Town Meeting dates set

Published on December 21, 2007

Annual Town Meeting will begin at the end of April after concerns were raised that it would be too ambitious to begin the sessions earlier in the month.

The Select Board Monday voted unanimously to have Town Meeting start April 28, and formally scheduled nine sessions, with last one coming on May 28.

In addition, three "reserve" sessions would be held in the first week of June.

Though the board last week had decided to commence Town Meeting April 14, it got feedback from the moderator, Finance Committee, town manager's office and the town clerk that the earlier date would prove to a hardship.

Board member Alisa Brewer said she was swayed to reconsider her earlier vote by the concerns of Town Clerk Sandra Burgess, who said starting Town Meeting just 13 days after town elections could pose issues in case of issues with the election results.

The budget and zoning issues would not have been affected by the earlier start date, Brewer said, as those would not have been taken up until April 28 anyway.

Brewer also pushed for the scheduling of just nine sessions. But Vice Chairman Rob Kusner said this would run this risk of losing auditorium space at the middle school.

With the Town Meeting now set, Feb. 4 at noon will be the deadline for submitting citizen zoning petitions with 10 certified signatures.

- SCOTT MERZBACH