2019 ATM Articles/Schedule

The 2019 Annual Town Meeting (ATM, TM) opens Monday, March 25, 2019 at 7:30 PM in Margery Milne Battin Hall of the Isaac Harris Cary Memorial Building. Unless otherwise noted, all sessions will start at 7:30 PM. 

More about New England's Town Meeting form of government is HERE. 

Links to all docs pertaining to 2019 ATM are HERE (to be continually updated, once TM is underway).

Town Moderator, Deborah Brown has forwarded the suggested schedule of Articles -- note that this is an estimate for planning purposes and subject to change, except where "DATE CERTAIN" is noted. (NB: no promises that an Article will be taken up on a particular date unless it has been designated "DATE CERTAIN"). 

The schedule will be updated after each night of TM and re-distributed on the TMMA email list. 

Any time it is proposed to take Articles out of order, a MOTION and explanation for the change will be offered to Town Meeting for approval.
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Monday, March 25, 2019

• Opening Ceremonies
• DATE CERTAIN: Ceremony Honoring Lexington High School and Minuteman Regional Vocational Technical High School Graduating Seniors 
• Introductory Remarks and Instructions
• Article 2: Election of Deputy Moderator (Barry Orenstein)
• DATE CERTAIN: Article 30—Reduce/Ban Polystyrene Materials (Citizen Article) 
• DATE CERTAIN: Article 31—Reduce/Ban Single-use Plastic Straws and Stirrers (Citizen Article) 
• Article 3: Cary Lecture Series
• Article 32: Capital Expenditures Committee-related Provisions (To petition the Massachusetts General Court to enact specific legislation concerning the Town's CEC -- see p.14 of the Warrant)
• Article 35: Amend Article III of Chapter 118 (Citizen Article)
• Article 36: Outcomes-based Approach to Town Building Projects (Citizen Article)

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

• Article 2: Report of the Town Manager (Items Referred Back to Board of Selectmen)
• Article 2: Report of the Capital Expenditures Committee
• Article 7: Creation of a Lexington Economic Development Strategy (Citizen Article)
• MOTION that this item be Indefinitely Postponed (ID'd)
• Article 8: Funding for Sustainability Actions (Citizen Article)
• MOTION that this item be IP'd
• Article 9: Sustainability Director (Citizen Article) 
• Article 39: Amend Zoning Bylaw – Limited Site Plan Review (Citizen Article, referring to MGL Chapter 40A, §3, "Dover Amendment Uses")
• Articles 33, 34, & 37: Rename “Board of Selectmen” to “Select Board” 
• Article 2: Town Manager’s Budget Report (First tab of The Brown Book, pp.i-xvi)
• Unfinished Business (from any previous nights)

Monday, April 1, 2019

• Article 2: Report of the Appropriation Committee
• DATE CERTAIN: Article 2—Report of the Minuteman School Superintendent 
• Article 2: Report of the Lexington Public Schools Superintendent
• DATE CERTAIN: Article 11—FY20 Operating Budget 
• Article 19: Appropriate for School Capital Projects (Section XI, p.XI-10)
• Article 5: Establish Qualifications for Tax Deferrals
• Article 10: Post Employment Insurance Liability Fund
• Article 12: FY20 Enterprise Funds Budgets (Water, Wastewater, & Recreation and Community Programs)
• Article 13: Departmental Revolving Funds (School Bus Transportation, Building Rental, DPW Burial Containers, Lexington Tree Fund, DPW Compost Operations, Minuteman Household Hazardous Waste Program, Regional Cache/Hartwell Avenue, Senior Services Program, Health Programs, Tourism/Liberty Ride, Visitors Center, Residential Engineering Review)
• Consent Agenda: A tool employed for Articles where no debate is anticipated,offering a streamlined way of dealing with a group of Articles (and their MOTIONS) with one vote. Questions are entertained, but not debate. Any TMM who thinks an item on the Consent Agenda requires debate may ask to have it removed from the Agenda and considered separately, in the usual way. Articles chosen for inclusion in a Consent Agenda all have the unanimous support of the Board of Selectmen, and where relevant, the Appropriation Committee, Capital Expenditures Committee, and/or Planning Board. Final word on inslusion of each Article rests with TMMs.
• Unfinished Business (from any previous nights)

Wednesday, April 3, 2019

• Article 4: Reduce Community Preservation Act Surcharge Rate (Citizen Article, relates to MGL, Chapter 44B, §16)
• Article 15: Recreation Capital Projects (Refer to embedded link for a description of the proposed projects, Section XI: Capital Investment, p.XI-4)
• Article 16: Municipal Capital Projects and Equipment (Refer to embedded link for a description of the proposed projects, Section XI: Capital Investment, p.XI-4)
• Article 17: Water System Improvements (Refer to embedded link for a description of the proposed projects, Section XI: Capital Investment, p.XI-4)
• Article 20: Public Facilities Capital Projects (except 20g, refer to embedded link for a description of the proposed projects, Section XI: Capital Investment, p.XI-4)
• Article 22: Specified Stabilization Funds
• Article 25: Prior Years' Unpaid Bills
• Article 26: Amend FY19 Operating, Enterprise, and CPA Budgets
• Unfinished Business (from any previous nights)

Monday, April 8, 2019

• Article 2: Report of the Community Preservation Committee
• DATE CERTAIN: Article 14—FY20 Community Preservation Committee Projects 
• MOTION that Article 14f be IP'd
• Article 28: Street Acceptance and Title (portion of Pehlam Road)
• Article 29: Civil Service Withdrawal
• Unfinished Business (from any previous nights)

Wednesday, April 10, 2019 

• Article 38: Amend Zoning Bylaw and Map, 186 Bedford Street (Owner Petition)
• Article 6: Cremation Facility at Westview Cemetery 
• Article 20g: Westview Cemetery Facility Construction 
• Unfinished Business (from any previous nights)

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No meetings during the week of Patriots' Day/school vacation (April 15-19). Holding Monday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 24, as needed.