Session 7 OKs Capital Budget, Parking Changes, But Rejects Teardown Moratorium

Arlington MA

20 May, 2021

2:54 PM

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Your Arlington Last Updated: 18 May 2021 Written by Christian Klein, town website UPDATED, May 18: Session seven of the annual Town Meeting, held Monday, May 17, voted for the capital budget, which includes more funds for the DPW Yard project, as well as parking changes, but voted down a temporary moratorium on demolishing smaller homes. Here are briefs about each article considered. For much more detail, see Precinct 10 member Christian Klein's blog. Article 56 (capital budget): Charles Foskett (8), Finance Committee chair, encouraged a vote added funds for the DPW project, to offset material-cost increases. It passed, 210-20. An amendment from John Leonard (17) not to fund the marble replacement at the Highland Firehouse, as it is a repair failed, 23-205. The final vote on this budget was 228-7 in favor. Article 44 (parking changes). James Fleming, a town resident and proponent, showed a video, which argued for allowing the number of required off-street parking spaces to be reduced in cases where there is no way to add off-street parking on existing lots with existing buildings. After some speakers opposed the article, it was approved, 180-51. Article 45 (seeks to increase the required percentage of affordable units in multifamily developments) was postponed to Wednesday, May 19. Article 46 (temporary moratorium on the demolition of smaller, older homes). The Redevelopment Board recommended no action, but the proponent, Lynette Culverhouse (11) submitted a substitute motion. The proposed bylaw would place a two-year moratorium on demolishing post-WWII Capes. After speakers supported and opposed the motion, it failed, 57-172. The vote on the motion of no action was approved, 189-37. Article 48 (enforcement of accessibility standards). Darcy Devney, Chair of the Disability Commission, introduced a video, illustrating concern that the Redevelopment Board does not review accessibility requirements as a part of the Environmental Design Review process. The article was adopted, 230-2. Article 49 (side-yard exposure planes). The recommended vote was for no action, but proponent Ted Fields had a substitute motion and presented a video. Average home sizes have doubled in the last 100 years, making new homes sometimes much larger than neighboring homes. A sky exposure plane would define a construction area more toward the center of a lot, which aims to limit the impact on abutting properties. Following a variety of comment, the vote on the substitute motion failed, 90-134. The vote on the recommended vote of no action was approved, 176-41. With articles 53 through 60 off the table, Article 53 (position reclassification). After initial discussion, no vote was reported. In his blog, Klein comments that the meeting appears to be on track to complete 10 sessions. Fears about continuing into June appear less warranted. For details about article discussions, read Klein's notes. They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, see the videos at ACMi.tv. Session seven summary >> Session 6 grapples with Minuteman's popularity Highlighting session six of the 2021 annual Town Meeting on Wednesday, May 12, was a far-ranging discussion of the Minuteman High School budget spurred because of the school's popularity. In essence, more Arlington students are seeking to attend than can be admitted, some crowded out by out-of-district applicants. That apparent unfairness led some meeting members to call for rejecting the budget, which could require a Special Town Meeting. After lengthy debate, the budget was approved. Moderator John said 26 articles remained. Christian Klein, a Precinct 10 member who publishes notes after each session, commented: "I'm at a loss for how we can avoid going into June. The only hope is once we get back to and passed the zoning articles, the remaining appropriations will not require as much deliberation. We are a deliberative body that likes to deliberate, but without the social cues we recognize meeting together in a big room, we tend to go on longer that necessary."Article 61 (Minuteman High School budget) was the only proposal to be voted on, in a 169-55 approval. For Article 56 (capital budget), discussion would continue to session seven, on Monday, May 17. Among other subjects, members learned that construction costs for the DPW Yard project are "particularly volatile since we started emerging from the pandemic," and $5.4 million more is needed. A proposal to raise the additional funds through a bond would have an impact on capital budgets for several years. The chair of the Town Building Committee said that committee voted unanimously to request additional funds for this project. For details, particularly for viewpoints about Minuteman, read Klein's notes. They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, see the videos at ACMi.tv. Session six summary >> Session 5 focuses on budgets, including body cameras for police Session five for the 2021 annual Town Meeting, held Monday May 10, focused on Article 55 (town/school budgets). Following lengthy debate about body cameras in the police budget, an amendment brought by John Ellis (Precinct 3) failed, 45-171. The budgets were approved, 213-10. After tabling article 35 to 54, Ellis, a Finance Committee member, offered an amendment to remove $43,000 from the police budget, the amount requested for body cameras. He said the department should first issue policies about. Read his earlier opinion column about this issue. Chief Julie Flaherty said that, after the George Floyd murder last year, her department was asked to get body cameras, and she been reviewing best practices using federal and state resources. A draft policy is being created and will be presented to the Select Board. The chief expects the proposed policy to be reviewed by September, with cameras deployed in December.A number of speakers who are members of Arlington Fights Racism supported the amendment. The Fincom had supported the police budget, 16-1. For Wednesday, May 12, Moderator John Leone confirmed that session six will open with Article 61 (Minuteman budget) and follow with Article 56 (capital budget) and Article 35 (industrial zones). For details, read Klein's notes.They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, see the videos at ACMi.tv. Session five details about many budgets >> Session 4 pace quickened, as ranked-choice voting, transfer