Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ANNUAL TOWN
MEETING
FY2020 EDITION
JUNE 19, 2019
Ruggles Lane Elementary School
6:30 PM
Meeting Book Corrections
● Page 7 - Article 10 - To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from
available funds the sum of Forty Thousand Eight Hundred Seventy Three Dollars ($40,873) to the
Fiscal Year 2019 Snow Removal Expense Account; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: This article would establish the Fiscal Year 2020 expenditure limits for the Town’s
revolving funds
EXPLANATION: At the June 2017 Annual Town Meeting, the Town voted to establish a PEG Access and Cable Related Fund effective
July 1, 2018. Such a fund is considered a special revenue account under Massachusetts General Laws requiring the Town to adopt a
budget annually for PEG Access services and other related expenses. Approval of this article would establish the Fiscal Year 2020
budget for the Town’s PEG Access contractor and operational expenses for hosting the PEG Access.
EXPLANATION: To allow the Board of Assessors to appoint one of its members as the Working
Assessor
EXPLANATION: The requested appropriation would allow the Board of Assessors to carry out its ongoing statutory
responsibilities to revaluate Town properties.
EXPLANATION: Use of Certified Free Cash to fund the over expenditure of salaries used for snow and ice removal in the current
fiscal year.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from available funds the sum of Forty Thousand Eight
Hundred Seventy Three Dollars ($40,873) to the Fiscal Year 2019 Snow Removal Expense Account; or take any other action relative
thereto.
EXPLANATION: Use of Certified Free Cash to fund the over expenditure of expenses incurred for snow and ice removal in the current
fiscal year.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer from available funds, a sum of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) for
the purpose of paying for the OPEB (Other Post-Employment Benefits); or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: To add monies to the trust fund created to meet the Town’s future OPEB obligations
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow EXPLANATION: Our current duty weapons, the Sig Sauer P229 .40
or transfer from available funds, a sum of Eighteen Thousand caliber pistols, were placed in service in 2007. Sig Sauer recommends
Dollars ($18,000) to pay for replacement service revolvers for that law enforcement service weapons be removed from duty after 8-10
years. Sig Sauer is a major manufacturer of law enforcement firearms and
the Police Department, or take any other action relative
spends considerable resources studying product longevity. The
thereto.
recommendation is based upon years in service, rounds fired annually
and general maintenance and repair histories.
PROPOSED BY: Police Department
Our weapons have been subjected to training demands as well as being
FINANCE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS: FAVORABLE 5-0 worn, exposed, in a considerably harsher climate than is ordinarily
experienced by law enforcement personnel. Add to this the number of
BOARD OF SELECTMEN RECOMMENDS: FAVORABLE 3-0 officers who have been issued each weapon, due to officer turnover, and
the pistols have, by all accounts, out-lived their projected service life.
EXPLANATION: The current PA system in the classrooms is outdated and parts are not available. The PA system does not work in all
areas of the building, which could create an unsafe situation in case of emergency. Classrooms and small offices cannot call 911 in
an emergency, which creates an unsafe environment for students and staff. Emergency personnel cannot be alerted immediately
due to the area in crisis must contact the main office to call 911.
EXPLANATION: The water booster in the dishwasher at Ruggles Lane is not getting to the temperature needed for proper sanitation
and needs to be replaced.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from available funds, a sum of One Thousand Dollars
($1,000) for Wachusett Greenways Trail Fund, or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Funds to be used for the continual maintenance of the Wachusett Greenways Rail Trail including the use of
temporary restrooms.
