Minutes of 2004

Westport Annual Town Meeting

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ANNUAL TOWN MEETING

TOWN OF WESTPORT

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

JUNE 8, 2004

 

BRISTOL, SS.

 

To either of the constables of the Town of Westport in said County:

 

GREETINGS:

 

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Westport qualified to vote in elections and Town affairs, to assemble at the Westport High School on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at 7:30 p.m., and then and there to act on the following articles, viz:

 

            Agreeable to the warrant calling said meeting, the voters of the Town of Westport assembled at the Westport High School on the above date.  The meeting was called to order at

7:34 p.m. by Moderator Steven Fors who appointed Representative Michael Rodrigues, Ben Prentice and Colin Boyle to act as tellers and they were duly sworn before the Town Clerk.  Beverly Kut acted as timekeeper for the meeting in accordance with a by-law adopted under Article 45 of the Annual Town Meeting of 1963.

 

            Selectmen Chairman, Elizabeth Collins asked Finance Committee Chairman, Chester Adams and Finance Committee member Veronica Beaulieu to step forward as she presented each with a citation from the Town for their years of service to the Town of Westport.

 

            Voted:  (Unanimously) that we advance the eleven articles of the consent calendar

(Articles 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 47) and that these articles be adopted as

recommended by the Finance Committee.

 

 

ARTICLE 7

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Selectmen to borrow from time to time in anticipation of revenue of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004 in accordance with the provisions of the General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 4, and to issue a note or notes, payable within one year, and to renew any note or notes therefore, payable within one year, and to renew any note or notes as may be given for a period of less than one year in accordance with the General Laws, Chapter 44, Section 17.

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 8

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from other available funds and/or borrow a sum of money to be used in conjunction with, and/or in addition to any funds allocated by the Commonwealth and/or County for the engineering services, construction, reconstruction, and/or improvements of Town roads, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 9

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds and/or transfer from within existing appropriations a sum of $20,000 to be used for the engineering services, repair, resurfacing, reconstruction, drainage, and maintenance of Town roads, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT

Voted:  (Unanimously) from Taxation.

 

 

ARTICLE 11

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds a sum of $1.00 for the purpose of maintaining during the ensuing year the mosquito control work as estimated and certified by the State Reclamation Board in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 112 of the Acts of 1931 and/or to take any other action relative thereto.

 

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Voted:  (Unanimously) from Taxation.

 

 

ARTICLE 12

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the sum of  $770.00 to contract for environmental services directly related to Buzzards Bay, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

BOARD OF SELECTMEN

Voted:  (Unanimously) from Taxation.

 

 

ARTICLE 42

To see if the Town will vote to establish and reauthorize pursuant to the provisions of G. L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the Council on Aging into which will be paid all receipts from health care promotion, recreational and social programs for seniors, except for receipts from the social day care program, from which costs not to exceed the sum of $30,000.00 for these same services may be expended without further appropriation by the Council on Aging and Board of Selectmen, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

 

COUNCIL ON AGING

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 43

To see if the Town will vote to establish and reauthorize pursuant to the provisions of G. L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the Council on Aging into which will be paid all receipts from the Social Day Care Program, from which costs not to exceed the sum of $60,000.00 for these same services may be expended without further appropriation by the Council on Aging and Board of Selectmen, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

COUNCIL ON AGING

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 44

To see if the Town will vote to establish and reauthorize pursuant to the provisions of G. L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the Council on Aging into which will be paid all receipts from income-generating activities, except receipts from health care promotion, recreational and social programs, transportation activities, and the social day care program which are the source of receipts for other revolving funds, to support the Westport Senior Center from which costs not to exceed the sum of $10,000, for building operating/maintenance expenses, excluding salaries and wages of all full-time and part-time employees who are employed at said Senior Center, may be expended without further appropriation by the Council on Aging and Board of Selectmen, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

COUNCIL ON AGING

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 45

To see if the Town will vote to establish and reauthorize pursuant to the provisions of G. L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the Council on Aging into which will be paid all receipts from transportation for seniors, from which costs not to exceed the sum of $20,000.00 for these same services may be expended without further appropriation by the Council on Aging and Board of Selectmen and/or take any other action relative thereto.

