At this year’s Annual Town Meeting voters have a chance to weigh in on issues that will be critical in shaping the Harvard of the future:

Creation of a town center sewer system will help bring to the heart of the town the vitality people have talked about for years. Without it, businesses and homes in the center of town will be faced with expensive, unsightly Title V upgrades in the event of property transfers or failures of existing septic systems, and businesses in the center will be limited in what services they can offer to residents. Articles 24 and 25 on the warrant would pave the way for a solution that would serve the town well into the future.

Article 22 proposes the creation of a team that would be charged with developing a strategy for commercial and industrial development in town. Residents can choose to pursue that type of development or not, but if they don’t, the town’s so-called “structural deficit” will win the day, leaving residents of Harvard’s future saddled with onerous, ever-increasing property tax bills to pay for ever-dwindling town services.

Amid growing concerns about the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and the contribution of those fuels to climate change, residents in Harvard and across the country are seeking alternative energy sources to power their homes. Article 38 would create a wind energy conversion system overlay district and spells out specifications for the use of wind turbine systems in town. Some have argued that the restrictions in the article would essentially prohibit the use of wind turbines here; the Planning Board has said the article lays out reasonable guidelines for the use of this technology in residential areas. If the town gets the details wrong, it could be two years before an article on this subject can come before voters again.

Harvard has historically been a “dry” town. But many of its residents appreciate the occasional burger and a beer, and think they should be available to get them here, which would help bring in revenue to Harvard businesses. Article 23 would allow selectmen to issue up to three liquor licenses.

December’s ice storm traumatized many, and pointed out deficiencies about how emergencies in town are communicated to residents. Article 16 would provide funding for the purchase of an emergency communication system, a system the Finance Committee has said is redundant to the Connect-Ed system. However, the Connect-Ed system provides notification only to parents with school-age children in Harvard, which leaves out a number of residents.

There is not an article on the warrant that is unimportant. But those above are pivotal, we think. Residents who care about what kind of town Harvard becomes need to participate in the process; study the warrant articles carefully, go to Annual Town Meeting, ask plenty of questions, vote in the May 5 election, and choose wisely to help make sure Harvard gets it right.