From the Town Clerk

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. The State Election was one for the record books. We had an impressive 58% turn out to vote. We also had the Annual Fall Town Meeting held on November 19, with 220 voters participating. It is wonderful to see the citizens of Seekonk getting involved and coming out to vote. Below are the results of both events.

Election Results Summary
Number of Eligible voters: 10,598
Total votes cast: 6,107
Total votes per precinct:
Precinct 1 - 1,390
Precinct 2 - 1,748
Precinct 3 - 1,539
Precinct 4 - 1,430

Senator in Congress
(D)- Elizabeth Warren - Total votes 3,092
(R)- Geoff Diehl - Total votes 2,783
(I) - Shiva Ayyadurai - 172

Governor/Lt. Governor
(R)- Baker/Polito - Total votes 4,365
(D)- Gonzalez/Palfrey - Total votes 1,643

Attorney General
(D)- Maura Healey - Total votes 3,461
(R)- James McMahon, III - Total votes 2,532

Secretary of State
(D)- William Galvin - Total votes 3,486
(R)- Anthony Amore - Total votes 2,285
(GR)- Juan Sanchez, Jr. - Total votes - 136

Treasurer
(D)- Deborah Goldberg -Total votes - 3,359
(R)- Keiko Orrall - Total votes - 2,355
(L) - Daniel Fishman - Total votes - 182
(GR)- Edward Stamas - Total votes - 84

Representative in Congress
(D) Joseph Kennedy - Total votes - 4,377

Councilor
(D) Robert Jubinville - Total votes - 4,174

Senator in General Court
(D) - Paul Feeney - Total votes - 3,225
(R) Jacob Ventura - Total votes - 2,706

Representative in General Court
(R) Steven Howitt - Total votes - 4,733

District Attorney
(D) Thomas Quinn III - Total votes - 4,277

Clerk of Courts
(D) Marc Santos - Total votes - 3,707
(U) John DeJesus - Total votes - 1,363

Register of Deeds
(D) Barry Amaral - Total votes - 4,274

County Commissioner
(D) John Saunders - Total votes - 3,263
(R) D. Rosa - Total votes - 2,428

Questions
Question #1- Patient- to nurse limit. Yes - 1,906 No - 3,859
Question #2- Create a citizen’s commission. Yes - 4,114 No - 1,715
Question #3- Repeal gender identity. Yes- 3,645 No -2,248

Election Day was one of the busiest we’ve had in a long time. It was a long day and Loraine and I would like thank the many people who tirelessly helped make the day run smoothly. From the registrars, poll workers, DPW, High School to our Police Department. It was truly a team effort.

Fall Town Meeting Summary
The Town of Seekonk held its Fall Town meeting at Seekonk High School, 261 Arcade Ave. Monday November 19, 2018 at 7:00pm to vote on the articles summarized below. The meeting was called to order at 7:00pm with a beginning quorum count of 75 registered voters that eventually increased to 220. The meeting was then turned over to the town moderator.

Article 1- A motion was made that the Town receive the reports of the Town Officers, or Committees, and to place them on file with the Town Clerk. No reports were given, however Dr. Richard Drolet, Seekonk’s new School Superintendent came forward to introduce himself to the community.
Motion passed.

Article 2 - A motion was made that the Town vote to accept as a public way Ricard Street Extension, as laid out by the Board of Selectmen, and authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase or eminent domain any necessary easements, or other interests, in land within said way as so laid out for all purposes for which public ways are used in the Town of Seekonk.
Motion passed.

Article 3 – A motion was made that the Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk General Bylaws, Category 20C, Storm water Management; Post Construction New Developments & Redevelopments.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

Article 4 – A motion was made that he Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk General Bylaws, Category 7 – Licenses and permits of Delinquent Taxpayers.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority vote.


Article 5 – A motion was made that the Town vote to establish a Building Committee of five members, three to be appointed by the Town Moderator and two to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen, to oversee renovations to 540 Arcade Ave., Phase II of the Senior Center and approve.
Motion passed.

Article 6 – A motion was made that the Town vote to transfer sum of $1,000,000. Five hundred thousand to the Stabilization Fund, Five Hundred thousand to other post-employment benefits trust fund.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority.

Article 7 Motion (1) - A motion was made that the Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk Zoning Bylaws, Section 1.4.3, Lot Design/Layout.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

Article 7 Motion (2) - A motion was made that the Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk Zoning Bylaws, Section 3.1, Classification of Districts.
Motion passed by a 2/3 majority

Article 7 Motion (3) - A motion was made that the Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk Zoning Bylaws, Section 5.1.4-Dimensional Table, “footnote 5”.
Motion passed with a majority 2/3 vote.

