Walpole Town Meeting

Congratulations New Town Meeting Representatives

2008-06-12T00:32:00.004-04:00

First of all, thank you to all the voters who re-elected me to be your Moderator. This will be my fifth term, and I am more excited about this year than ever! As always, I will try to make Town Meeting as meaningful and productive an experience for all RTMs as possible. We owe our citizens alot - it seems now more than ever. So, let's keep working together to provide Walpole with the best government we can.

Conratulations to the 18 new Walpole RTMs. I look forward to working with you. You can expect to be hearing about our orientation meeting sometime in mid to late September. Here are the new reps:

Precinct 1
Larry Pitman
Mary Towle

Precinct 2
Karen Fallon
Christopher Maloof

Precinct 3
Joanne Damish
Ron Mariani

Precinct 4
Richard Brown
Peter Scott
Gerald Sheppard

Precinct 5
John Murtagh
Martha Ann O'Connell
John Vaillancourt

Precinct 6
Ann Marie Kannally

Precinct 7
Ann Dedrick
Susan Kelly

Precinct 8
Cathryn Conti
Theresa Montminy
Richard Regan

I have known some of you for many years, some of you I have recently met, and I look forward to meeting everyone else. I welcome you to Town Meeting, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you. You can and should contact me at any time with any questions you may have. For the Representatives no longer serving, the Town thanks you for your valuable service.

It looks like Precinct 3 went for the experience factor, by picking two very seasoned veterans in Joanne Damish and Ron Mariani, both of whom are former selectmen (persons?).

This got me to thinking, and by my calculations, Walpole Town meeting now has 12 current and former selectmen as town meeting representatives. If I missed anyone, I aplogize. This group of people represents a tremendous amount of collective knowledge and wisdom about town government. They could be a great resource for new RTMs, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind acting as a soundingboard if you had any questions or suggestions. Each one cares deeply about the welfare of Walpole. Thye are:

Clem Boragine
Michael Caron
Joanne Damish
Joe Denneen
Al DiNapoli
Susan Maguire
Ron Mariani
Joanne Muti
Jim O’Neil
Cliff Snuffer
Chris Timson
Cathie Winston

I guess that's it for now. Again, congratulations to all new RTMs. Welcome, and I hope to see you soon.

Jon

Spring 2008 Town Meeting

2008-04-30T08:10:00.001-04:00

Hello Town Meeting Members,

I am in full preparation mode for next Monday night's Spring Town Meeting, as I am sure you are. There are 46 articles on the warrant. Some we see every year at this time (budgets, snow and ice deficit, street acceptances, enterprise funds, revolving funds), and some articles, like those concerning the Economic Development Industrial Commission (EDIC) {Articles 30-34}, are new. You will also consider whether to buy a new fire truck, among many other capital items.

Our workload may be diminished somewhat, because, from what I understand, none of the contracts (Articles 25 through 29, inclusive) are ready for your review and/or vote yet. Those articles may all be for no action. Also, we have 6 street acceptances {Articles 35-40}, and if appropriate, and with your consent, you may choose to vote those as a block.

Having at least some of the TELLERS identified before the Special Town Meeting was a real time-saver on the night of Town Meeting. Therefore, if anyone knows now they would like to be a TELLER for the Spring Town Meeting, please let me know.

If anyone has any questions or comments before Monday, I would enjoy hearing from you. Thank you.

Jon

2008-03-08T22:33:00.005-05:00

Here is some important information about the Walpole Special Town meeting to be held on Monday, March 10, 2008.

Due to the intense interest in the subject matter of the Special Town Meeting, we are expecting a large turnout on Monday night. Some people may be unfamiliar with Town Meeting procedures in general, and a Town Meeting at Johnson has its own set of peculiarities. Town Meeting was held at Johnson Middle School until 2003. We are back there for this Town Meeting because the Walpole High School play had been scheduled for the same night. As usual, thanks to Walpole Cable Television, the meeting will be televised.

