article because of the use of bonding. The Selectmen, however, agreed to support it.

Additionally, the CPA committee has proposed the town fund the restoration of Queset Gardens (article 22) and Oaks Ames Memorial Hall (article 22), and acquire land on Chestnut Street (article 26) for recreational purposes.

4. A number of zoning changes will also be brought before voters tonight at Town Meeting.

The Planning and Zoning Board will be asking the town to amend a bylaw approved by voters at last year's town meeting that banned internally illuminated signs for business that weren't "grandfathered in". The bylaw - particularly those in large shopping plazas that had storefronts next to "grandfathered in" businesses.

The new bylaw, proposed by the Planning and Zoning Board, would enable the board to allow internally lit signs at the Board's discretion. Board member Gregory Strange said at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting that the new bylaw (article 42) would be a "bridge" for a more detailed bylaw that outlines specific areas in town where internally lit signs are allowed.

The Planning and Zoning Board is also proposing a bylaw that would "promote building heights that more accurately reflect the character and scale of Easton's traditional neighborhoods" by reducing the "allowable maximum building height in residential zoning districts from 35 feet to 25 feet" (article 39); a bylaw that allows large-scale ground-mounted solar energy districts under the board's approval (article 41); and a bylaw that allows for in-law apartments in residential zoning districts (article 43). The proposed bylaw lays out rules and regulations, including a maximum of 900 square feet.

5. Articles 10 - 14 deal with Easton's newly created , Easton's septic systems,  and the Ames Shovel Works project, which was approved by town voters last year.

Article 10 calls for more funding for the Ames Wastewater Treatment and Collection Facilities construction from $1.56 million to 4.86 million for an "expanded" and "enhanced" facility that will serve approximately 75 homes. The article also gives selectmen the ability to apply for and accept state and federal grants and "borrow under Massachusetts municipal finance statutes."

Article 11 presents a sewer district bylaw which lays out a plan for the sewer district voted on by Easton voters at last year's town meeting.

Article 12 asks voters to create the easements to create a pumping station on the Ames Shovel Works site.

Article 13, submitted by the Board of Health, would enter Easton into a state program that provides loans to residents with failed septic systems at 0 percent interest.

Article 14 defines areas of "open space" for the Ames Shovel Works project for the town to purchase conservation restrictions using CPA funds. It is a continuation of a previous vote that allowed the town to use CPA funds for the project.

To view the entire Town Meeting Warrant, view the attached pdf.