Special Town Meeting Warrant Released: Will Town Meeting Decide to Purchase Ristuccia Arena?

A Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Wilmington Middle School auditorium and there are four articles on the warrant, three of which have to do with the possibility of the town purchasing Ristuccia Arena.

The town’s Planning Board and Finance Committee to hold a joint meeting to review the articles on Tuesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. in the middle school auditorium.

Here’s a look at the four articles:

• ARTICLE 1: To see if the Town will authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase and eminent domain all or any portions of, rights to and interests in the Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Arena and those certain properties identified as Town Assessor Map 44, Parcel 178 and Map 53, Parcel 155 and numbered 190 and 190R Main Street in Wilmington, for use as a skating rink and other recreational and municipal purposes; to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to G.L. Chapter 44, Section 7 or any applicable statute a sum of money for such purposes, including the payment of all costs incidental and relative thereto; or to take any other action related thereto.

• ARTICLE 2: To see if the Town will accept the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 53FY:i of the Massachusetts General Laws to establish, beginning July 1, 2015 and continuing thereafter, the Ristuccia Arena Enterprise Fund for the recreational facility known as the Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Arena and its operation into which Fund shall be deposited all receipts, revenues and funds from any source derived from all activities of the Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Axena, which Fund shall be applied pursuant to the processes described in said G. L. Ch. 44, S. 53FY:i to pay for some or all of the expenses of operating, maintaining and improving the Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Arena and property, all under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen and Town Manager; or to take any other action related thereto.

• ARTICLE 3: To see if the Town will authorize the Town Manager to acquire, sell, lease, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of any personal property related to the operation of Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Arena for ice skating and other recreational and general municipal purposes; to authorize the Town Manager to execute and deliver such contracts, operation agreements, leases and instruments and to enter into such undertakings in furtherance of the foregoing and the operation of the Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Arena for such consideration and on such terms as the Town Manager deems advisable; to authorize the Board of Selectmen, to lease, license, rent or otherwise dispose of the Elinor M. Ristuccia Memorial Arena and any portions of the property numbered 190 and 190R Main Street in Wilmington for ice skating and other recreational and general municipal purposes for terms of up to thirty (30) years and to execute and deliver such leases, easements, licenses and instruments and to enter into such undertakings in furtherance of the foregoing for such consideration and on such terms as the Board of Selectmen deems advisable; or to take any other action related thereto.

• ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to amend some sections of Section 6.4 of the Zoning By-Laws of the Town of Wilmington.

View the entire Dec. 4 Special Town Meeting Warrant and take a look at the suggested Zoning-By-Law Changes >>>