Town Meeting Starts Monday; Wayland Votes on Low Speed Limit, Town Budget, Rail Trail, Solar Power

It’s that time again.

The Wayland 2015 Annual Town Meeting starts on Monday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wayland High School Field House.

It’ll continue on Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8, if necessary.

The warrant, which was mailed to all Wayland households, can also be found here. ELVIS, Wayland’s Electronic Voting Implementation Subcommittee, has announced some updates in this year’s voting procedure.

The 39-article warrant asks voters to approve budgets that would show a 3.6 percent increase for schools, 8.45 percent increase for health insurance, 5.83 percent for retirement increase, a 19.79 percent increase for salary adjustments, 21.71 percent increase for youth services and 3.53 percent increase in the budget for highway services.

Article 4 asks voters to decide on whether to fund OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits). A proposed town operating budget of $76,759,962 is the focus of Article 4. The breakdown of the proposed operating budget can be found here.

Other articles include:

Article 6: asks for a roughly $1,000 raise for the town clerk.

Article 8: Passing this “Valor Act” would allow discharged veterans to receive an abatement on their taxes in exchange for working for the town.

Article 11: Setting aside Community Preservation Funds for future spending. Passage would put $95,897 aside for open space, but not including land for recreational use, $95,897 for historic resources, and $95,897 for community housing.

Article 14: Asks residents to vote on authorizing the purchase of solar power to the Wayland High School, Wayland Middle School, Town Hall and DPW building

Article 15: The approval of this article would authorize the spending of roughly $120,000 to improve traffic situation at Glezen Lane and Route 27

Article 17: Approving this article would withdraw Wayland schools from the Minuteman Regional Vocational School District

Article 20: This would, upon approval, give Wayland the authority to grant an additional liquor license. Eastbrook, which holds a beer and wine license for its store in Wayland Town Center, seeks to obtain an all-alcohol license.

Articles 21 and 22: Both pertain to the transfer of the area of land known as “Dudley Woods” to the Recreation Department, which would update the area for passive recreation, including trails and signs.

Article 24: Roughly $244,000 would be approved to fund the construction of a rail trail in Wayland

Article 29: If passed, Wayland would begin to enforce the lowest speed limit allowed by law

Article 33: The approval of this article would allow the town to purchase the land at 246 Stonebridge Road