COUNCIL ON AGING

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

 

ARTICLE 46

To see if the Town will vote to establish and reauthorize pursuant to the provisions of G. L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the Westport Fire Department into which will be paid all receipts from Ambulance Fees, from which costs not to exceed $50,000 for the purchase of an ambulance, ambulance equipment and/or any incurred ambulance-related expense, not to include salaries, which may be expended without further appropriation by the Fire Department, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

FIRE CHIEF

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 47

To see if the Town will vote to establish and reauthorize pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the Westport Cable Advisory Committee into which will be paid receipts from the additional License Fee, from which costs not to exceed $100,000.00 for cable services, equipment and/or supplies may be expended without further appropriation by the Cable Advisory Committee and Board of Selectmen, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

CABLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

ARTICLE 1

To see if the Town will vote to transfer to reduce taxation certain sums of money from various articles approved by Town Meeting, when there is a balance remaining that is no longer required to accomplish the purpose for which the articles were originally passed, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

FINANCE COMMITTEE/BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

Voted:  (Unanimously) $5,000. from the Fiscal Year 2003 appropriation. (Article 7 of the 2002 Annual Town Meeting - Library Roof Repair)

 

 

ARTICLE 2

To see if the Town will vote to fix the salary and compensation of all elected Town Officers, and/or take any other action relative thereto.

 
FINANCE COMMITTEE/BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

            Moderator                                              $       682

            Selectmen - Chairman                                  6,279

                                Board Members (4)                            24,712

            Assessors - Board Members (3)                  14,831

            Board of Health - Members (3)                       6,487

            Highway Surveyor                                      60,857

            Tax Collector                                             51,200

            Town Clerk                                                51,200

            Treasurer                                                   51,200

                                                Total                $267,448

 

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

Voted:  (Unanimously) to dispense with the reading of the warrant and the Constables return of the warrant.

 

 

ARTICLE 3

To see if the Town will vote to establish and authorize pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. Chapter 44 Section 53E-1/2 for Fiscal Year 2005, a revolving fund for the electrical, plumbing and gas inspectors into which will be paid all receipts from fees and fines paid for electrical, plumbing and gas permits, from which costs not to exceed $40,000.00 for inspections performed, mileage, schooling, supplies, part-time clerical wages and other miscellaneous expenses may be expended without further appropriation by the Electrical, Plumbing and Gas departments.  A start-up fund of $9,176 is to be established for the first year, and/or take any other action relative thereto.   

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

Voted:  (Unanimously) to recess the Annual Town Meeting at 7:58 p.m. and open the Special Town Meeting.

 

 

 

TOWN OF WESTPORT

SPECIAL TOWN MEETING WARRANT

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

JUNE 8, 2004

 

To either of the Constables of the Town of Westport in said County:

 

GREETINGS:

 

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Westport qualified to vote in elections and Town affairs, to assemble at the Westport High School on Tuesday, June 8, 2004 at 8:00 p.m., and then and there to act on the following articles, viz:

 

Voted:  (Unanimously) to dispense with the reading of the warrant.

 

 

ARTICLE 1

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds and/or transfer from various line items within the current appropriations such sums of money necessary to supplement the budgets of various departments for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2003, and/or to take any other action relative thereto.

                                                            BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

=========================================================================

FROM                                                   TO                                                      AMOUNT

=========================================================================

Highway Pers. Services                          Highway Expenses                              $11,600

Veterans Encumb. Funds                       Veterans Benefits                                    1,175

Data Proc. Pers. Serv.                            Data Processing Expenses                       4,500

Town Hall Pers. Servcies                        Town Hall Expenses                                 1,500

Selectmen Pers. Services                       Selectmen Expenses                               7,500

Civil Defense Pers. Serv.                         Civil Defense Expenses                               800

Receipts Reserve/Insurance                    Police Expenses                                    23,886

 

Voted:  (Unanimously)

 

 

 

ARTICLE 2

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds such

sums of money necessary for the purpose of paying outstanding bills from prior fiscal years,

and/or take any other action relative thereto.

