Ballot question on Tuesday is next hurdle
By a nearly unanimous vote, Annual Town Meeting voters today approved article 17, based on a compromise brokered over the last several days by Town Administrator Tim Bragan and agreed to by both the Municipal Buildings Committee and the proponents of article 18, led by Selectman Bill Johnson. After more than an hour of presentation and discussion, the article passed with the required 2/3 vote. No count was necessary, as there was only a scattering of 'no' votes. After passage of article 17, Johnson moved to take no action on article 18.
As recommended by the Capital Planning and Investment Committee and the Finance Committee, funding of article 17 is by debt exclusion. In addition to requiring the two-thirds vote, question #1, Proposition 2 1/2 Debt Exclusion, must pass by simple majority at Tuesday's Town Election.
The motion under article 17 differed from the original language only by not calling for a second set of Schematic Design Plans covering expansion of Town Hall. Because the second set of plans was not specified, the funding request was reduced from $225,000 to $185,000.
Behind the small change in article 17 were many hours of mediation, with Bragan acting as mediator, Doug Coots representing the Municipal Building Committee's interests, and Johnson representing the article 18 petitioners. At issue was the question of whether the town should address deferred maintenance and code compliance for three buildings (Town Hall, Hildreth House, and the old library), while also planning for significant expansion of two of the buildings (Town Hall and Hildreth House). Article 18 had called for a more limited approach, addressing Town Hall needs within its existing footprint (except for necessary expansion for an elevator), and renovating the old library for temporary town offices during Town Hall reconstruction and for some Council on Aging functions and offices. Article 18 specified continued use of Hildreth House as is, with no expansion or renovation.
In a kind of shuttle diplomacy, Bragan elicited from Coots and Johnson a set of understandings that could allow renovation (but not expansion, except for access) of Town Hall, and renovation and expansion of Hildreth House to remain the center for COA, a.k.a. Senior Center.
Key to the compromise was the principle that expansion (other than for access) of Hildreth House would be funded by private donations. The same would be true of any fitup of upper town hall for performing arts---private sources. And the future of the old library would be other than as a town building, probably leased to a non-profit.
Late yesterday, Bragan produced a document, entitled Statement of Intent, Town Center Municipal Buildings Strategy, which included the article 17 motion, and bullet points of understanding about the three buildings. This morning, before the beginning of Annual Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen unanimously endorsed the document, and in turn, the Finance Committee and the Capital Planning and Investment Committee voted to recommend article 17, funded by debt exclusion.
For the full text of the Statement of Intent, click here.