Results of Town Meeting and Other Town News

Happy June ~ Did you know that on June 6, 1872 Susan B. Anthony was arrested, tried and sentenced to pay $100, which she refused, for voting in a presidential election. She was motivated to do this after the 15^th Amendment had been passed granting voting rights to African American males. After she died in 1906, it took five decades to get the Democratic and Republican parties to endorse women’s right to vote. Finally in 1920, the 19^th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, allowing women the right to vote.

Also, on June 30, 1971 the 26^th Amendment to the Constitution was enacted, granting American citizens 18 years or older the right to vote in all federal, state and local elections.

Annual Spring Town Meeting News
May 8, 2023 Seekonk held its Spring Town Meeting and as you know it is was an important meeting as it dealt with our town budget. Below is an outlined report of the meeting and votes.

Town Clerk called the meeting to order with a quorum of 75 registered voters at 7:00PM.

Town Moderator made a motion to allow non-residents to speak at the meeting.

Passed unanimously.

Town Moderator made a motion to allow him to declare a 2/3 vote on articles requiring that vote. Passed unanimously.

Town Moderator made a motion 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. A committee report was given by Dan Tavares for the South End Fire Station. Passed unanimously.

Article 2- Fiscal Year 2024 Budget -Town Administrator presented the FY24 Budget.

A motion was made on Town Meeting floor that Town Meeting amend the Fiscal 2024 line-item under Fin. Comm. Recommended Budget C - Public Safety - Line 39 from $4,791,509 to 4,871,509. And amend the Fiscal 2024 line-item under Fin. Comm. Recommended Budget D-Education- Line 55 from $31,785,453 to $31,705,453.

Action on the motion: Motion failed (55Y, 147N)

A motion was made on Town Meeting floor that the Town appropriate the sum of $67,801,622 to defray charges and expenses of the Town for Fiscal year 2024 for the purposes and amounts set forth in Budget Schedules A through J in column titled Board of Selectmen Budget 2024:

The sum of $51,901,613 to be raised by taxation within the levy limit under proposition 2½;

The sum of $450,000 to be transferred from the Overlay Surplus

The sum of $1,300,000 to be transferred from Ambulance Fees;

The sum of $52,162 to be transferred from the Sanitation Enterprise Fund;

The sum of $9,417 to be transferred from Septic Payback

Action on the motion: Motion passed (168Y, 28N)

A motion was made on Town Meeting floor that the Town appropriate the sum of $1,393,123 to defray charges and expenses of operating the Sanitation Enterprise Fund for Fiscal Year 2024 for the purpose and amount set forth in Schedule K in the column titled Board of Selectmen Recommended Budget 2024: The sum of $1,393,123 to be provided from revenues of the Sanitation Enterprise Fund.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (147Y,17N)

Article 3 – To see if the Town will vote to fix the salary and compensation for the following elected and appointed officials of the Town as provided by GL c 41, s108 for their services for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2023 as follows, provided that any part-time elected official may waive receipt of compensation, or take any other action relative thereto:

Board of Selectmen, Chairperson: $2,400

Board of Selectmen, Member: $2,100

School Committee, Chairman: $1,400

School Committee, Member: $1,000

Board of Assessor, Chairperson: $3,139

Board of Assessor, Member: $2,789

Planning Board Chairperson: $2,100

Planning Board Member: $1,900

Zoning Board of Appeals, Chairperson: $531

Zoning Board of Appeals, Member: $374

Town Clerk : 81,600

Board of Registrars, Member: 837.93

A motion was made on Town Meeting floor that the Town Meeting amend the salary/compensation for the elected officials of the Board of Selectmen. To increase from Free Cash; Chairman of BOS $12,000 and Members of BOS $10,000 for their services for fiscal year commencing July 1, 2023.

Action on the Motion: Motion failed (18Y, 173N)  

A motion was made that the Town vote to fix the salary and compensation for the elected and appointed officials of the Town set forth in the warrant under Article 3, as provided by G.L. c. 41, s. 108 for their services for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2023, provided that any part-time elected official may waive receipt of compensation.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (142Y 22N)

Article 4 - A motion was made that the Town vote to transfer and appropriate $204,230.59 from Free Cash as set forth in the warrant under Article 4 for the purposes and in the amounts specified, including all incidental and related expenses, to authorize appropriate Town officials to enter into lease purchase agreements or other contracts for more than three years for such purposes, and to take such other action as is needed to carry out this vote.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (144Y, 14N)

Article 5- A motion was made to appropriate the sum of $55,217.66 from the Ambulance Receipts for the purchase of two (2) LUCAS Machines, or equivalent machines, for the Fire Department.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (159Y, 6N).

Article 6 – To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from Free Cash or available funds in the treasury, or transfer from designated funds that have been reserved for appropriation in the sum of $100,000 to fund a feasibility study on the existing library building, or take any other action relative thereto.