                                                            BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

Kopelman & Paige                                                                                          $2,938.00

Postmaster                                                                                                         150.00

                                                                                                                     $3,088.00

 

Voted:  (Unanimously) from Free Cash.

 

Voted:  (Unanimously) to adjourn and dissolve the Special Town Meeting and reconvene the Annual Town Meeting at 8:02 p.m.

 

 

Hereof and fail not and make due return of this warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk at the time and place of meeting.

 

Given under our hands at Westport this 17th day of May in the year two thousand four.

 

 

                                                                                    Elizabeth A. Collins, Chair

 

                                                                                    Stewart Kirkaldy

 

                                                                                    Steven J. Ouellette

 

                                                                                    Richard M. Tongue

 

                                                                                    David P. Dionne

 

                                                                                    WESTPORT BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

 

Marlene Samson

Town Clerk

Westport, MA  02790

 

            I this 20th day of May 2004, I posted 6 true attested copies of the forgoing warrant in the following named places:

 

Briggs Road Fire Station

 

State Road Package Store

 

Senior Center

 

Central Village Fire Station

 

Briere's Inc. a.k.a. Country Liquor & Variety

 

                                                            Town Hall

 

                                                                                    Daniel P. Sullivan

                                                                                    Constable of Westport

ARTICLE 4

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds such sums of money considered necessary to defray the Town's expenses for a twelve month period beginning July 1, 2004 and appropriate the same to several departments and/or take any other action relative thereto.

FINANCE COMMITTEE/BOARD OF SELECTMEN

 

 

ACCOUNTANT                          SALARIES                                       81,884

                                                EXPENSES                                      12,097

                                                                                                       93,981

 

APPEALS                                 SALARIES                                         3,584

                                                EXPENSES                                        2,825

                                                                                                         6,409

 

ASSESSORS                            SALARIES                                     123,935

                                                EXPENSES                                        3,402

                                                                                                     127,337

 

BOARD OF HEALTH                  SALARIES                                     174,106

                                                EXPENSES                                      11,220

                                                                                                     185,326

 

BUILDING                                 SALARIES                                       93,821

                                                EXPENSES                                        6,432

                                                                                                     100,253

 

CEMETERY                              SALARIES                                     111,193

                                                EXPENSES                                        7,043

                                                                                                     118,236

 

COLLECTOR                             SALARIES                                       99,308

                                                EXPENSES                                      16,555

                                                                                                     115,863

 

CONSERVATION                       SALARIES                                       62,400

                                                EXPENSES                                        4,588

                                                                                                       66,988

 

COA                                         SALARIES                                       91,913

                                                EXPENSES                                      13,700

                                                                                                     105,613

 

DATA PROCESSING                 SALARIES                                         8,500

                                                EXPENSES                                      42,400

                                                                                                       50,900

 

DOG OFFICER                          SALARIES                                       23,114

                                                EXPENSES                                        5,263

                                                                                                       28,377

 

EL & REGRIST                          SALARIES                                       41,920

                                                EXPENSES                                      19,693

                                                                                                       61,613                  

                                               

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT  

                                                EXPENSES                                        2,564

                                                                                                                                         2,564

EMPLOYEES BENEFITS

                                                HEALTH INSURANCE                  1,700,000

                                                LIFE INSURANCE                               5,000

                                                FICA/MEDICARE                            150,000

                                                UNEMPLOYMENT                            35,000

                                                WORKERS' COMP                         110,394

                                                                                                  2,000,394

 

FINANCE COMMITTEE              SALARIES                                         1,055

                                                EXPENSES                                        2,200

                                                                                                         3,255

 

RESERVE FUND                                                                            100,000

 

     Mr. Chet Adams, Finance Committee Chairman, made a motion to hold the Reserve Fund

line item until the end of the Annual Town Meeting.

