Special Town Meeting on Monday night voted not to approve an article that would facilitate several private ways becoming public roads, with 57% of the 161 voters in attendance opposing it.

Proponent Parker Happ presented Article 8 as the major article of the 19 citizens’ petitions he brought before the STM for placement on the warrant. The Auciello Drive resident noted that some private ways that were neither public nor part of a homeowners association had been plowed by the town until a few years ago.

Happ said he would like to see these private ways accepted and put on the town pavement plan. He noted that restoring the services would cost between $3,000-$6,000 per linear mile.

He joked that the cost per resident would be about as expensive to treating him to a McDonald’s meal at $15.

Town counsel Jay Talerman stressed that this article did not include an estimated funding requirement amount for the conversion of these private ways to public roads through either the operating or capital budget processes.

“And I don’t think this Town Meeting can compel the town manager to include for the capital budget process these particular items,” Talerman concluded, saying that the fifth part of the article could be a “nonbinding recommendation.”

Resident Peter Mimmo asked if Happ could give a cost estimate for the study he proposed. Happ said he would have to research records to give an amount. But he added that the numbers in his slide presentation came from a 2021 DPW pavement plan.

Bill Flannery, the Appropriation Committee chair, spoke as a private citizen and said he would like to see current numbers from the Department of Public Works.

“They were very quick on the screen, and they seem ambiguous in many ways,” said Flannery. “I would like to see much more accurate numbers with studies and backups, not just estimations.”

James Geshwiler, a Morse Lane resident, referred to these ways as being “orphaned.” Some were part of family subdivisions that never set up a mechanism for their maintenance.

Select Board vice chair Matt Kizner, speaking as a private citizen, said the town was not able to consider this request given its financial situation. He pointed out that the town is expected to face a $5.6 million budget deficit — without including any capital expenses.

Stressed Kizner: “We are largely coming to a point where things that feel right and are good ideas are things we may not be able to potentially afford.”

Snow removal plan approved

In a related issue, Article 9 was approved in a 95-58 vote. It called for a delineation of the rules and an annual cost estimate for snow and ice removal on these private ways. Happ noted that not providing this service creates a safety issue.

After conferring with town counsel, moderator Zach Kosan the change would require a petition signed by 200 residents, not the STM vote.

In a similar vein, Article 10 requested that the town increase its budget for minor repairs to private ways from $1,000 to $100,000. Happ noted that the amount hadn’t been updated in decades.

The Department of Public Works director still would need to go through the Select Board to get funding approved, he added. This article raises the ceiling for such a request.

After residents questioned the large increase, an amendment was passed to raise the amount from $1,000 to $2,000. With this amount, the article passed by a 113-49 margin.

Bylaw committee soundly defeated

Article 11 called for a town bylaw review committee to be formed. It would consist of five registered voters appointed by the town moderator. It was defeated 41-103.

Its purpose was to review any policies about the manner in with ATMs and STMs are conducted. This committee would provide its initial recommendations for amendments to rules and procedures to the Select Board and Town Meeting no later than 12 months after its establishment, according to the redlined warrant.

Former town moderator Ellen Rutter explained that “most Massachusetts towns” follow a guidebook for policy revisions for Town Meeting.

Former Planning Board member Mary Larson-Marlowe told the audience that what was said differed from the motion wording that had been displayed on the screen.

Kosan said the motion on the floor was to “see if the town will form a bylaw review committee.”

Larson-Marlowe explained that the Select Board already “has the mandate” to review general town bylaws. The Planning Board reviews zoning bylaws.

Former Select Board member Muriel Kramer pointed out that there is a difference between Town Meeting bylaws and town bylaws that was not made clear in the motion.

No support for ATM changes

A vote to take no action on Article 12 passed by voice vote with no audible opposition. It sought to establish that Town Meeting be held in February and again in the fall.

Chief Financial Officer Kyla LaPierre said this change would not be prudent.

While the governor’s state budget proposal typically is released in January, she explained that the numbers for education and general government aid are not finalized until May.

LaPierre said representatives from the state’s Department of Revenue told her that February would be “much too early in the process.”

Happ tried to withdraw the motion but could not under Town Meeting procedure. He accepted having a vote of no action taken.

Article 13 proposed moving ATMs and STMs back to weekdays. This failed by a 55-72 vote.

There was some confusion, as Happ made the motion he originally wrote rather than an updated motion submitted to the town.

The article proposed that the ATM begin on the first Monday in May, and that the town election occur on the third Monday in May.

This was the previous structure until the ATM was moved to Saturday this May. The reasoning for the change was to increase participation among older residents and those with disabilities who have difficulty traveling at night.

Speakers were divided. While some favored going back to Monday, others said the topics and meeting length were key to its success rather than the day.

Kizner noted that this year’s ATM was an experiment with “no childcare, no supplemental activities.”

Quorum call ends STM

Due to the lack of quorum of 131, the two options that could be taken were to either reconvene or dissolve the meeting. Town counsel Jay Talerman confirmed that this vote did not need a quorum present under state law or the town bylaw.

A motion to dissolve was approved 78-19 at 9 p.m.

Town-sponsored articles OK’d

Within the first half-hour, six town-sponsored articles that were mainly financial in nature were swiftly approved. The majority of them related to budget transfers and funding for emergency Department of Public Works projects.

The main reason the STM was called was to amend the current fiscal year’s operating budget to take actual costs into account. Some bills came in after the end of the fiscal year, explained Flannery.

“And now they need to be paid,” he said.

Article 4 requested funds for four emergency repair projects. They included an emergency water main replacement for Claflin Street, replacing the filter screens and flow meters at the Fruit Street wastewater treatment facility, repairing the emergency generator of the Wood Street wastewater pump station and purchasing a vehicle undercarriage pressure washer.

Other town articles that were approved were:

• Allocating $16,807.15 to pay unpaid bills from previous fiscal years (Article 2);
• Transferring $29,208 from the water enterprise fund retained earnings to supplement the FY 26 water enterprise fund operating budget and $347,952 from sewer enterprise fund retained earnings to supplement the FY 26 sewer enterprise fund operating budget (Article 3);
• Amending the FY 27 operating budget to reduce it from $132,387,571 to $130,215,438, as recommended by the Appropriation Committee (Article 5);
• Acquiring by the town of a small parcel on Ash Street located at the Center School (Article 7).

Also, a vote to take no action on Article 6 was approved unanimously. It proposed amending the general bylaw under the Department of Municipal Inspections to include sealer of weights and measures fees to cover expenses.