May 1, 2017 Special Town Meeting

Town Meeting Decisions

1. Bills of Prior Years [9/10ths vote]
2. FY 2017 Operating Budget Line Item Transfers - withdrawn
3. FY 2017 Appropriations into Blended Community Preservation Act Fund
4. Library Building Project [2/3rds vote]
5. FY 2017 Capital Plan Amendments 
6. Amend Source of Funding for Acquisition of 34 Cedar Road - Water Commissioners

ARTICLE 1 - Board of Selectmen - Bills of Prior Years [9/10ths vote required]

To see if the Town will vote to transfer a sum or sums of money from available funds to pay unpaid bills from prior fiscal years, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to transfer from Undesignated Fund Balance the sum of $450 to pay a FY 2014 bill owed by the Public Buildings/Facility Expense for boiler inspections completed by the Commonwealth of Mass Department of Public Safety.

Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen support Article 1. 

Declared passed by a unanimous vote. So voted.

ARTICLE 2 - Board of Selectmen - FY 2017 Operating Budget Line Item Transfers

To see if the Town will vote to amend the FY 2017 Operating Budget, as adopted under Article 4 of the May 2, 2016 Annual Town Meeting and amended by Article 3 of the November 16, 2016 Special Town Meeting, by adjusting budget line items, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

Article 2 withdrawn. No affirmative action taken under this article.

ARTICLE 3 - Board of Selectmen / Community Preservation Committee - FY 2017 Appropriations into Blended Community Preservation Act Fund

To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to MGL C.44B, §3b½, to appropriate/transfer to the Community Preservation Fund additional municipal revenues totaling $527,998 or any other sum, which also increases the base for CPA state matching funds, as follows:

1. $290,399 (55%) to the CPA Open Space Reserve for conservation and passive recreation purposes, of which $42,000 is from the Conservation Land Acquisition Funds established by Article 1 of the June 15, 2000 Special Town Meeting for cell tower leases at Newtown Hill and $248,399 is from the Fifteen Great Road Mitigation Reserve for Appropriation; 
2. $105,600 (20%) to the CPA Community Housing Reserve from the Fifteen Great Road Mitigation Reserve for Appropriation; 
3. $79,200 (15%) to the CPA Recreation Reserve from The Potpourri Group Mitigation Reserve for Appropriation; and
4. $52,800 (10%) to the CPA Historic Resources Reserve from The Potpourri Group Mitigation Reserve for Appropriation; or to take any other action in relation thereto.

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to approve Article 3 as printed in the warrant.
Community Preservation Committee, Board of Selectmen, and Finance Committee support Article 3.

Declared passed by a unanimous vote. So voted.

ARTICLE 4 - Library Trustees - Library Building Project [2/3rds vote required]

To see if the Town will vote as follows:

• Whereas, the Library Trustees have selected the so-called “Slope Site” behind the Littleton Town Offices Building as its proposed site for a new library in the grant application submitted to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (“MBLC”) by January 2017 for the 2016-2017 Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program Grant Round; and
• Whereas, MBLC requires Town Meeting approval (a) of the schematic design of the library, (b) to apply for, accept and expend grant funds, and (c) to transfer the Slope Site to another municipal board for library purposes no later than June 17, 2017; and 
• Whereas, MBLC requires an appropriation of local funding for the project within 6 months after the provisional grant award is made by the MBLC; and
• Whereas, the School Committee voted on December 8, 2016 to make a determination, pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 15A, that the so-called “Slope Site”, shown as the “Proposed Parcel Area” on a plan entitled “Littleton Town Library Topographic Plan”, dated November 3, 2016 and prepared by BSC Group, is no longer needed by the School Committee for School Purposes and that the Town Meeting may transfer the care, custody, management and control of the Slope Site to another municipal board for another purpose, with said determination by the School Committee to be subject to the award of a grant by MBLC and the votes of town meeting by June 2017 and within 6 months after the provisional grant award is made by the MBLC as referenced above.
• Therefore, the Town votes as follows:
  1. to accept the schematic design for the proposed new Reuben Hoar Library building dated January 5, 2017 and prepared by Johnson Roberts Associates, Inc., provided, however, that such acceptance shall be contingent upon Town receiving the award of a grant by the MBLC;
  2. to authorize the Library Trustees to apply for any state funds which might be available to defray all or part of the cost of the design, construction and equipping of the library project and to authorize the Permanent Municipal Building Committee to accept and expend any such funds when received without further appropriation; and
  3. to transfer the care, custody, control and management of the so-called “Slope Site”, shown as the “Proposed Parcel Area” on a plan entitled “Littleton Town Library Topographic Plan”, dated November 3, 2016 and prepared by BSC Group, from the School Committee for school purposes to the Board of Selectmen for library purposes, said parcel was acquired by the Town in the deeds from Augustus Hager to the Town of Littleton dated February 21, 1868 and June 30, 1896; and, said vote is conditioned upon the award of a grant by MBLC and the appropriation of funds for the new library within six months of receipt of grant funds; or to take any other action in relation thereto.

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Library Trustees that the Town vote to approve Article 4 as printed in the warrant.

Library Trustees support Article 4.

Article passes 415-180 (2/3rds vote required)

ARTICLE 5 - Board of Selectmen - FY 2017 Capital Improvements Plan Adjustments

To see if the Town will vote to transfer from available funds a sum or sums of money to be expended for the capital projects and purchases itemized and described; or to take any other action in relation thereto.

1. Littleton Common Sewer Strategic Plan - Supplemental Funding – $200,000 to be added to the sum appropriated by Article 5, Item 3 of the November 16, 2016 Special Town Meeting to be expended by the Board of Selectmen to develop a Littleton Common Sewer strategic plan.
2. Elder/Human Services Van – Local Match - $11,640 to be expended by the Department of Elder and Human Services for the local match for a State grant funded Ford E-350 RV twelve passenger cutaway bus with wheelchair lift and wheelchair stations.

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Selectmen that the Town vote to transfer from the Undesignated Fund Balance the sum of $211,640 for the capital projects and purchases itemized and described in Article 5. 

Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen support Article 5. 

Article passes by majority vote

ARTICLE 6 - Board of Water Commissioners - Amend Source of Funding for Acquisition of 34 Cedar Road [2/3rds vote required]

To see if the Town will vote to amend its vote under Article 10 of the November 16, 2016 Special Town Meeting for the acquisition of 34 Cedar Road for the Littleton Water Department as amending the source of funding by (1) rescinding the authority to borrow $200,000 therefor, and (2) transferring from Water Enterprise Undesignated Fund Balance the sum of $200,000 therefor; or to take any other action in relation thereto.

Motion: Moved and seconded by the Board of Water Commissioners that the Town vote to approve Article 6 as printed in the warrant.

Board of Water Commissioners, Finance Committee, and Board of Selectmen support Article 6.

Article passes by a declared 2/3rds vote.