 

FIRE                                         SALARIES                                  1,170,956

                                                EXPENSES                                      98,870

                                                                                                  1,269,826

 

GAS INSPECTORS                   SALARIES

                                                EXPENSES

 

HIGHWAY                                 SALARIES                                     486,364

                                                EXPENSES                                      88,102

                                                                                                     574,466

 

HWY SNOW & ICE                    SALARIES                                       38,202

                                                EXPENSES                                      30,000

                                                                                                       68,202

 

HISTORICAL COMMISSION                                                                  575

                                                                                                           575

 

LANDFILL                                 SALARIES                                       72,772

                                                EXPENSES                                    191,439

                                                                                                     264,211

 

LEGAL                                      EXPENSES                                    105,000

                                                                                                     105,000

 

LIBRARY                                  SALARIES                                     148,302

                                                EXPENSES                                      21,924

                                                                                                     170,226

 

MODERATOR                           SALARIES                                            665

                                                EXPENSES                                           101

                                                                                                            766

 

NURSING                                  SALARIES                                       26,211

                                                EXPENSES                                        3,843

                                                                                                       30,054

PARKING TICKETS                                                                            3,285

                                                                                                         3,285

 

PERSONNEL                            SALARIES                                           484

                                                EXPENSES                                            80

                                                                                                           564

 

PLANNING BOARD                   SALARIES                                       64,537

                                                EXPENSES                                        2,675

                                                                                                       67,212

 

PLUMBING INSP                       SALARIES

                                                EXPENSES

 

POLICE                                    SALARIES                                  1,863,101

                                                EXPENSES                                    195,215

                                                                                                  2,058,316

 

PROPERTY INSURANCE                                                                203,100

                                                                                                     203,100

 

RECREATION/COMMUNITY CTR

                                                SALARIES

                                                EXPENSES

 

REGIONAL SCHOOLS

                                                DIMAN                                           444,381

                                                BRISTOL AGGIE                              20,299

                                                                                                     464,680

 

RETIREMENT                                                                               1,064,311

                                                                                                   1,064,311

 

SEALER OF W & M                  SALARIES                                          1,563

                                                EXPENSES                                            267

                                                                                                          1,830

 

SELECTMEN                            SALARIES                                     174,448

                                                EXPENSES                                      23,191

                                                                                                     197,639

 

SHELLFISH                               SALARIES                                       60,601

                                                EXPENSES                                      15,205

                                                                                                       75,806

 

STREET LIGHTING                                                                           18,771

                                                                                                       18,771

 

TOWN BEACH                          SALARIES                                       17,640

                                                EXPENSES                                        3,875

                                                                                                       21,515

 

TOWN BUILDING COMM           SALARIES                                            484

                                                EXPENSES                                             97

                                                                                                            581

 

TOWN CLERK                           SALARIES                                       72,999

                                                EXPENSES                                        1,325

                                                                                                       74,324

 

TOWN FARM                                                                                     2,816

                                                                                                         2,816

 

TOWN HALL                             SALARIES                                       59,980

                                                EXPENSES                                      40,800

                                                                                                     100,780

 

TOWN REPORTS                                                                               4,223

                                                                                                         4,223

 

TREASURER                            SALARIES                                     102,570

                                                EXPENSES                                      26,525

                                                                                                     129,095

 

UNCLASSIFIED

 

VETERANS GRAVES                SALARIES                                            820

                                                EXPENSES                                        1,937

                                                                                                         2,757      

 

VETERANS SERVICES             SALARIES                                       30,048

                                                EXPENSES                                      66,744

                                                                                                       96,792

 

WIRE INSPECTORS                  SALARIES

                                                EXPENSES

 

SCHOOL                                   SALARIES/EXPENSES          &nbs