Preliminarily, first let me start off by saying that, as the Town Moderator, I express no opinion on any of the three articles before Town Meeting. The Moderator must be an impartial official, who by statute, presides and regulates the proceedings, deciding all questions of order, and making public all votes. I sometimes analogize my role as that of umpire or referee. I have no interest in the outcome of the game, only that the game is played fairly and by the rules. I have no vote that would influence the outcome of any particular article. My objective by posting this announcement is to ensure that Town Meeting runs as smoothly and fairly as possible. Again, nothing herein is to be construed as a position one way or the other on any of the articles.

I do feel it is important for me to try to clear up some misconceptions that have recently come to my attention. This town meeting is about the Town’s zoning by-laws, and not about the Competitive Power Ventures power plant proposal per se. It is not a referendum on the CPV proposal, and it is not, as some citizens have wondered, a vote by Town meeting to approve or not approve the CPV proposal. While it might become germane during our debate on Article 2 to discuss power plants in general, this particular project is not the focus of this Town Meeting. I have been asked whether CPV was going to give a presentation to Town Meeting. I can assure you they are not. And to keep the debate on track, no placards, signs, balloons, posters, etc., either in favor of or against CPV, will be allowed inside the Johnson Auditorium or the cafeteria. Written material for display or to be handed out is allowed inside the building, as discussed below.

Normally at Town Meeting, I just announce the procedural rules at the beginning of the meeting. Town Meeting members are very familiar with these rules. For this meeting, since we expect some people who may be unfamiliar to the rules of Town Meeting, I wanted to summarize some of the rules for you.

Civility

I introduce the meeting by stating that we should treasure this form of government, because through open deliberation, we can achieve the best decisions for the Town of Walpole. We may see some spirited debate over a number of issues on Monday evening. Please let me be clear: I require the debate to remain on the issues, and respectful at all times. You have elected me to run Town Meeting with proper decorum, and I intend to do so.

Seating

Please note that RTM members, town officials, member of town boards or committees, should sit in the front portion of the Johnson Auditorium. There is an aisle that creates this natural break. All other visitors must please sit on the other side of the break, toward the rear of the Auditorium. This line of demarcation is done to ensure accurate voting.

Due to the expected crowds, Town Clerk Ron Fucile, WCTV, school officials, and the Building Department have made arrangements to accommodate overflow attendance by having the Johnson Cafeteria rigged for sound and with two TVs. The Walpole Fire Department will be on hand to monitor safe room capacity. If the Auditorium seating if full when you arrive, there will be ample seating in the Cafeteria.

Speaking and Use of Written Materials

At Walpole Town Meetings, we follow a set format for speakers, in order of priority, as follows:
1. Primary spokesperson for or against the motion
2. FINCOM spokesperson
3. Town Officials with relevance to the motion
4. RTM Members
5. Walpole citizens: must identify themselves and their address. Initially have 5 minutes, which can be enlarged by Town Meeting vote

For non-residents attendees, the practice Town Meeting has followed in the past, and we will use Monday night is this. I will accept a motion from an RTM and second to allow the non-resident to speak. The speaker may address Town Meeting if a simple majority of RTM members agree. The speaker is initially limited to 5 minutes. Town Meeting may vote to extend the time. If you are a non-resident who wishes to speak, or know of someone who wishes to speak, please see me no later than 7:15 p.m. on Monday night.

When you are recognized to speak, please wait for a microphone. We have student volunteers from the WHS National Honor Society, called runners, who will bring the microphone to you. You must address all questions, and comments through the Moderator.

For any speaker, if you use facts and figures when speaking, please reference your source. If the source is a document, please have copies available to the members. These copies should be place on tables outside the auditorium where RTMs check in.

Town Meeting Rule 13 states as follows: "Any written information distributed, inside the building, to Town Meeting Representatives must be identifiable as to the responsible individual. In the case of a committee or citizen group, written information, distributed inside the building, must include the name of the Chairman or authorized representative of said group."