Article 7 Motion (4) - A motion was made that the Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk Zoning Bylaws, Section 6.10 Medical Marijuana Overlay District, as presented in this warrant under Article 7, Amendment 4; provided, however, that if the amendments to Zoning Bylaw Section 7.1 proposed under Article 7, Amendment (5), pass at this town meeting, the amendments approved hereunder shall take affect only if, as of December 31, 2018, the voters of the Town fail to approve a ballot question enacting a complete ban on all RMF’s.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority.

Article 7 Motion (5) - A motion was made that the Town vote to amend the Town of Seekonk Zoning Bylaws, Section 7, Temporary Moratorium on Recreational Marijuana Establishments, by inserting a new bylaw imposing a complete ban on recreational marijuana establishments in the town of Seekonk, all as presented in this warrant Article 7, Amendment 5, noting further however, that in accordance with G.L. 94G 3 such bylaw must also be approved by the voters at an election.
Motion failed to pass the 2/3 majority.

Article 8 - Motion was made that the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $2,495.00 to be added to the amount appropriated at the June 5, 2018 Town Meeting for line 54, Animal Control, to fund and implement the initial cost items of the 2017-2020 collective bargaining agreements between the Town and the United Steelworkers Clerical and Supervisory Unions.
Motion passed.

Article 9 - Motion was made that the Town vote to appropriate from Free Cash the sum of $47,300.00 to fund and implement the initial cost items of the 2017-2020 collective bargaining agreement between the town and the AFSCME Council 93, Local 1701 Public Safety Communications Civilian Dispatchers and Police Department Executive Assistants Union and to authorize the Town Accountant, in consultation with the Town Administrator, to allocate such funds to appropriate accounts, in the FY2019 operating budget.
Motion Passed

Article 10 - A motion was made to see if the Town would vote to accept Clause 56 of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 59, Section 5, allowing members of the Massachusetts National Guard or military reservist who are on active duty to obtain a reduction of all or part of their real estate and personal property taxes for any fiscal year they are serving in a foreign country, to be effective beginning fiscal year 2019, provided, further, that in accordance with said law, the authority to grant abatements under this section shall expire two years after acceptance unless extended by a vote of Town Meeting, , or take any other action relative thereto.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority.

Article 11 - A Motion was made that $1,000,000 is appropriated for the cost of an Owner’s Project Manager and Architectural/Engineering Services for design, plans, and specifications for the proposed addition to the Mildred H. Aitken Elementary School building, owned by the Town, including costs incidental or related thereto; that to meet this appropriation the Treasurer with the approval of the Board of Selectmen is authorized to borrow $1,000,000 under Chapter 44 of the General Laws or any other enabling authority; that the Board of Selectmen is authorized to take any other action necessary or convenient to carry out this project; and that the Moderator is hereby requested to appoint a building committee of approximately 7 to 9 members to oversee the project. Any premium received upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 20 of the General Laws, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

Article 12 - A Motion was made that the Town appropriate from Free Cash the sum of $130,000.00 for the purchase, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, and equipping of a backhoe to be utilized by the Public Works Department.
Motion passed.

Article 13 A motion was made that the Town vote to appropriate from Free Cash the additional sum of $460,000.00, to be added to that appropriated under Article 4 of the February 27, 2017 Special Town Meeting, for the design and construction of an animal shelter at 100 Peck Street, including all incidental and related costs.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

Article 14 a motion was made that the Town vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by gift, purchase or eminent domain, a parcel or parcels of land and the building(s) located thereon, located at 351 Fall River Avenue, Seekonk, Massachusetts, and described as Assessors’ Map, Plat 11, Lot 50, to be used for general municipal purposes, including but not limited to use as a Department of Works Facility, as funding therefore, to transfer from Free Cash the sum of $155,000.00, for such acquisition and all incidental and related costs and further, to authorize the Board of Selectmen to execute instruments and take all other actions needed to carry out this vote.
Motion passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

A motion was made to dissolve the town meeting at 9:00PM
Motion passed.

The Annual Seekonk Town Election 2019 will be held Monday April 1, 2019. Nomination papers for offices up for election will be available December 10, 2018 in the Town Clerk’s office. Deadline to submit nomination papers to the Town Clerk is Monday February 12, 2019 at 5PM.
You must obtain a minimum of 50 signatures from voters registered in Seekonk. A street address) not a P.O. Box is required from each person signing your papers.

Elected positions available in 2019:
One seat for Board of Selectmen (3-year term)
One seat for the Board of Assessors (3-year term)
Three seats for The Library Board of Trustees (3-year term)
Two seats for the Planning Board (5-year term)
Two Seats for the School Committee (3-year term)
One Seat for Water Commission (3-year term)

The Town Hall hours for the week of Christmas is as follows:
Monday December 24 closing at noon
Tuesday December 25 closed
Monday December 31 closing at noon
Tuesday January 1 – Closed

We wish everyone a Christmas filled with health, laughter, family, friendship and of course great food.