Finance Committee Meeting; Open Warrant Meeting
Minutes – April 30, 2012
Sharon High School Library, 7:30 P.M.; 8:00 P.M.
Members Present: Arnold Cohen, Gordon Gladstone, Charles Goodman, Alexander Korin, Joel Lessard,
Ira Miller, Laura Nelson (Hamilton)
Absent: William Brack, Brian Fitzgerald, Jacqueline Modiste
1. First item was to approve prior minutes then adjourn at 8 p.m. to commence the Open Warrant meeting.
2. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of January 9, 2012, Executive Session.
3. VOTED: 5-0-2. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone, Lessard.
4. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Alex Korin to approve the minutes of January 30, 2012.
5. VOTED: 5-0-2. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller. Abstain: Gladstone, Nelson.
6. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of February 6, 2012.
7. VOTED: 5-0-2. For: Cohen, Goodman, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone, Korin.
8. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of February 13, 2012.
9. VOTED: 5-0-2. For: Cohen, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone, Goodman.
10. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Alex Korin to approve the minutes of February 27, 2012.
11. VOTED: 6-0-1. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone.
12. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of March 5, 2012.
13. VOTED: 6-0-1. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone.
14. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of March 12, 2012.
15. VOTED: 6-0-1. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone.
16. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of March 19, 2012.
17. VOTED: 6-0-1. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone.
18. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Alex Korin to approve the minutes of March 22, 2012.
19. VOTED: 6-0-1. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone.
20. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of March 26, 2012.
21. VOTED: 5-0-2. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone, Lessard.
22. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Laura Nelson to approve the minutes of April 2, 2012.
23. VOTED: 4-0-3. For: Goodman, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Cohen, Gladstone, Korin.
24. A MOTION was made by Ira Miller and SECONDED by Alex Korin to approve the minutes of April 9, 2012.
25. VOTED: 6-0-1. For: Cohen, Goodman, Korin, Lessard, Miller, Nelson. Abstain: Gladstone
26. Ira Miller announced that the Massachusetts Municipal Association of Finance Committees would be having a workshop on Pensions: How to Fund and Liabilities, to be held on May 3 at 1 Winthrop Square, Boston. Lunch at 11:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m. – 1 p.m., Speaker, Dan Sherman.
27. Joel Lessard announced that he had received a letter from Town Counsel.
28. The next meeting will be on May 7, 2012, at 6:15 p.m.
29. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn the regular session of the Finance Committee.
30. VOTED: 7-0-0.
31. The meeting adjourned at 7:55 p.m.
32. The Open Warrant meeting of April 30, prior to Annual Town Meeting, convened at 8 p.m. The Town Meeting will begin with Special Within the Annual Town Meeting. Four articles dealing with financial issues. Three by Finance Director and one by Assessor. After those are done, we’ll move into regular Town Meeting.
33. Special Article 1. Request that funds from prior years encumbrance be set aside for use on the FY 2014 Revaluation. No discussion.
34. Special Article 2. Article to rescind capital borrowing authorized at Town Meeting/never borrowed. No discussion.
35. Special Article 3. Reallocations of funds left over from prior borrowings. No discussion.
36. Special Article 4. Debt Budget Appropriations. No discussion.
37. Annual Town Meeting Articles.
38. Article 1. Permit all alcohol package stores in certain districts; Shaw’s Plaza, Sharon Commons and Route 1. The motion for this Article 1 is going to change. The motion now reads up to eight licenses. Licensed places may be located in food stores and refers to Section 471 of Acts of 2008. The motion will be different from what was written up in the Warrant and what the Finance Committee voted on.
39. Ben Puritz stated that there was a proposed amendment at the Selectmen’s meeting. Expansion of all alcohol to Business B and A. Condition continuing to be in conjunction with grocery store operation. Increase in number of licenses. Not to exceed figure in motion. The number under statutory is the number 4 for Sharon. If districts expand to include Heights and center of town, Route 1, Sharon Commons, Shaw’s Plaza, the number is five licenses. The Selectmen are going to meet before Town Meeting on Monday, May 7.
40. There was considerable discussion on the new motion for Article 1.
41. Article 2. Reduce number of seats for on-premises liquor licenses in business districts. Reduces from 50 seats to minimum of 18.
42. There was some discussion on this article.
43. Article 3. Article to further regulate dogs on Veterans’ Memorial Park and Beach. Amend town by-law for ban on dogs. Dogs are currently allowed on the beach path as long as they are leashed from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
44. There was some discussion on this article.
45. Article 4. Personnel By-law. No discussion.
46. Article 5. Budgets/Compensation of Elected Officers. Budget is presented in the Warrant.
47. Articles 4 and 5. In the back of Town Report there is a complete listing of town salaries.
48. There was some discussion on these articles.
49. Article 6. Finance Committee Members. Three at this table and a new member who has been on the committee before.
50. Article 7. Norfolk County Retirement. No discussion.
51. Article 8. Addition to Stabilization Fund. There was some discussion on this article regarding bond rating and cash reserves.
52. Article 9. Unemployment. No discussion.
53. Article 10. Sharon Friends School Fund records and appointments. No discussion.
54. Article 11. Act Upon Reports. No discussion.
55. Article 12. Annual Audit. No discussion.
56. Article 13. Capital Outlay Articles. There was some discussion on this article regarding improvements by the Recreation Department and the amount for 1 School Street renovation. It was to stabilize the building.
57. Article 14. Requires second-hand shops for the purchase, sale or barter of certain metals, jewelry, second-hand articles and electronics to obtain a license issued by the Board of Selectmen. Hold article for thirty days, post photos of jewelry on line to see if items were stolen.
58. Article 15. Hawkers and peddler General by-law amendments recommended by Attorney General’s office. Implement a recommendation by Attorney General’s office. Amending Article 7.
59. Article 16. Property tax exemptions for veterans, blind, disabled and others qualified. No discussion.
60. Article 17. Community Preservation Committee Annual Funding – Administrative Expenses and Articles. $20,000 Operating Expenses. $200,000 Horizons for Youth. $145,000 for property located at 45 Richards Avenue.
61. Article 18. To allow eligible people who are homebound to participate in the work-off program by allowing another individual to take their place in the work-off program. An exemption allowed where people can work-off over age of sixty. Provide services in exchange for reduction of tax bill. This is for a proxy to do the work.
62. Article 19. Purchase of Diesso property for Water Department purposes. There was some discussion on the article.
63. Article 20. Accept and adopt and implement FEMA Flood Maps.
64. Article 21. Revise flood plain by-law to adjust for FEMA Flood Map change. Both 20 and 21 relate to flood maps from FEMA.
65. Article 22. Recreation Advisory Committee – Reevaluate purpose, number of members, etc. Recreation Committee rename to Recreation Advisory Committee. Eight members at large. One ex officio designee. 8 at large appointed by Selectmen, 1 by School Committee, and Ben Puritz as ex officio.
66. Laura Nelson left the meeting at 9:45 p.m.
67. Article 23. Creation of an Adult Use zoning district in order to prevent the forcible location of adult uses in inappropriate locations (Planning Board). New section. By defining areas we’re not subject to adult use whether book stores or cabaret. This creates a zone for adult video, book store, allows town to regulate, and defines where this type of business can be.
68. Article 24. Revolving Fund Authorizations. Moderator reads off funds looking for objection. We approve them all together. No new ones.
69. It was MOVED and SECONDED to adjourn.
70. VOTED: 6-0-0.
71. The meeting was adjourned at 9:50 p.m.,