fee advance Hope emerged during session four that the 2021 annual Town Meeting would conclude before the state-required deadline of June 16. To date, the meeting has addressed 63 of 91 articles, including six on Wednesday, May 5. Adopted among them were articles seeking ranked-choice voting and a real estate transfer fee. The fifth session, Monday, May 10, focuses on articles 55 and 56, the main budget articles, with Minuteman Tech's budget on Wednesday. Moderator John Leone cited an issue with the broadcast of Town Meeting on Comcast. The town, ACMi and Comcast are working to fix it. Meanwhile, the public can live-stream Town Meeting >>Article 24 (ranked-choice voting) The article was approved 202-38. It will now go to the state to decide if we will be allowed to adopt this new voting method. Article 25 (real estate transfer fee) The vote on the main motion as amended was passed 187-50. Article 28 (increase time to comply with inclusionary zoning). No discussion; adopted, 235-4. Article 29 (new definition for "apartment conversion"). Apartment conversions apply only to larger houses in specific districts being subdivided into smaller apartments to preserve the usually historic housing. After clarifications about parking, the measure passed, 225-7. Article 30 (calculating usable, landscaped open areas). The main motion of this clarification of the bylaw passed, 222-14. Article 33 (five administrative changes to the zoning bylaws). The main motion passed, 223-6. Article 35 (changes to the Industrial Zoning District). Discussions of three video presentations and an amendment did not result in a vote, and the meeting adjourned.For details, read Klein's notes. They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, see the videos at ACMi.tv. Session No. 4 >> Session 3 lumbers along: No action on trust fund, email plea tabled, ranked-choice voting discussed Democracy proceeded at a glacial pace Monday, May 3, at session three of the 2021 annual Town Meeting, voting in three hours on one article, tabling a second and debating a third. Moderator John Leone said the meeting could have 30 more sessions, an unprecedented number. Precinct 10 member Christian Klein, who takes his own meeting notes, offered this opinion: "The discussion on [ranked-choice voting] is important, and we need to make a well informed decision. However, we are not getting a wide breadth of opinions. There are many similar opinions on both sides, with a scant few in between." The three articles addressed were:21 (affordable-housing trust fund). The vote of "no action" was approved, 190-49. 22 (email addresses for meeting members). The motion to table was approved unanimously. 24 (ranked-choice voting) produced lengthy debate, which was to continue Wednesday, May 5. For details, read Klein's notes. They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, seethe videos at ACMi.tv. Session No. 3 >> Session 2 OKs domestic partnerships, remote-participation study "This was kind of a slow night," Precinct 10 member Christian Klein wrote in his meeting notes about session two of the 2021 annual Town Meeting. "These were very important articles, but we only got to 2 1/2 of them." The third session occurs Monday, May 3. Returning to Article 7 (rock removal), the meeting on Wednesday, April 28, learned that 10 permits were taken out for blasting for seven sites in the last 10 years. A move to end debate debate failed to reach a two-thirds' vote, 134-86. After further discussion, including choice words from John Worden (Precinct 8), the article failed, 62-172. Debate about Article 15 (domestic partnerships) was lengthier. (Articles 8 through 14 were dealt with April 26 under the consent agenda.) Select Board Chairman Stephen DeCourcey (2) said the board recommends limiting partnerships to two people, fearing the attorney general's concern about plural arrangements. Amos Meeks (3) introduced the proposal with a video, noting he has two long-term domestic partners.Speakers raised a number of issues, among them that this is a civil-rights issue for some. Former Select Board member Dan Dunn (21) supported the motion and amendment, citing the protections he now has as a gay man, and he feels it is time to extend those protections further. The amendment was adopted, 192-37. The amended main motion passed, 221-11. Article 20 (studying remote meeting participation in meetings after Covid) met with an amendment from Adam Auster (3), asking how information from public boards can be better provided. Elizabeth Dray (8) had two amendments, which received support. [See Klein's notes for details.] After debate ended, 186-46, votes were: Auster's approved, 207-19; Dray's first amendment, approved, 197-37; second failed, 98-131; Gordon Jamieson's (12) approved, 118-106. The final vote on the original motion as amended passed, 230-6. At 10:57 p.m., Moderator John Leone called for notices of reconsideration and a motion to adjourn. It was held up by a point of order. John Worden reported he had received a database error message multiple times. He said his votes had not been recorded. Leone indicated that the town IT people will research the issue and report back at the third session, Monday, May 3. For details, read Christian Klein, a Precinct 10 meeting member, who takes note about each session. They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, see the videos at ACMi.tv. Session No. 2 >> Session 1: Debate tops action as one article OK'd plus the consent agenda The first session of the 2021 annual Town Meeting slowed to a crawl on Monday, April 26, as members managed to vote on one article during the three-hour session. Democracy favors a variety of voices, and that was the case. On Article 6 (term limits for the Community Preservation Act Committee), the discussion from a number of members, some connected to Arlington Fights Racism, favored limits. The vote on the main motion to eliminate term limits was approved, 164-70. Article 7 (regulating rock excavation), debated at length, went unresolved, and discussion was to continue Wednesday, April 28. To be fair, 48 articles were managed via the consent agenda (routine items). For details, read Christian Klein, a Precinct 10 meeting member, who takes note about each session. They are his opinions and observations; they are not authoritative. For an unbiased presentation, see the videos at ACMi.tv. Session No. 1 >> YourArlington.com has provided news and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Publisher Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.