Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
TOWN MEETING, SESSION 5: On a night where it was thundering and lightning outside, Town Meeting weathered the storm by plodding through a dozen or so articles on Monday, June 17, including approving repair work for two elementary schools, the issuing of quarterly tax bills, the purchase of a vacant building on Lambert Ave. near the Senior Center/Youth Commission building, and a design study for the CAPP playground. Members approved four school department articles early in the evening. The first allowed National Grid an easement on property at 137 Walnut Street, the location of the E.A. Jones Early Childhood Center, for the purpose of providing electrical and communications service to the former elementary school. The second appropriated up…
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
TOWN MEETING, SESSION 4: On Wednesday night, those suffering from ailments for which marijuana might be a helpful aide, got bad news at the fourth session of Stoughton's Annual Town Meeting. On Nov. 6, 2012, voters here in Stoughton and statewide overwhelmingly backed a law that approved the cultivation, distribution, possession, and use of marijuana for medical purposes. But, the approval of this ballot initiative left municipalities in a bind trying to figure out how best to address the law's impact. The State Department of Public Health is required to provide new regulations to govern this new business. Town Planner Noreen O’Toole moved to adopt a moratorium on medical marijuana treatment centers in Stoughton, which would prevent …
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
A look at what remains on the warrant for Stoughton's 2013 Town Meeting.
After three sessions and a two-week hiatus, Stoughton's 2013 Town Meeting is set to resume Wednesday evening, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. So far, Town Meeting has passed the FY14 budget and a handful of enterprise accounts and revolving funds. The bulk of the warrant still remains - about 70 articles - including the proposed capital spending articles and articles proposing changes to by-laws. In the event Town Meeting does not conclude Wednesday evening (highly unlikely), the following dates have been set aside for additional sessions: Monday, June 17 (Session 5); Wednesday, June 19 (Session 6); Monday, June 24 (Session 7); Wednesday, June 26 (Session 8). Thursday, June 27 has been set aside for the final day to conclude Town Meeting, which …
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
TOWN MEETING, NIGHT III: Town meeting picked up Wednesday night, May 29 where it left off following the May 22 session - with debate on a motion by the school department to add an additional $308,000 to the education budget ($237,708 for the Stoughton Public Schools and $70,292 for Southeastern Regional), making the total budget $40,707,147. On May 22, there was over an hour of debate on this motion from the Superintendent of Schools, Dr.Marguerite Rizzi. On the 29th, School Committee Chair Deb Sovinee gave a 12 minute presentation to open up the meeting. She reminded members that Stoughton was 235 out of the 351 towns and cities in Massachusetts in total per pupil spending. After that, the debate continued. Janice Lindwall of Pct…
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Meanwhile, the municipal unions are looking to have Town Meeting members dismiss both articles, allowing the unions more time to bargain these proposed changes.
As Stoughton town officials are looking to have Town Meeting members adopt a new personnel by-law and classification and compensation plan through a pair of warrant articles (14 and 15, respectively), union members are hoping to have Town Meeting members instead dismiss both articles to allow the unions more time to bargain these proposed changes. It's a debate that could be heard on the floor of Town Meeting as early as Wednesday evening, May 29, when Town Meeting resumes for the third session. "Our proposed Personnel By-Law and Town-Wide Classification/Compensation Plan is a final step in bringing the Town's labor relations into the 21st century," Selectman Chair John Anzivino wrote in a letter to Town Meeting representatives. "This By…
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
TOWN MEETING NIGHT II RECAP: Wednesday, May 22, Town Meeting Night Two started late (7:51 p.m.) and didn't really get going until 8:10 p.m. It ended at 10:57 p.m. in the middle of a motion by the Stoughton Public Schools to add $308,000 to the FY2014 education budget - $70,292 for an expected increase to the Southeastern Regional assessment and about $238,000 more for the Stoughton Public Schools budget - bringing the total department to $40,707,147, with $39,539,512 going specifically to the Stoughton Schools. It was the $238,000 which caused a lengthy back and forth discussion, which ultimately was not resolved by the time the second session was adjourned. The $238,000 for the Stoughton Public Schools would replenish the reduction by …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Welcome to "About Town with Mark Snyder," a column that will keep you up to the minute with what's what, who's who and what's going on around town. If you see or hear something we could use here, let us know by sending an e-mail to pmpco@aol.com.
GREETINGS FROM CONGRESSMAN LYNCH: Congressman Stephen Lynch didn't answer any questions from the 122 Town Meeting members present Monday when he came to deliver a "short update" to the people of Stoughton on the opening night of Town Meeting, but he did make it clear that his committee will fully investigate each of the three major scandals plaguing President Barack Obama and his leadership team. Lynch, who sits on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said, "We'll be investigating the Internal Revenue targeting of 'Patriots', 'Tea Party' and those that have criticized the government. Citizens have the right to dissent without retribution from their government. They have the ability to exercise their rights under the …
Monday, May 20, 2013
Brendan Malley, 18, a 2012 graduate of Stoughton High, just finished his freshman year at Bridgewater State. He ran a successful write-in campaign to be a Stoughton Town Meeting representative. Town Meeting starts May 20.
Brendan Malley is getting an early start at becoming involved in the political process. Malley, 18, is a rising sophomore at Bridgewater State. He is currently a political science and economics double major and recently became Stoughton’s youngest Town Meeting representative, ready to serve with a room full of people, many old enough to be his parent or grandparent. A 2012 graduate of Stoughton High, Malley ran a successful write-in campaign, receiving 25 votes to be elected for a 3-year term. No other write-in candidate got more votes across all eight precincts. There was a large shortage of Town Meeting reps this year. Sixty-two Town Meeting seats needed to be filled in this year’s election on April 30, but only 24 people were on the …
A preview of Stoughton's 2013 Annual Town Meeting, which starts Monday, May 20.
It's that time of year again - Town Meeting season in Stoughton. The 2013 Annual Town Meeting begins Monday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m. at the Stoughton High School Auditorium. Town Meeting Representatives will be voting on an 80-article warrant which includes the town's FY14 budget. Schedule In the event Town Meeting does not conclude in one session (highly unlikely), the following dates have been set aside for additional sessions: Wednesday, May 22 (Session 2); Wednesday, May 29 (Session 3); Wednesday, June 12 (Session 4); Monday, June 17 (Session 5); Wednesday, June 19 (Session 6); Monday, June 24 (Session 7); Wednesday, June 26 (Session 8). Thursday, June 27 has been set aside for the final day to conclude Town Meeting, which needs to be …
Friday, May 17, 2013
With the Stoughton Annual Town Meeting set to start May 20, here's a look at who represents your precinct.
Take a look at the 155 men and women who will represent you at this year’s Stoughton Annual Town Meeting. They will be the ones voting for the town’s budget and any potential borrowing articles. The full list, which includes precinct chairmen, can be found below. There are plenty of familiar names and faces in the crowd, with many of the representatives serving on other elected or volunteer boards or organizations in town, including selectmen, school committee members and finance committee members. There are also town employees or former town employees serving. Town Meeting can have up to 168 representatives, but 13 vacant seats still remain, with only precincts three, four and six able to fill all 21 of their seats. Town Meeting begins …
DJ
11:34 am on Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Better post some signs at Drum Rock cause the kids are still jumping off it. more ›