SPECIAL TOWN MEETING JAN. 19, 2012 7:15-7:50PM IN TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM...ANOTHER "YES" (ONE LONE "NO")

First meeting for new Moderator goes off well!  
NewYear gets off  on a positive note with another Special Town Meeting on Lachat Leases!  Details and wording changed but intent the same.  Q&A held at  Selectmen's Meeting on January 5, 2012;  P&Z met at 6pm Jan. 18, 2012, voting on changes to lease wording.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

At least nine (9) speakers, some of whom spoke more than once, asked questions about
the leases, and Selectman Tracey and First Selectman Weinstein answered.  One "no" vote
from individual who had spoken once and wanted to speak again.

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING OCTOBER 20, 2011 SAYS "YES" AGAIN
At the Sept. 15, 2011 Selectmen's meeting
LACHAT UP FOR SPECIAL TOWN MEETING THURSDAY, OCT. 20, 2011
Town Hall Meeting Room at 7:20pm (preceded at 7pm by an Informational Meeting)

 Agreement to maintain conservation easement (with an exception for community/Town farm).  Leases of land to and from each party (Town and Nature Conservancy) in 50-50 split.  N.C. to handle money that is an endowment for maintenance, town to get the interest.

VOTING AT SPECIAL TOWN MEETINGS, REFERENDA


BUDGET PROCESS OVER, TAX RATE SET AT BOARD OF FINANCE THURSDAY APRIL 21, 2011, 6:30pm special meeting
Question #1   YES - 697   NO - 186
Question #2  YES - 574   NO - 308
Question #3  YES - 348  NO - 536
 
TOTAL voting  885 (out of all 6000 plus registered voters plus an unknown number of "Grand List"
eligible voters)


ATBM Wednesday, April 6, 2011 over by 9:30pm, no changes...
ATBM:  Capital Budget & Debt Service, approved.  Next and last step is Referendum.  If Referendum rejects one or more of the
items, it has not passed.  In the case of Town and School Budgets, it is back to Board of Finance; .in the case of item number three,
it is final. 

WHERE TO VOTE AT REFERENDUM  OR  "ABSENTEE" AT TOWN HALL DURING WORKING HOURS (9am-4:30pm)
WMS Gym is area of the building above with high roof.  Weston's usual polling place. Referendum  6am to 8pm Thurs. Apr. 14, 2011.
For the Referendum, you may vote "absentee" in person at Town Hall (next photo).  Only if you will be out of town April 14.

At right, possible cemetery layout - part of the Referendum ("Question Three") but not in the Town or School Budget FY12.

Latest clarification of Referendum from Town of Weston Website

Referendum vote on April 14, 6am to 8pm at WMS Gym on three (3) items:

Town Budget
School Budget
8-24 cost to move forward with non-denominational cemetery to P&Z

Absentee voting in person at Town Hall during working hours plus Saturday session
April 9, 9am to 12 noon.  Vote on all three ("YES" or "NO").

A NEW LEGAL TWIST IN 2011 - THREE ITEMS ON REFERENDUM BUT ONE WAS NOT ON THE ATBM  "CALL"

On to voting on Cemetery ($30k) which was not in the Call of ATBM, plus Education and Town operating budgets.
"Citizen of the Year" award presented prior to ATBM by Police Commission Chair. prior to start of Annual Town Budget Meeting.

WHAT HAPPENED AT A.T.B.M. APRIL 6, 2011, WHS AUDITORIUM
Budget Passes at ATBM -  no cuts, changes or whatever. A standing count whether to have a secret ballot goes down 103-43.  The numbers that will be voted "yes" or "no" on are the same as ATBM got from the Board of Finance.$64,125,783 ($45,166,337 Ed Budget, $11,184,216 Town Budget). Don't forget that we also get to vote "yes" or "no" on $30,000 for an 8-24 on a Town non-denominational cemetery at Fromson Strassler.  ATBM took around 90 minutes, total time.The usual attitudes prevail - almost out of central casting (the older residents call for fewer administrators in the Central Office of the school, the impatient PTO mothers say they are annoyed to have to come out to ATBM).  This year the pro-school crowd was particularly rude, perhaps because one knowledgeable and well-connected politically WFFR speaker noted that there were bills in Hartford to change a few things. 

WHY WESTONITES SHOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE LEGISLATURE
This Session is bringing home to roost the profligate spending and fat contracts and retirement benefits to CT state employees and the OPEB issue.  Bills tipping the balance away from "hands off education" by politicians are:

1)changing rule that no school budget can be cut below the level of the previous year;
2)bills out there to cut budgets according to enrollment and
3)permit specific cuts within the school budget at ATBM.

The Governor favors these, we think, so if these bills see the light of day and pass the House and the Senate, radical change will be here for the education system and administrators.


REFERENDUM FACTS



YES-YES WINS.
All-day Referendum on bottom line of Town and School operating budgets brings out 1134 voters who approved
ATBM numbers for both budgets - results on Town of Weston website:



SPECIAL TOWN MEETING, MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA...approves with only one speaker, unanimously, in record short time ($1 million per minte of discussion).

THE RESOLUTION
TOWN OF WESTON WARNING OF SPECIAL TOWN MEETING, TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010
The voters of the Town of Weston, Connecticut, are hereby warned and notified that a Special Town Meeting will be held in the Weston Middle School Cafeteria, Weston, Connecticut on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 7pm.  The Board of Selectmen nominated Woody Bliss to serve as Moderator...

ITEM 1.  To consider and vote in a Resolution to Apppropriate $6,926,000 for Capital Improvements to the Weston Public Schools and the Weston Town Library, and to authorize the Issue of Bonds, Notes or Temporary Notes in an Amount Not to Exceed $6,600,000 to Finance Said  Appropriation.

A copy of the full text of the Resolution is on file and available for public inspection at the office of the Town Clerk and on the Town's website...     


Special Town Meeting on Thursday, November 9, 2009 at 7pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room - Food Pantry
No problem, passes with ease and many thanks to those involved...but some nagging questions about whether Board of Ethics should be put in a position of participating in any negotiations that might come up, since they were not asked to be part of this arrangement (an oversight perhaps, since they had been asked in another instance?)


NEW "8-24" AT P&Z AUG. 3rd - WITH A-2 SURVEY....OK'D BY P&Z.

Special Town Meeting on Thursday, July 7, 2009 at 7pm, Town Hall Meeting Room - read "call" here.  Town Meeting changed the wording in the call to require an A-2 survey be submitted to a P&Z "8-24" hearing. 
Why did this Special Town Meeting have to be called in the summer?  Answer given was that  "stimulus" deadline required action by August.  League has always come out against this particular type of disenfranchisement of the voters - although, in this case, it was standing room only in the Town Hall Meeting Room. 


Special Town Meeting Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 8pm in Town Hall - read "warning" here.  Unanimous "YES" in record time!

Special Town Meeting June 11, 2008, at 7:30pm at the W.M.S. cafeteria OK's $1,100,000 for transfer into the Town's post employment benefits trust fund;  $586,585 for expenses associated with the design and renovation of the Weston High School Auditorium - by voice vote, one motion for both items.


Special Town Meeting Thursday, January 17, 2008, at 7pm in the Town Hall Meeting Room - NOTICE and RESOLUTION - intention to reallocate funds among and between the three items in the Referendum of Nov. 15, 2001 (shown above is the Plan approved at Nov. 15, 2001 Referendum).  This Special Town Meeting took charge and changed the call into three parts - see non-League interpretation of what happened here.


LEFT: April 2005 view of construction at Weston High School - new wings "wrap" old ones, including the tallest feature, the auditorium (stage section).  RIGHT:  Weston High School Cafeteria at far right, location of  Special Town Meeting Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 8pm.

Special Town Meeting Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 8pm in the Weston High School Cafeteria:  "YES" vote unanimously in about 25 minutes.

Special Town Meeting December 15, 2005 at 7PM in the Town Hall Meeting Room

Previous recent (Special) Town Meetings:


SPECIAL TOWN MEETING APRIL 10, 2003 - NO VOTING:
Click HERE for Observer Corps report.

Please remember, this WEBpage is not an official record...
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING "WARNING" - Thursday, April 10, 2003 at 8pm, W.H.S. Gym
Board of Selectmen, 2-1, votes to accept the petition (below);  SPECIAL BOARD OF SELECTMEN meeting set for Friday, March 28, 2003 at 8am approved wording and appointed Moderator for this meeting...

PETITION #2, dated March 19 (first one dated March 10 voided):

"Pursuant to the Town of Weston Charter, Section 2.7, we, the undersigned, being electors of the Town of Weston, petition the Board of Selectmen to convene a Special Town Meeting for the following purposes:

To consider and act upon the following Resolution:

Section 1.  To terminate and discontinue the planning, design and construction of a new third through fifth grade school building project authorized by the adoption of the following Resolution at a referendum on November 15, 2001:

Shall the Town of Weston appropriate $28,070,000 for the planning, design and construction of a new third through fifth grade school, and finance said appropriation by using bonds, notes or temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $28,070,000?

Section 2.  To direct the Board of Selectmen and the School Building Committee to terminate all existing contracts for such project, including contracts for the design, management, and/or construction of such project.  To authorize the Board of Selectmen and Town Treasurer to pay all of the proper legal obligations of the Town arising from such contracts or from the termination of such contracts; and all other liabilities as have been lawfully incurred on account of said project.  Such payment or payments shall be made from the funds heretofore appropriated for said building project and the bond authorization for temporary borrowings set forth in said Resolution shall continue in effect as necessary for such purposes.  Any borrowing made by the Town pursuant to said Resolution shall remain a valid obligation for the Town of Weston."

REFERENDUM - Tuesday, April 22, 2003, W.M.S. Gym (6am to 8pm) vote on the question:

"SHALL THE TOWN OF WESTON TERMINATE AND DISCONTINUE THE PLANNING, DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW THIRD THROUGH FIFTH GRADE SCHOOL BUILDING PROJECT AUTHORIZED AT A REFERENDUM ON NOVEMBER 15, 2001, INCLUDING TERMINATING ALL EXISTING CONTRACTS FOR THE PROJECT AND PAYING ALL LEGAL OBLIGATIONs AND OTHER LIABILITIES INCURRED ON THE PROJECT?"

Voters approving the Resolution will vote "Yes" and those opposing the Resolution will vote "No."  Voting will be held at the following polling place:  Weston Middle School Gymnasium, School Road, Weston, Connecticut.  Persons qualified to vote in Town Meetings who are not electors shall also vote at Weston Middle School Gymnasium, School Road, Weston, Connecticut.  Absentee Ballots will be available from the Town Clerk's Office.



Charter Section 2.7
Petition for Special Town Meeting for Enactment of an Ordinance or Other Action.
Except as provided in Section 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 of this Charter, not less than fifty qualified voters may at any time petition over their personal signatures for the enactment of any proposed lawfull ordinance or other action by filing such petition, including the complete text of such ordinance, or proposed other action, with the Town Clerk.

Any such proposed ordinance or other action shall be submitted to the Town Attorney for examination before being submitted to the Town Clerk.  The Town Attorney is authorized to correct the form of such ordinance or other action for the purpose of avoiding repetitions, illegalities and other unconstitutional provisions, and to assure accuracy in its text and references and clearness and preciseness in its phraseology, but not to change its meaning of effect materially.

The Board of Selectmen shall call a special Town Meeting, to be held not less than ten nor more than thirty days from the date of such filing, unless prior to such meeting such ordinance shall have been enacted or such action taken by the Board of Selectmen.

The Call for such meeting shall state the proposed ordinance or other action in full and shall provide for a "yes" or "no" vote as to its enactment.

Provided that there is a quorum at such meeting of at least five percent of the qualified voters, then if a majority of the qualified voters voting shall vote "yes" than such ordinance or other action shall take effect on the tenth day thereafter without further action of the Board of Selectmen;  otherwise it shall not take effect. 


Charter Section 2.6
Petition for Overrule of Action of Board of Selectmen
All ordinances, resolutions or other action taken by votes of the Board of Selectmen, except those making appointments or removals or concerned solely with regulating their internal procedure or emergency ordinances adopted in accordance with the provisions of Section 3.5 of this Charter (Section 3.5 - "Emergency Ordinances" on page 8) shall be subject to overrule by a special Town Meeting as follows:
 
(a)  if within twenty days after the publication of any such ordinance or the making of such resolution or taking of such vote, a petition conforming to the requirements of Section 7-9 and 7-9a of the General Statutes and signed by not less than five percent of the qualified voters is filed with the Town Clerk requesting its reference to a special Town Meeting, the effective date of such ordinance, resolution or other action shall be suspended;

(b)  the Board of Selectmen shall fix the time and place of such special Town Meeting, which shall be within twenty days after the filing of the petition;

(c)  notice thereof shall be given in the manner provided by law for the calling of a special Town Meeting;

(d)  an ordinance, resolution or action so referred shall take effect upon the conclusion of such meeting unless at least one hundred voters constituting a majority of those present and voting thereon, shall have voted in favor of overruling.



Charter Section 2.4:
When action by Town Meeting is required
(a)  To consider and act upon the estimate of the Board of Finance with its recommendations leading to the determination of the annual town budget, as required by the connecticut General Statutes and hereinafter provided in Section 8.4;
(b)  To consider and act upon, after recommendation by the Board of Selectmen and approval by the Board of Finance:
(1)  any appropriation or authorization for issuance of bonds, notes, or other borrowing in excess of the amount provided for in Section 8.5(b) or 8.6 of this Charter;
(2)  the sale or leasing of real estate of the Town, used or reserved for Town purposes;
(3)  the purchase or leasing of real estate for town purposes;
(c)  To consider and act upon any proposed contract or agreement by the Board of Selectmen for services or use of facilities by or with the United States or any Federal agency, the State of Connecticut, or any political subdivision thereof except as provided in Section 3.2 of this Charter;
(d)  To consider and act upon any proposal the Board of Selectmen deems of sufficient importance.
Special Town Meeting on "16 Parade Ground Court"...
MAY 30, 2002, at 7:30pm in the Weston Middle School Cafeteria a Special Town Meeting involving a part of the School Construction package was conducted in a most civil manner, League idea for secret ballot picked up by PTO and carried out effectively by the Registrars and Special Registrars of Voters...for the full call, click HERE.  Not a big crowd in terms of numbers, but another example of Weston's form of democracy in action!

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING NOV. 7:
This meeting was very polite.  It was also videotaped and put on the screen the very next day (congratulations to Town staff working free overtime, no doubt, to make the "station" a "24-7" all news all the time 21st Century public access machine)...couldn't have happened without the Town of Weston volunteer-run GOVERNMENT ACCESS CHANNEL rising to the occasion.  BRAVO!

League Observer notes that the Weston Middle School Cafeteria was pretty full (not totally) - this means @170 persons - but maybe the number for eligible voters was considerably smaller because the real records kept are for "qualified voters" and does not include the people filling seats who are:  Education Staff or other Town Staff not residents of Weston, under-age residents sitting with parents and Weston residents who not citizens.  Both Co-Presidents were present, along with other Board Members and general membership.  This was First Selectman Hal Shupack's last Town Meeting, and he introduced Woody Bliss, his successor.  Opening remarks were made by the Chair. of the Board of Education, the Superintendent (acting) of Schools, Chair. of the Parks and Recreation Commission.  Fletcher-Thompson, the architects, were present, but no one asked any questions of them.  It was noted that no one who spoke was in doubt about their position.  It was also noted that anyone who would like to take a tour of the proposed Parks and Recreation improvements was welcome to the League of Women Voters/Parks and Rec. event Friday, November 9 at 11am in Bisceglie Park.

A question about the Sheff decision vis a vis filling unused space in the public schools was discussed somewhat heatedly, with a standing ovation given to the person who had the nerve to bring up the issue of why people might be opposed to school expansion - asking if it was not a code position for not favoring an integrated society.  One after the other of some who had opposed the expansion returned to the microphine to recite reasons why they never intended to suggest that this was a racial issue.

The Town Meeting was adjourned to the machines--VOTE THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 2001, WESTON MIDDLE SCHOOL,  FROM 6am to 8pm --Schools will be open so...watch out for traffic and parking problems in the Middle School lot.

Below is the "call" (short version) for the now completed Special Town Meeting, 6-21-01...Weston Middle School "old gym" polls opened from 6am to 8pm Thursday, June 28 referendum.

The voters of the Town of Weston, Connecticut, are hereby warned and notified that a Special Town Meeting will be held in the Weston High School Auditorium, School Road, Weston, Connecticut, on Thursday, June 21, 2001 at 8:00 P.M. The Board of Selectmen has nominated John Negroni to serve as Moderator and Richard Saltz to serve as Alternate Moderator at the Special Town Meeting.

ITEM 1. To discuss and vote on a Resolution: to appropriate $791,250 for septic improvements to the Weston Public Schools, including renovation of the South House and East House Elementary School septic fields, installation of water conservation and water meter automation equipment and installation of a backwash system for the Middle School swimming pool; to finance the appropriation by issuing the Town's bonds, notes or temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $791,250; to ratify the designation of the School Building Committee for the project; and to authorize Town officials to take all necessary actions to issue the bonds, notes or temporary notes and to apply for grants for the project.

ITEM 2. To discuss and vote on a Resolution: to appropriate $395,790 for the upgrade of the Elementary and Middle School fire alarm systems; to finance the appropriation by issuing the Town's bonds, notes or temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $395,790; to ratify the designation of the School Building Committee for the project; and to authorize Town officials to take all necessary actions to issue the bonds, notes or temporary notes and to apply for grants for the project.

ITEM 3. To discuss and vote on a Resolution: to appropriate $158,360 for ' fees and expenses for the planning and design of replacement athletic fields a Park; to finance the appropriation by issuing the Town's bonds, notes or
in an amount not to exceed $158,360; to ratify the designation of the School Building Committee for the project, and to authorize Town officials to take all necessary actions to issue the bonds, notes or temporary notes and to apply for grants for the project.

ITEM 4.  To discuss and vote on a Resolution: to appropriate $754,600 for architect's fees and expenses for the continued planning and design of future improvements to the current school facilities; to finance the appropriation by issuing the Town's bonds, notes or temporary notes in an amount not to exceed $754,600; to ratify the designation of the School Building Committee for the project; and to authorize Town officials to take all necessary actions to issue the bonds, notes or temporary notes and to apply for grants for the project.

A copy of the full text of each of the above Resolutions is on file and available for public inspection at the office of the Town Clerk.

ITEM 5.  To consider any other item that may properly come before said Meeting.