House to Debate a $46 Billion Fiscal 2021 General Appropriations Bill

 

On Nov. 5, the House Ways & Means Committee released a $46 billion budget bill for fiscal 2021 (H. 5150). The proposal closely tracks the Governor’s revised spending plan filed on October 15 (H. 2, as revised), with a bottom line that is approximately $200 million higher, funded primarily through a higher draw from the state’s reserves. House leadership has announced plans for the full House to take up the budget bill next Tuesday, November 10.

 

In the House plan, Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA) would be level funded at $1.13 billion, and Chapter 70 school aid would be funded at $5.3 billion, an increase of $107 million over the fiscal 2020 amount, consistent with the commitment that state leaders announced in the summer. All cities, towns and school districts would receive at least the same amount of Chapter 70 aid allocated last year, with some slated to receive additional school aid due to normal updates to the foundation formula factors.

 

The Division of Local Services (DLS) has said that updated preliminary Cheery Sheet amounts will be posted on the DLS website sometime today (Friday, Nov. 6). Municipal Cherry Sheet information will be available at this link and regional school Cherry Sheet information will be available at this link.

 Parking; first question comes to my mind: is Boyton Street/road a public way? Has there been any previous parking restrictions on Boyton Road, street, way? If there are no restrictions, then it seems it is first come, first serve parking. Apartment dwellings or homes should have off street parking, for one reason, when it comes to winter time, on street parking is sometimes restricted.

I suppose it could be possible to arrange valet parking at other sites, if the owners of KRO's could get approval of the private land owners first.

I also believe it is possible for the business to create more parking on their land, although it would be expensive as it would probably involve going through MA DOT for drive way access off route 2A as well as excavation on their land, it is a possibility.

 Looking back at Templeton annual town meeting attendance:

STM of February 19, 2004 - 880 voters.

ATM May 10, 11, 17, 2005 - 211, 145, 208 voters.

ATM May 9, 10, 16, 2006 - 176, 151, 99 voters.

ATM May 15, 16, 2007 - 141, 120 voters.

ATM May 13, 14, 2008 - 141, 120 voters.

ATM May 11, 12, 17, 2010 - 158, 155, 118 voters.

ATM May 10, 11, 2011 - 313, 235 voters.

ATM May 15, 16, 21, 23, 2012 - 291, 238, 228, 159.

ATM May 16, 2015 - 117 voters.

ATM May 14, 2016 - 65 voters.

ATM May 13, 2017 - 216 voters.

ATM May 19, 2018 - 146 voters.

ATM May 15, 16, 2019 - 199, 83 voters.

ATM June 17, 2020 - 61 voters.

Do we need a quorum?? Would it work? What is the cost of holding a meeting and if a quorum is required but is not met? A second meeting is called, money spent and still a quorum is not met, how many times is the meeting to be called to try and meet a quorum? Perhaps the answer to getting people to town meeting is to go backwards a bit; ensure the annual town report is distributed/ available to people weeks before town meeting, ensure the Warrant is available to the people weeks before town meeting and the warrant is available at town meeting. Ensure that the warrant articles and motions are read and that is where town meeting comes in, people need to speak upon that issue and others. Templeton by-laws state town meeting times is our guide for town meeting and in it's pages, it states if the articles are not read in their entirety, the warrant should be printed and in the hands of or available to, every voter. Notice it does not state voters guide.