Falmouth Voters Approve Millions In Spending, Assault Weapons Bylaw

FALMOUTH, MA — Town Meeting voters gathered on Monday this week to vote on 14 articles, including a number of capital improvement projects, a proposed bylaw that would destroy surplus police assault weapons and reconsider the town's plastic bottle ban.

Here's how the 190 voters decided on a few important items:

Assault Weapon Bylaw Approved

Article 13 sought to ensure that assault weapons owned by the town — think the police department — aren't "reentering the stream of commerce". What this means is that, when weapons owned by the town are deemed "surplus" by the Chief of Police, they will be destroyed.

This only applies to assault weapons that are banned under the state's current ban.

Falmouth police do have a history of selling weapons rather than destroying them. According to the Cape Cod Times, the department sold a Hyannis gun store more than 20 AR-15s.

That appears to be the last time a deal like that can be made, as voters approved the bylaw at Town Meeting.

Fire Department Removed From Civil Service

The fire department joins the police department in being removed from civil service by Town Meeting voters.

Select Board members requested that the fire department be removed from civil service, which officials say will "remove unnecessary delays in the exam and recruitment process and afford the Town greater local control over hiring, promotion and discipline."

Town Meeting 2021 voted to remove the Falmouth Police Department from civil service this time last year, and the idea has also been negotiated with the firefighters unions prior to Monday's meeting, officials said.

What Will Falmouth Fund?

Three articles dealt with direct funding for items in town. All three — Article 4,5 and 7 — were passed.

Among the things funded by Article 4 are a $665K increase in funds for roadway improvements, purchasing a fire engine and ambulance for the new Hatchville Station and $1.7 million to reconstruct the high school tennis courts.

Article 5 sought funding for a new turf field in Falmouth, as well as project funding to combat coastal erosion. Article 7 will fund school department raises.

Between the three articles, voters approved over $13 million in funding.

Plastic Bottle Ban Upheld

Robert Volosevich, Jr. petitioned Town Meeting to see if the town would repeal a bylaw prohibiting the sale of plastic water bottles. That prohibition was adopted by a majority vote at the Town Meeting in September 2020.

A second article, petitioned by Dana Nielsen, sought to strike that bylaw in its entirety.

Neither was successful, and the ban was upheld by voters.

Curious about what else voters decided? For the full Town Meeting, watch the video below: