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REPORT ON THE WARRANT FOR THE SPECIAL TOWN MEETING AMOS CLARK KINGSBURY HIGH SCHOOL
GYMNASIUM

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING
Monday, March 10,2014
7:30 P.M.
Prepared by BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Guidelines for the Conduct of the March 2014 Special Town Meeting

There are three Articles for our consideration tonight. We will address these Articles consistent with the printed Proceedings of the Meeting and in the order they appear on the Warrant. Article 1 requires a 2/3 vote for passage. Articles 2 and 3 require a majority vote for passage.

The subject matter of the meeting is limited to the Articles. The Moderator will limit the discussion and debate to the particulars of the Articles. State statutes provide: “The moderator shall preside and regulate the proceedings,· decide all questions of order, and make public declaration of all votes.”

All non-voting visitors, and residents not duly registered to vote, must be seated in the area designated for visitors.

The Moderator will recognize the Warrant Committee for the purpose of making the Main Motion on each Article. Immediately after the Main Motion, the Moderator will recognize a member of the Warrant Committee for the purpose of providing the Warrant Committee’s Report. There will be no requirement of a ‘second’ from the floor on Main Motions.

As each article of the Warrant is presented, the discussion and the vote are not on the Article as posted, but rather on the Motion that is on the floor for consideration. To avoid confusion, the Moderator will allow only one Motion to Amend be pending on the floor at anyone time.

After the Warrant Committee Report, we will have a presentation by the appointed State Hospital Advisory Committee. After the Committee’s presentation, the Selectmen as the sponsors of the Articles will have an opportunity to state their positions and ‘point of view. The Moderator will then ask Michael Sullivan, as Town Administrator, to briefly address the Motion.

The Moderator will then open the microphones for those in attendance to specifically, and only, ask questions or seek clarification from the members of the Warrant Committee, State Hospital Advisory Committee, Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, or Town Counsel. This is not the time to debate the merits of the Motion or to make a statement expressing support or opposition to the Article.

The Moderator will then open the floor and ask voters wishing to speak to the Town Meeting to go to a designated microphone – proponents of the Motion to Microphone #1; and opponents of the Motion to Microphone #2. This will allow the Moderator to assess and gauge the need for Town Meeting to hear certain positions, arguments, and points of view. Upon being recognized by the Moderator, the speaker should identify herlhirnself by name, street address and town office (if any). This is not a time for speeches or broad historical reviews – speakers should endeavor to accurately, briefly, and clearly state their positions, make persuasive  arguments, bring new and insightful information, and enrich the understanding of the Town Meeting through their comments.
The Moderator will announce and enforce a time limit on speakers. The time limits will be at the judgment and discretion of the Moderator. Please do not be offended if you are asked to
complete remarks within a limited and defined timefrarne. Please appreciate and respect the good faith efforts of the Moderator to balance open and constructive dialogue with the expediency and efficiency required of any well-run meeting.

When the time comes to vote on a Motion or Amendment, it will be the practice of the Moderator to initially take a voice vote. If the Moderator is in doubt as to the outcome of a voice vote, the Moderator will then routinely ask for a show of hands. If the Moderator is still in doubt, or wants further verification, then a count by standing vote will be taken. If members of the Town Meeting doubt the ruling of the Moderator on a voice or hand vote, by state statute, any seven voters may demand that a standing vote be taken. Such count shall be administered by the Deputy Moderator. Only one standing count will be taken on each Motion or  Amendment.  Once the voting procedures commence, no further discussion will be allowed on the Motion until the Moderator declares the outcome of the vote.

All cell phones, portable devices, and pagers should be turned to ‘off’ or ‘silent’ throughout the Town Meeting.
Thank you.

TOWN ELECTION WILL BE HELD ON
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING PROCEEDINGS
1. Declaration of Quorum and Return of Service

2. National Anthem and Welcome

3. Introductions by Town Moderator

4. Moderator’s Guidelines, Review of Proceedings, and Basic Motions

5. Positive motion from the Warrant Conimittee on Article 1
o A majority report from the Warrant Committee

6. Presentation from the State Hospital Advisory Committee (SHAC)

7. Comments from each member of the Board of Selectmen as Article Sponsors
o Selectman DeSorgher
o Selectman Peterson
o Selectman Fisher, Chairman

8. Comments from the Town Administrator, Michael Sullivan

9. Open the floor for factual questions or points of clarification only

10. Open to the floor for debate, discussion and comments
o Proponents at Microphone #1
o Opponents at Microphone #2

11. Termination of the floor debate

VOTE on Motion on Article 1 (2/3 vote required)

