March 28, 2024

From the Town Clerk

Posted

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. It’s hard to believe December is here and we will be ringing in the year 2020 in a few short weeks.

The Annual Fall Town meeting was held on November 18, 2019, which ironically happened to fall on my birthday this year, thanks to everyone who was there and sang Happy Birthday. It’s the little things like that which makes me love my job, this town and the people who live here. We might be growing but we still have that small-town charm.

Below you will find an outline of Town meeting results. If you want to read the minutes in their entirety you can find them on the town web-site www.seekon-ma.gov under the department heading Town Clerk.

Annual Fall Town Meeting News
Seekonk held its Fall Town Meeting at Seekonk High School, 261 Arcade Ave. Monday November 18, 2019.
Town Clerk called the meeting to order at 7:06PM
A motion was made to allow the Town Moderator to declare a 2/3 vote on articles requiring that vote. Passed unanimously.

A motion was made to allow non-residents to speak at the meeting. Passed unanimously.
A motion was made to allow the Town Moderator to proceed with all articles, even those that affect him personally. Passed unanimously.

Article 1 - To receive Town Officers or committees reports. Passed unanimously. A report was given by Michael Durkay, Chairman of the Library Board of Trustees. A report was given by Jacqueline Proulx, Chairman of the Aitken School Expansion Building Committee. (These reports are on file with the Town Clerk’s Office).

Article 2- Town to appropriate from Ambulance Receipts Reserved Account the sum of $7,373.00 for the purchase of EMS medical equipment and rifle plates for 6 Active Shooter Backpacks. Passed unanimously.

Article 3- Town to appropriate from Ambulance Receipts Reserved Account the sum of $72,000.00 for the purchase and equipping of (2) Monitor/Defibrillators for the Fire Dept. rescue vehicles. Passed unanimously.

Article 4- Town to appropriate from Free Cash the sum of $200,000.00 for design, plans, specifications, and estimates for the proposed addition of a turf athletic field and renovations to the athletic complex located at the Seekonk High Scholl, including demolition and site preparation and all other incidental and related costs; and, further, to create a building committee of seven or nine members to oversee the projects, to be appointed by the Town Moderator. Passed with a majority vote.

Article 5-Town to appropriate from Free Cash the sum of $115,000.00 to fund the costs of the first fiscal year of a collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police, MASS C.O. Local # 215, beginning July, 2019 through June 30, 2022. Passed unanimously.

Article 6- Town to transfer the sum of $200,000.00 from Free Cash to establish a Public Building and Infrastructure Stabilization Account. Passed with a majority 2/3 vote.

Article 7- Authorize transfer from Free Cash the sum of $500,000.00 to the Municipal Capital Stabilization Fund. Passed unanimously.

Article 8- Town to amend the General Bylaws of the Town of Seekonk, Category 39, Enforcement, as presented in the warrant. Passed unanimously.

Article 9- To accept the provisions of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 59, Section 5, Clause 22G as follows: “in any city or town that accepts this clause, real estate that is the domicile of a person but is owned by a trustee, conservator of other fiduciary for the person’s benefit if the real estate would be eligible for exemption under clause 22,22A,22B,22C,22D, 22E,22F if the person were the owner of the real estate. Passed unanimously.

Article 10- Town to accept Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 40, Section 8J allowing for the creation of a Commission on Disability of 5 to 13 members to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen, with the following responsibilities: 1) Research local problems of people with disabilities; 2) Advise/assist municipal officials and employees ensuring compliance with disabilities in laws and regulations; 3) Coordinate/carry out programs designed to meet the problems of people with disabilities; 4) Review/ make recommendations about policies, procedures, services, activities and facilities of departments, boards and agencies in Seekonk as they affect people with disabilities; 5) Provide information, referrals, guidance and technical assistance to individuals, public agencies, businesses and organizations in all matters pertaining to disability; 6) Coordinate activities of other local groups organized for similar purposes.
A majority of commission members shall consist of people with disabilities, one member shall be immediate family of a person with a disability and one member shall be either an elected or appointed official of the town. Passed with a majority vote.

Article 11- Town to amend the General Bylaws of the Town of Seekonk to include 14B: Fowl as presented in the warrant. Passed with a majority vote.

Article 12 – Town to amend the Zoning Bylaws of the Town of Seekonk. Proposed amendments intended to facilitate the adoption of online permitting by the Town and determination by the Planning Board to allow for notice of a site plan application to abutters rather than a blanket notice requirement. Passed with a 2/3 majority vote.

Article 13 – Town to amend the General Bylaws of the Town of Seekonk, Category 47 – Public Consumption of Marijuana or Tetrahydrocannabinol. Passed with a majority vote.

Article 14 – Town to make addition to Zoning Bylaw 8.8 Signs. Add 8.8.3.2 Exemptions from permit: Section J. Passed with a 2/3 vote.

Article 15– Town to amend the Zoning Bylaws of the Town of Seekonk, Sec 3.2 Zoning Map, to reflect the boundaries of the Marijuana Overlay District in accordance with the MOD expansion map. Vote did not pass with a 2/3 vote.

Article16-Town appropriate the sum of $300,000.00 from the Community Preservation Fund, for the creation of land for recreational use, specifically, for the design, construction, and furnishing of a playground to be located on the Town Hall campus located at 100 Peck St., including site preparation and all incidental and related expenses. Passed with a unanimous vote.

Article 17-Town to appropriate from Free Cash $85,000.00 to fund cost of the first fiscal year of a collective bargaining agreement with the International Association Fire Fighters, Local 1931, beginning July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022. Passed unanimously.

Article 18- Town to appropriate $1,477,938.00 to pay costs of designing, planning constructing and furnishing Phase II of the renovation of 540 Arcade Ave. (Sr. Center) Moderator to appoint a building committee of 7 to 9 members to oversee this project under the direction of the Board of Selectmen. Passed with a 2/3 majority.

Meeting adjourned at 11:05PM. Total amount of voter checked-in was:184.
Total amount of registered voters: 10,624. Voter turnout was 1.73%.

The Assistant Town Clerk Lorraine Sorel and I had the pleasure of attending a Tri-County Clerks dinner a few weeks ago in which the main speaker was Michelle Tassinari, Director/ Legal Counsel, Elections Division, Office of Secretary of the Commonwealth, MA.
She went over early voting for the State Primary to be held on March 3, 2020 as well as other subjects concerning elections. She noted that even though it has not been voted on in the State house yet we will most likely have early voting for the primary. Early voting would be held at the Town Hall BOS meeting room from February 24-28, 2020.  Below is the election calendar for 2020.

State Primary - March 3, 2020 (Early voting Feb. 24-28)
Annual Town Election - April 6, 2020
State Primary - September 3, 2020 (Early voting dates to be announced)
State Election/Presidential - November 3, 2020 (Early voting dates to be announced)

Applications for absentee ballots to be sent to you for all elections this year will be available January 1, 2020 either at the Town Clerk’s office or online at the www.seekonk-ma.gov under the Town Clerk heading.

Nomination papers for offices up for election for the Town election will be available December 10, 2019 in the Town Clerk’s office. Deadline to submit nomination papers to the Town Clerk is Monday February 17, 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:
Two seats for Board of Selectmen (3-year term)
One seat for the Board of Assessors (3-year term)
Two seats for The Library Board of Trustees (3-year term)
Two seats for the Planning Board (5-year term)
One Seat for the School Committee (3-year term)
One Seat for Town Clerk (3-year term)
One Seat for Town Moderator (3-year term)
One Seat for Water Commission (3-year term)
One Seat for Water Commission (1-year term)

The town has many wonderful seasonal events that you can find out about in this publication, I hope everyone takes advantage of them. The Town Clerk’s office is selling The 24th Annual Taste of the Town tickets to be held on March 3, 2019, 6- 9pm at the Clarion Inn, Grand Rose Ballroom. They would make great stocking stuffers.

The Town Offices hours over the week of Christmas and New Year will be:
Tuesday Dec. 24, 2019 8:30am – 12:00pm
Wednesday Dec. 25 – Closed
Thursday Dec. 26 open 8:30am -4:30pm
Friday Dec. 27 open 8:30am – 12:00pm
Tuesday Dec. 31 open 8:30am – 12:00pm
Wednesday Jan. 1, Closed
Thursday Jan. 2, 8:30am – 4:30
Friday Jan. 3 8:30am – 12:00pm

Lorraine and I would like to wish all of you a happy and healthy Holiday Season.

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