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer $50,000 from Free Cash to the Stabilization Fund; or take any other
action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Appropriation of funds to the Town’s “Rainy Day” fund. The current balance of the account is $629,780. Municipal
Best Practices recommend the Town maintain a balance equal to or greater than 5% of the total operational budget.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Chapter 80 Peace and Good Order, by amending Chapter 80-4
“Ball Playing; throwing stones” by adding to the existence sentence “No person shall be allowed to place a basketball hoop or game
net in such a manner in order to play ball or throw any missile-like objects in or upon the public through street of Trafalgar Square for
safety”; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Citizen’s petition question prohibit the playing of basketball or throwing of objects on Trafalger Square as an
amendment to Chapter 80 of the Town Code.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, by inserting a new Chapter, 160 Marijuana Establishment
Licensing; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: This proposed general bylaw would create a licensing process for marijuana facilities to operate under in the Town
of Barre. The proposed bylaw outlines the town’s accepted practice to follow for the adoption of a Host Community Agreement by
the Board of Selectmen. A copy of the proposed bylaw may be found in Appendix A ON PAGE 25.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning, Chapter 140 by inserting a new section 140-11.2 Adult
Marijuana and Marijuana Establishments; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Zoning bylaw proposed by the Planning Board to regulate the zoning of Marijuana uses allowed within the Town of
Barre as adopted and recommended by the Board on June 4, 2019. A copy of the proposed bylaw may be found in Appendix B ON
PAGE 33.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning, Chapter 140 by inserting a new section 140-11.2 Adult
Marijuana and Marijuana Establishments; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: This proposed citizen’s petition marijuana zoning bylaw mirror’s the bylaw proposed by the Planning Board at the
December 2018 Special Town Meeting. A copy of the proposed bylaw may be found in Appendix C ON PAGE 51.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning, Chapter 140 by inserting a new section 140-11.2 Adult
Marijuana and Marijuana Establishments; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: The proposed marijuana zoning bylaw submitted through citizens petition. A copy of the proposed bylaw may be
found in Appendix D ON PAGE 67
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning Chapter 140-11.1, Temporary Moratorium on
Recreational Marijuana Establishments by extend; or take any other action relative thereto.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning, Chapter 140 by amending section 140-10.1 Solar Energy
Facilities Special Permit and Site Plan Review; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Proposed changes to the Solar Energy Facilities zoning bylaw which addresses the provisions which waivers may be
granted by the Board. A copy of these proposed changes may be found in Appendix E ON PAGE 81.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning, Chapter 140 by amending section 140-10.1 Solar
Energy Facilities Special Permit and Site Plan Review; or take any other action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Proposed Solar Energy bylaw submitted through citizens petition proposes no changes to the current bylaw. A
copy of the citizens petition may be found in Appendix F ON PAGE 83.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town of Barre Zoning Bylaw by amending the Zoning Map to include the following 10.41
Acre Parcel as described on a plan entitled “Plan of Land in Barre, Massachusetts Showing Proposed Zoning Changes”; Dated: April
15, 2019 in the Business Commercial (B-C) District; or take any action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Zoning Change proposal from Ronald Higgins to change a 10.41 Acre parcel owned by him from the R-20 Zoning
District to Business Commercial. A copy of the proposed zoning change may be found in Appendix G which is shown on the Town
Meeting Book Amendment.
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town of Barre Zoning Bylaw by amending the Zoning Map to include the following 4.80
Acre Parcel as described on a plan entitled “Plan of Land in Barre, Massachusetts Showing Proposed Zoning Changes”; Dated: April
15, 2019 in the Business Commercial (B-C) District; or take any action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: : Zoning Change proposal from Ronald Higgins to change a 4.8 Acre parcel owned by him from the R-80 Zoning
District to Business Commercial. A copy of the proposed zoning change may be found in Appendix G which is shown on the Town
Meeting Book Amendment
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Code of the Town of Barre, Zoning, Chapter 140 by changing the zoning district for property
located at 369 Nichols Road, Assessors Map H, Lot 369 and described in the Worcester District Registry of Deeds Book 4172, Page
586 to R-80; or take any action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: Zoning Change proposal from Richard McDonald to change a parcel owned by him at 369 Nichols Road to the R-80
Zoning District. A copy of the proposed zoning change may be found in Appendix H ON PAGE 97.
To see if the Town of Barre will vote to adopt a resolution in support of changing the State Flag and Seal of Massachusetts, or take
any action relative thereto.
EXPLANATION: : Citizens petition proposal to adopt a resolution in support for changing the flag and Seal of the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts A copy of the proposed resolution may be found in Appendix I.