Tellers

Our first form of taking a vote is by voice vote. If I can't tell which side prevails by the 'loudness' if you will, I call for a standing vote. That's where the Tellers come in. There are two tellers assigned to each of the three main section of the auditorium. I ask for the six Tellers’ votes first. Then, I ask all those RTMs voting ‘yes’ to stand. The two tellers for each section count the standing people. They compare to come up with an agreed number. Then I have the people sit, and ask those voting ‘no’ to stand. The Tellers count those, and between the two, come up with an agreed number. Then I ask the Tellers to report the yes's and no's. The Town Clerk and I tally up the Tellers’ yes and no votes with the votes the Tellers have reported, and determine whether the vote has passed or not.

There are many more nuances of our rules too numerous to mention here. These are the most important for Monday night. Walpole’s full set of Town Meeting Rules can be found on the Town of Walpole website on the Town Clerk’s page. The direct link to the Rules is http://th.walpole.ma.us/TMrules.pdf

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me in any of the following ways:

Home phone (508) 668-4073
Cell (508) 468-5771
Home email: jon.rockwood@verizon.net

Monday, I can be reached at work:

Work email: jrockwood@gelermanbuschmann.com
Work phone: (781) 769-6900
Cell (508) 468-5771

Thank you very much for your attention and I look forward to seeing you Monday night.

Jon Rockwood, Moderator

2008-02-13T22:22:00.004-05:00

Belated Happy New Year everyone. Because the Special Town Meeting was set up to deal with a zoning re-write, we knew it was going to be very important. However, it has become somewhat complicated, and we, as a Town Meeting, need to keep our "eye on the ball" so to speak. The Special Town Meeting is now less than one month away. Last night's (February 12, 2008) selectmen's meeting dealt in large part with whether there would be one, two, or three articles. With the permission of the author, I am posting an article from today's online version of the The Daily Transcript. Thanks to Jeb Bobseine, and as you will see, his article captures some of the complexities that we, as Town Meeting, will be asked to deal with.

By Jeb Bobseine, Daily News staff
GateHouse News Service
Wed Feb 13, 2008, 01:17 AM EST

WALPOLE -
A special Town Meeting next month will vote on what businesses will be allowed in town.Last night, the Board of Selectmen voted unanimously to support articles 1 and 2 on the warrant.The special Town Meeting is scheduled for March 10, and will deal with the zoning bylaws rewrite that has taken place over the last six months.

The zoning work has been overseen by the Planning Board as well as the consulting firm Horsley Witten Group. The zoning bylaws in article 1 have been characterized as the first introduction between the town and businesses hoping to come here. Town Meeting will vote on whether to offer the ``welcome mat'' for businesses ranging from a restaurant to a power plant.Selectmen Chairman Al DeNapoli credited the time and energy the Planning Board put into the rewrite.

Town Meeting will also debate article 2, which would determine what businesses should be allowed in what zoning areas, if at all. This article would amend the table of uses to ban coal elevators, sawmills and bulk petroleum storage plants anyplace in Walpole, as well as giving the town control over ``any other lawful uses,'' according to Town Administrator Michael Boynton.

This article emerged from the debate over the proposed power plant in South Walpole.In December, the public outcry by hundreds of residents over certain ``noxious uses'' caused selectmen to work with the Planning Board to specify what types of business should be allowed in town.{ At the time, Boynton said the concern was that any lawful use that is not included specifically in the ``table of uses'' in a new zoning bylaw would be allowed in.}A final public forum on the zoning bylaw rewrite will be held tomorrow night in Town Hall.

The Planning Board and the Finance Committee will discuss both article 1 and 2, and make their final recommendations.Selectmen Vice Chairman Chris Timson hoped the two boards could come together on the two articles.

