2006 Annual Town Meeting

Adjourned Session-April 25, 2006

Mr. Perry called the second session of the 2006 Annual Town Meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Anne Shapiro, on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, recognized Town employees with 25+ years of service. Recognition was given to Thomas Chin, an employee of the Light Plant, who died suddenly after 24½ years of service to the Town. Condolences were extended to Mr. Chin's family and colleagues. Virginia McIntyre, on behalf of the Board of Selectmen, offered thanks to Judith Terry, who is retiring from the Board of Selectmen after this Town Meeting, for her years of service to the Town.

Upon a Motion made by Anne Shapiro and duly seconded, it was

Voted: That the Meeting take up no new business after 10:00 pm, and when we adjourn, we vote to reconvene in these same premises at 7:00 pm tomorrow evening, April 26th.

ARTICLE 11. Annual Schools Operating Overview (by petition)

Upon a Motion made by Tim Blancke and duly seconded, the following was

Voted (with 206 voting in favor, and 193 opposed): To request the Concord Public School Committee and the Concord-Carlisle Regional School Committee to provide the taxpayers, on an annual basis and at least 30 days prior the Annual Town Meeting, with an operating overview containing comprehensive information that will help the Town's voters decide how they will vote on upcoming Concord schools' operating budgets and major capital funding items.

ARTICLE 12. Free Cash Use

Upon a Motion made by Mark Russell Prior and duly seconded, it was

Voted: To authorize and direct the Assessors to take $500,000 from Free Cash to reduce the tax levy for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007.

ARTICLE 13. Unpaid Bills

There was No Motion under this Article.

ARTICLE 14. Voted previously under Consent Calendar.

ARTICLE 15. Property Tax Deferral Interest Rate

Upon a Motion made by Peggy Briggs and duly seconded, the following was

Voted: That the Town reduce the rate of interest that accrues on property taxes deferred by eligible seniors under G.L. Ch. 39, §5, Cl. 41A from 8% to 4%, with such reduced rate to apply to taxes assessed for any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2006.

ARTICLE 16. Tax Relief Options

There was No Motion under this Article.

ARTICLE 17. Tax Relief for Senior Citizens (by petition)

There was No Motion under this Article. The petitioner Phebe Ham made a brief statement.

ARTICLE 18. Retirement Board Local Option Acceptance, Disability Retirement Benefits for Veterans

Upon a Motion made by Christopher Whelan and duly seconded, the following was

Voted: To accept the provisions of M.G.L. Ch. 32, §7, subdivision (2), as enacted by Ch. 157 of the Acts of 2005, which grants an additional yearly retirement allowance of $15 for each year of creditable service to eligible veterans who retired on accidental disability.

ARTICLES 19-25. Voted previously under Consent Calendar.

ARTICLE 26. 2006 Road Program

Upon a Motion made by Sally Schnitzer and duly seconded, the following was Voted by a Two Thirds Majority, and so declared by the Moderator:

To appropriate the sum of $700,000 for the reconstruction or renovation of roads and streets within the town and for traffic signals, and that to meet said appropriation, the Town authorize the Town Treasurer with the approval of the Board of Selectmen to borrow the sum of $700,000; and that the Town Manager be authorized to accept and expend state and/or county grants as may be available for the same purpose.

ARTICLE 27. Community Pool Enterprise Fund-FY07 Budget Enactment

Upon a Motion made by Christopher Whelan and duly seconded, the following was

Voted: To appropriate the sum of $2,218,210, the estimated revenues of the Community Pool Enterprise Fund for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2006, said appropriation to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager for the operation of the Beede Swim & Fitness Center during FY07, in accordance with Ch. 44, §53F½.

ARTICLE 28. Community Preservation Committee Expenditure Recommendations

The following Motion was made by Gary Clayton and duly seconded:

Pursuant to the recommendation of the Concord Community Preservation Committee, the Town appropriate $1,815,000 from the Concord Community Preservation Fund, to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager, for the following:

A Motion To Amend by deleting the allocation for Item C was made by Timothy Franco and duly seconded. A counted vote was taken, with 224 voting in favor and 261 opposed. Mr. Franco's amendment Failed to Pass.

A Motion To Amend (J-1) by reducing the allocation to Item J from $160,000 to $40,000, to be used for design funding of Section I only from Acton to the West Concord Train Station was made by James Coutre and duly seconded. A Motion To Amend(J-2) by reducing the allocation for Item J from $160,000 to $0 was made by Holly Boyle and duly seconded. A Motion To Amend (J-3) by reducing the allocation to Item J from $160,000 to $30,000, to be used exclusively for environmental assessment on White Pond and the other environmentally sensitive areas along the proposed Rail Trail was made by Kenneth Zurbrigg and duly seconded. Votes were taken on Amendments J-1 and J-2, and both Failed to Pass on a show of hands. In light of those defeats, no vote was taken on Amendment J-3. A vote was then taken on Mr. Clayton's original Motion, which Passed on a show of hands.

At 11:09 pm, a Motion To Adjourn was duly made, seconded, and Voted.