Easton Residents to Vote on 49 Warrant Articles at Town Meeting Monday Night

Budgets, bylaw amendments, CPA funds and capital requests will all be before Easton voters tonight during the Annual Town Meeting at Oliver Ames High School beginning at 7 p.m.

In all, voters will have a say in 49 warrant articles.

The most expensive warrant article, Article 16, will ask voters to approve an operating budget in the amount of $68,388,097, according to the latest budget memo released by Town Administrator David Colton.

The budget article , but has yet to be officially recommended by Selectmen, who will discuss the item at their meeting at 6 p.m. in Room 109 of Oliver Ames High School. The Board before taking a vote.

Voters will also determine the fate of a $1,112,130 capital budget in Article 29 that includes equipment for the Easton Fire Department, new vehicles for the Police and Public Works departments, and building and IT upgrades for Easton Public Schools.

Article 30, another capital project, asks the town to appropriate $1.5 million for the repair of the roof. The repair will be done as part of the Accelerated Repair Program run by the Massachusetts School Building Authority. The state will reimburse the town at a rate of 51 percent.

Colton said at last week's Finance Committee meeting that while $1.5 will be appropriated, an assessment will be made after Town Meeting, and the actual cost will likely be less.

Voters will have a say in Community Preservation Funds this year, as well. : $70,000 for the , $38,587 for the and $120,900 for the for structural repairs.

Article 27 requests the use of $500,000 worth of CPA funds for the Gov. Ames Estate. The money will be reimbursed by a

A slew of zoning bylaw amendments could go into effect if approved at Town Meeting tonight.

, including the funding of outside consultants to work on the town's Master Plan in the amount of $50,000 (Article 38).

Other Planning and Zoning bylaws include an updated sign bylaw that outlines uses for signs in certain zoning districts, and amendments to the zoning map.

The Town is also looking to officially lease a landfill on Prospect Street for the use of a solar installation. Articles 39 and 40 would approve the contract.

A farm-friendly will be before voters in the form of Article 34.

Put forth by the Easton Agricultural Commission, the Right to Farm Bylaw would ensure that farming is supported in the community.

Article 33, submitted by the Board of Health, The ban would include Easton's conservation land, which Conservation Commission member Ed Woods said

Click on the attached warrant for a full look at all of the articles. Town Meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Oliver Ames High School Auditorium on Lothrop Street. If you can't make it, no worries. Patch will have live coverage. Make sure you check back here from 7 p.m. through the rest of the night!