Planning Board member Nancy MacKenzie said this was not the case, yet.In a final move{ that even DeNapoli agreed was initially confusing}, selectmen voted to add a third article to the warrant.In the event that article 1 is not passed, the town would still be governed by the existing zoning bylaws, and not the rewrite, Boynton explained.If article 1 fails, article 3 would amend the current bylaw to include the specific disallowed uses in article 2. ``It's a Band-Aid, a good Band-Aid,'' DeNapoli said.

It would make it so that ``if it's not listed, it's not allowed,'' Boynton said.

Jeb Bobseine can be reached at jeb@walpoletimes.com or 508-668-0243, ext. 13.

2007-12-16T16:44:00.000-05:00

Please access the link below to read a very interesting federal case about a Massachusetts Town Meeting.

http://www.ca1.uscourts.gov/pdf.opinions/07-1876-01A.pdf

Briefly, the ruling is as follows: Where a judge refused to issue a preliminary injunction mandating that plaintiffs, who owned property in a town but were not registered to vote there, be allowed to speak at a town meeting, the judge acted permissibly and no violation of the plaintiffs' First Amendment rights occurred.

Thanks to Rolly Cuniff, Precint 4, for sending it along to me.

Happy Holidays everyone.

RTM Mildred Rockwood Has Passed Away

2007-11-28T22:53:00.000-05:00

It is with a sad heart that I report here that long-time RTM Mildred Rockwood passed away this morning, at the age of 87. Of course, she was Auntie Millie to me, and was simply a wonderful woman. She was so very supportive of my involvement as Moderator. She loved being an RTM, and even up until the very end, there was very little that happened in town where Millie was not one of the first to know. Even with the untimely deaths of her husband Rocky in 1975 and Alan in 2003, Millie seemed to enjoy life more than most people I know. A loving family (which included about half of Walpole), 12 grandchildren, and this great town of Walpole were her sources of great pleasure in life. So, Auntie Millie, who always sat in the first seat of the last row of the left section at Town meeting, say hello to Uncle Rocky and Moody for us, and know that Walpole Town Meeting will miss you terribly.

The announcement from Delaney's Funeral Home can be accessed below.

http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=166385&fh_id=10354&s_id=A157652498F2D30453C18AC8F530643E

2007-11-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING SESSION
on
ZONING BY-LAWS REWRITEThursday, November 29, 2007
7:00 P.M.
Town Hall – Main Meeting Room

This public meeting session will be the second in a series of four focused sessions on specific sections of the Town’s comprehensive rewrite of the Zoning By-Laws. The specific Sections of the rewrite that will be addressed on November 29 are:
· SECTION 5: USE REGULATIONS
· SECTION 6: DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS
· SECTION 7: SIGN REGULATIONS
· SECTION 8: PARKING REGULATIONS

These four public meeting sessions are providing an opportunity for Walpole residents to comment on text changes proposed within the rewrite in preparation of the articles that will be presented for the special Town Meeting scheduled for March 10, 2008 to specifically address the comprehensive rewrite of the Zoning By-Laws. Members of the consultant team, Zoning Study Committee, Planning Board, and staff, all of who are working on the rewrite will be in attendance to present work to date on the rewrite and to seek public input. A complete copy of the existing Zoning By-Laws and a complete draft of the text of the Zoning By-Laws rewrite are available for viewing on the Town web site. Hard copies of a side-by-side comparison of the text of the existing Zoning By-Laws and the draft of the Zoning By-Laws rewrite are available in the Planning Board office. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged.

Welcome!

2007-11-07T21:44:00.000-05:00

Welcome Town of Walpole to the Moderator's Blog. Hopefully we can do some creative and interesting things here, to make Walpole Town Meeting more meaningful for RTM and citizens' alike.

Over the next several months, Walpole Town Meeting will likely be called upon to vote on two very important issues. One is zoning, and the other is the proposed PILOT agreement for the power plant proposal. Perhaps those two issues can general some discussion here.

Comments are always welcome. Thanks.