If Motion on Article 1 Passes:
o Positive Motion on Article 2 from Warrant Committee
o Clarification discussion (only as required)

VOTE on Motion on Article 2 (majority vote required)
o Positive Motion on Article 3 from Warrant Committee
o Clarification discussion (only as required)

VOTE on Motion on Article 3 (majority vote required)
If Motion on Article 1 Fails:
o Motion to dismiss Article 2 and Article 3

12. Thank you and Motion for Dissolving of Special Town Meeting

TOWN OF MEDFIELD
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT
MONDAY, MARCHIO, 2014
On Monday, the tenth day of March, A.D., 2014 commencing at 7:30 P.M. the following articles will be acted on in the Amos Clark Kingsbury Gymnasium, located on South Street, in said
Medfield, viz

Article 1. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised and to authorize the Treasurer/Collector with the approval of the Board of Selectmen to borrow in accordance with the provisions of G.L. Chapter 44, Section 7, clause (3), or any other enabling statute, for the purposes of purchasing or otherwise acquiring a portion of the Medfield State Hospital property, so-called, and to authorize the Selectmen to enter into an agreement with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to accomplish said purchase, provided that said borrowing shall be contingent upon the passage of a debt exclusion override in accordance with the provisions of G.L. Chapter 59, Section 21 C, Paragraph (k) or any special enabling legislation governing such debt exclusion override, or do or act anything in relation thereto.
(Board of Selectmen)

Article 2. To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money and determine in what manner said sum shall be raised, for the purposes of maintaining and/or securing the land and building of the former Medfield State Hospital property, so-called, or do or act anything in relation thereto. .
(Board of Selectmen)

Article 3. To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for special legislation to authorize the purchase of all or a portion of land and buildings at the former Medfield State Hospital, shown on the Town of Medfield Board of Assessors’ Maps as Lot 001, Map 71 and Lot 004, Map 63, further shown as Parcels A and B on a Plan entitled Location of Land Parcels Medfield State Hospital Medfield. Massachusetts provided by The Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management (DCAM), legislation to include such terms, conditions, and language as the Board of Selectmen determines to be in the best interest of the Town of Medfield, or do or act anything in relation thereto.
(Board of Selectmen)

The Medfield Press made me make my letter to the editor shorter to comply with its maximum length rules, and I think it really is true what they say, when you spend more time to make something shorter you do make it better.  So here are 443 words instead of 595 on why the town should buy the Medfield State Hospital  –

To the editor:

Medfield is on the cusp of one of the most momentous decisions in its history, whether to buy the former Medfield State Hospital site.  Given that in my role a selectman I have gone to literally many scores of meetings about the MSH for over ten years, I thought that people might like to know what I learned and what I concluded.  In sum, short money, total control, getting what we want, and avoiding really high costs means buy it.

First the choice is all about the town rather than the state or others controlling the development that is going to happen there, as development will happen regardless.  A development we did not pick may cost us many times more than what we will pay to buy and own.

Second, the $3.1m. price is not high, especially if compared to the likely costs for generations if we do not control the ultimate development.  The terms are attractive, as the state will finance the purchase, with the interest baked, in over ten years, so  we pay $310,000 per year

Town control get us the uses and development the town needs and wants.  There is so much open space and recreational lands that will remain forever, so those uses continue in spades.  The town’s  actual development will be of the already built up areas and is yet to be determined, but for me it should be a mixed use development, mainly residential, with small amounts of retail and commercial space.  The housing should be attached and densely sited units for one or two person households, empty nesters, or older residents.  Importantly, this is the sort of housing that the town now generally lacks, but also it is housing that can make money for the town.

The time is right to make the deal now, as no one can predict whether the next Governor come January 2015 will continue to sell to the town – in the past the state refused us the purchase option.

The town’s ownership costs going forward should be manageable.  The lands the town is buying are already environmentally cleansed.  The asbestos and lead paint in the buildings will be removed when buildings are demolished, and the town’s developers will likely demolition the buildings.  Per DCAMM, who does similar demolitions all the time, the developers can do the demolitions at about $6 per sq. ft., all in, whereas prevailing wages mean the town would have to pay $11-14 per sq. ft.  There are about 600,000 sq. ft. of buildings at the site.  Long term, worst case ownership scenarios are way cheaper than developments we do not chose.

Osler L. Peterson