A motion was made on Town Meeting floor to change the wording of Article 6 to say: That the Town vote to appropriate from Free Cash the sum of $100,000 to fund a cost analysis study for the renovation and repair of the existing library building under the direction of the Board of Selectmen.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (102Y, 80N)

A motion was made that the Town vote on Article 6 as amended.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (116Y, 52N)

Article 7- To see if the Town of Seekonk will vote to act on the report of the Community Preservation Committee on the Fiscal Year 2024 Community Preservation Budget and to appropriate from the Community Preservation Fund, pursuant to G.L. c. 44B, § 6, a sum of money to meet the administrative expenses and all other necessary and proper expenses of the Community Preservation Committee for Fiscal Year 2024; and to reserve for later appropriation monies from the Community Preservation annual revenues or available funds in the amounts recommended by the Community Preservation Committee for open space, historic resources and community housing purposes, as well as a sum of money to be placed in the Fiscal Year 2024 budgeted reserve for general Community Preservation Act purposes, with each item to be considered a separate appropriation, as outlined in the motion.

A motion was made that the Town vote to appropriate from the Community Preservation Fund FY 2024 estimated annual revenues the sum of $34,687 for administrative expenses of the Community Preservation Act Committee for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024; and further to reserve for future appropriation the following sums recommended by the Community Preservation Committee, with each item to be considered a separate reservation.

Historic Resources Reserve: $69,373

Community Housing Reserve:  $69,373

Open Space Reserve: $69,373

FY 2024 Budgeted Reserve: $450,928

Action on the motion: Motion passed (134Y, 21N)

Article 8 – A motion was made to authorize the Board of Selectmen to dispose of surplus property or material, exclusive of buildings and land but including compost no longer needed by town.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (146Y, 9N)

Article 9 – A motion was made that the Town vote to transfer the sum $30,117.06 from Free Cash to FY2023 Town Meeting Operating Budget Line Item #69 (snow & Ice Expense).

Action on the motion: Motion passed (128Y, 13N)

Article 10 – A motion was made that the Town authorize the Board of Selectmen to

appoint a Medeiros Farm Committee consisting of seven members for the purpose of overseeing the Medeiros Farm project at Elm Street and Lincoln Street, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, to include but not be limited to, planning and design, cost estimates and oversight of expenditures, with said committee to be composed of one member from each of the following: Community Preservation Committee, Historic Commission, Conservation Commission, Parks & Recreation Committee, Planning Board, Board of Selectmen appointee, Member of the Medeiros family; or take any other action relative thereto.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (135Y, 13N)

Article 11– A motion was made that the Town appropriate $150,000 from the Community Preservation Fund Undesignated Reserve for the Medeiros Farm Committee, under the direction of the Board of Selectmen, to seek, hire, and direct a consultant to develop a master plan for the Medeiros Farm project at Elm Street and Lincoln Street, or take any other action relative thereto.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (139Y, 15N)

Article 12– A motion was made that the Town appropriate from the Stabilization Fund the sum of $143,700.00 to fund the cost elements of the first year of a collective bargaining agreement and the sum of $93,400.00 to fund the cost elements of the second year of a collective bargaining agreement between the Town and the International Association of Firefighters, Local 1931, for a term beginning July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.

 Action on the motion: Motion passed (137Y, 18N)

Article 13 – A motion was made that the Town appropriate from the Stabilization Fund the sum of $5,000 to fund the cost elements of the first year of a collective bargaining agreement and the sum of $24,000 to fund the cost elements of the second year of a collective bargaining agreement between the Town and the Seekonk Communications and Clerical Union, for a term beginning July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (139Y, 11N)

Article 14 –To see if the Town will vote to acquire, by gift, purchase, eminent domain or otherwise, six (6) parcels of land in Seekonk, located at 34 Hammond Street (Map 10, Lot 305); 0 Hammond Street (Map 10, Lot 306); 291 Chestnut Street (Map 10, Lot 307); 297 Chestnut Street (Map 10, Lot 308); 303 Chestnut Street (Map 10, Lot 309) and 0 Chestnut Street (Map 10, Lot 310), containing 6.46 acres, more or less, with any improvements thereon; and to appropriate and transfer from the Community Preservation Budgeted Reserve Fund the amount of $560,000 for the purchase of said property; and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to take any and all actions to carry out the purposes of this article, including the execution of any and all documents related thereto.

A motion was made on Town Meeting floor to indefinitely postpone Article 14.

Action on the motion: Motion passed (85Y, 62N)

Motion was made to dissolve meeting at 10:43PM. Passed unanimously.

The entire minutes for this meeting can be found on the Town web-site under the Town Clerk’s page.

I would like to thank all the people who came out to support our Town Meeting as well as the people behind the scenes who make everything run smoothly.

Other Town News
June 2 - the High School seniors will be graduating. Congratulations and best of luck to you all in your future endeavors.

Congratulations to the Senior Center they have been open three years this month. Their programs and the number of people utilizing this wonderful place grow every year.

As of June 1, dog license renewals are past due. There will be a $20.00 late fee per dog imposed on license renewals. The license fees are $10.00 for spayed or neutered dogs. $20.00 for un-spayed or un-neutered dogs. If you are late renewing, please remember to add $20.00 per dog to the above fees.

We are still updating census data and will be sending out post cards to residents who did not remember to answer the census this winter. If you receive this post card, PLEASE mail it back so we can update your census information. Failure to respond to census mailings for two consecutive years will result in the removal from the active voting list and may result in removal from the voter registration rolls per MGL Ch. 51 4c.

2024 will be a busy year for elections so make sure you are up to date with all your voter registration information. Also, if you are interested in becoming a poll-worker please email this office: fcraig@seekonk-ma.gov.

Have a wonderful month.