Town meeting completed Monday with no glitches

Residents spread out on the CHS turf field — following COVID-19 social distancing requirements — during Monday evening’s annual town meeting. (Mike Tureski photo)

Note: The full version of this story appears in the June 25 print edition of the Citizen.

Canton’s first modern-day outdoor town meeting — an event that had appeared to be rife with logistical challenges and hurdles as recently as a few weeks ago — went off without a hitch on Monday as 187 voters attended and completed the annual and special town meeting warrants within two and a half hours.

Town Moderator Richard Staiti opened the proceedings at 6:05 p.m. on the turf field at Canton High School and adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

Over the course of the meeting, voters appropriated nearly $480,000 for major improvements to the Earl Newhouse Waterfront along Reservoir Pond (dependent on at least $200,000 in grant reimbursements); approved $52,000 in Community Preservation Act monies to fund an emergency rental assistance program; approved a new stormwater management bylaw; and signed off on a $115 million budget for FY21 with nearly $1 million in recently approved cuts without resorting to any layoffs.

Fire Chief and Emergency Services Coordinator Charles Doody was among those who thought the first outdoor town meeting went very smoothly. “Attendees adhered to social distancing guidelines and wore face coverings,” he said. “Multiple town departments came together to provide a safe venue. Lou Jutras from our Management Information Systems Department oversaw the technology and sound; Steve Choiniere from our Building and Grounds Department coordinated the set-up of signs, chairs and shade tents; [School Facilities Director] Brian Lynch and his staff handled the staging and lighting; Fire and Police were of course on hand for public safety; Building Inspector Ed Walsh inspected the venue to ensure it met building codes for public gatherings; Barbara Reardon, the new public health director, oversaw the physical setup to ensure it met the governor’s guidelines under phase 2, step 2; and [Town Clerk] Tracy Kenney and her staff handled the touchless/paperless check-in process. Several others were part of the planning process, including Town Administrator Charles Aspinwall and Moderator Richard Staiti. All of these people should be commended for working together and providing a safe and successful town meeting Monday evening.”

Kenney said the meeting was a total team effort and included contributions from countless individuals and groups. Meanwhile, the weather cooperated and all attendees adhered to the requirement to wear face coverings. More than enough chairs were set up, spread across the football field six to eight feet apart. Two microphones were also set up in the middle of the field, and after each speaker, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members wiped the microphones. Hand sanitizer was also made available to attendees.

The town meeting warrant was significantly abridged with 32 of the 54 articles postponed to the next special or annual town meeting. Fourteen articles were sent to a consent agenda, meaning they were deemed non-controversial and could be voted on as a group. Staiti said he is hoping the remaining non-essential articles, which includes several zoning petitions, could be moved to a special town meeting possibly in late August or September. Kenney said that decision is the call of Select Board (renamed from Board of Selectmen with the approval of Article 42).

The closest vote of the night focused on Article 33, which proposed half of the funding ($239,130) for the Earl Newhouse Waterfront improvements. The initial appropriation will come from free cash reserves but is dependent on the receipt of federal and state grants amounting to at least $200,000. (The other half of the funding will come from a Community Preservation Act grant outlined in Article 22 and it is similarly dependent on the approval of funds in Article 33.)

The major point of contention concerned the acceptance of the grant funding and the potential loss of local control over fees and regulations. One resident requested that the article be postponed until a further town meeting to allow for more resident input and clarification on grant requirements. However, after an initial voice vote that was too close to call, Staiti called for tellers and the vote was certified with 110 in favor and 49 opposed.

The project calls for significant environmental and recreational improvements at the town-owned site off Pleasant Street, including …

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