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Below are motions and amendments brought by Town Meeting members during the 2007 Town Meeting.
Agreements reached with some unions A Special Town Meeting was held Wednesday, April 25, to discuss some key collective-bargaining issues. A letter from Town Manager Brian Sullivan and dated April 23 lays out agreements reached:
"Attached to this memo are three votes under the Special Town Meeting Article 2 for FY 2007 and Articles 39 and 40 of the Annual Town Meeting for our Collective Bargaining Agreements.
"Collective bargaining agreements with all the unions, with the exception of the Librarians, who have an agreement through FY2007, expired in FY2006. In the expired agreements, the unions agreed to increase employee contributions for HMO healthcare coverage from 10% to 15%. The contribution rate for Indemnity plans is already at 25%. The Town has reached agreements for new two year contracts for FY2007 and FY2008 with AFSCME 680, SEIU, and Ranking Police Officers. Still being negotiated are agreements with Patrolmen and Firefighters for FY2007 and FY2008 and Librarians for FY2008.
"I am pleased to report that with the cooperation of our employee groups, including the Teacher’s Union, we have been able to implement a number of changes to our healthcare programs that will result in the FY2008 healthcare budget increasing only 6%. "The new agreements call for a 2.5% wage increase in FY2007 tied to increased healthcare co-payments for doctor visits, emergency room, and prescription drugs. An additional 0.5% increase will be implemented when a second higher level of co-payments is implemented which cannot be done until the final two unions (Patrolmen and Firefighters) have agreed. The second year, FY2008, calls for a 3% wage increase tied to a requirement that new hires, effective July 1, 2007, pay a HMO contribution of 25%, up from 15%.
"The same wage increases and healthcare changes are proposed for non-union employees and elected officials. The votes presented provide for funding for FY 2007 and FY 2008. Negotiations with the other unions are ongoing. We recommend favorable action on these votes and are ready to respond to any questions you may have." ARLINGTON SPECIAL TOWN MEETING MOTION Date: April 25, 2007
ARTICLE 2 – Collective Bargaining
I, Brian Sullivan do hereby make the following Motion:
VOTED: That the Town hereby ratifies the following financial items contained in Memorandums of Understanding between that collective bargaining unit represented and the Town acting by and through the Town Manager, and for all M schedule, nonunion, and elected officials:
A . Local 680 American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees: (FY 2007:$170,000; FY 2008: $311,680)
1. A 2 ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2006,
2. A ½ percent general wage increase upon implementation of further health insurance modifications,
3. Other minor fringe benefits – training stipend and,
4. A 3 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2007
B. Service Employees International Union (SEIU) (FY 2007: $44,000; FY 2008: $100,200)
5. A 2 ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2006.
6. A ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2007 and elimination of clothing allowance (no net cost),
7. A ½ percent general wage increase upon implementation of further health insurance modifications, and,
8. A 3 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2007
F. Arlington Ranking Police Officers’ Association (FY 2007: $47,000; FY 2008: $112,500)
9. A 2 ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2006,
10. A 3 ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2006, M Schedule and non union employees (FY 2007: $68,000; FY 2008: $163,100) 11. A 2 ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2006, 12. A ½ percent general wage increase upon implementation of
further health insurance modifications and, 13. A 3 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2007
H. Full time Elected Officials (FY 2007: $4,500; FY 2008: $10,800) 14. A 2 ½ percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2006,
15. A ½ percent general wage increase upon implementation of further health insurance modifications and, 16. A 3 percent general wage increase effective July 1, 2007 and the Classification and Pay Plan is amended, and for this purpose, the sum of $333,500 be and hereby is appropriated to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager, of said sum $179,000 to be appropriated from the 2007 health insurance appropriation, and $154,500 from available funds.
ARLINGTON TOWN MEETING MOTION
Date: May, 2007
ARTICLE 39 – Collective Bargaining
I, Brian Sullivan do hereby make the following Motion:
VOTED: That the sum of $698,280 be and hereby is appropriated to fund collective bargaining agreements and other employee groups for FY 2008 as ratified in the April 30, 2007 Special Town Meeting , Article 2, to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager, of said sum to be raised by general tax. ARLINGTON TOWN MEETING MOTION
Date: May 2007
ARTICLE 40 – Funding Future Collective Bargaining
I, Brian Sullivan do hereby make the following Motion:
VOTED: That the sum of $446,725 be and hereby is appropriated, to be set aside for funding future collective bargaining agreements, said sum to be raised by the general tax and said sum shall not
be expended without a further vote of the Town Meeting.
Members' motions Under Article 16 (brought by Adam Auster) No one may disrupt Town Meeting or otherwise infringe on the rights of Town Meeting or its members.
The Town Meeting supports and endorses the provision of state law that provides that if a person, after warning from the Moderator or person acting as moderator, persists in disorderly behavior, the moderator may order him or her to withdraw from the meeting, and, if he or she does not withdraw, may order a constable or any other person to remove him and confine him in some convenient place until the meeting is adjourned. Substitute motion under Article 19 (Paul Schlichtman) Voted that the Town does hereby establish a Parking and Traffic Management Review Committee. Said committee shall:
• Examine the administrative structure of the Town pertaining to the establishment, enforcement, administration, and local adjudication of parking and traffic regulations.
• Research successful practices and administrative structures for other communities of similar size, density, and demographics.
• Research potential regional solutions for providing needed signs, equipment, and services.
• Prepare a report of its findings for presentation to the 2008 Annual
Town Meeting. Said committee's findings and minutes shall be published on the Town's website.
Said committee shall have nine members:
• The Chair of the Board of Selectmen or her designee.
• The Town Manager or his designee
• The Director of Planning or his designee
• The Town Treasurer or his designee
• The Police Chief or his designee
• The Chair of the Transportation Advisory Committee or his designee
• The Chair of the School Committee or her designee
• Two Town Meeting Members appointed by the Moderator
Said committee shall dissolve upon the completion of its report. ARTICLE 25 AMENDMENT (Chris Loreti)
VOTED: That the vote of the Board of Selectmen be and hereby is amended by placing the following words before the question mark in the ballot question as printed on page 20 of the Selectmen’s Report:
“provided, however, that no restaurant or function room having a seating capacity of less than 99 shall be permitted to serve alcohol at a bar.”
and further that the sentence beginning at the bottom of page 20 shall have the following added thereto after deleting the period:
“provided that no restaurant or function room having a seating capacity of less than 99 shall be permitted to serve alcohol at a bar.”
Supporting Statement
I am proposing this amendment for the following reasons:
* I believe that at too many establishments in town, alcohol, rather than food, is becoming the main attraction.
* If people would like to have bars in town, proposals to that effect should be brought forward and debated openly and not under the guise as of an article extending full liquor licenses to smaller restaurants.
* The current requirement that a “meal” be served with a drink at a bar is hardly a requirement at all. If you and a friend wish to drink without eating a meal at one of the existing restaurant bars in Arlington, you need do no more than order a single shared appetizer or dessert when ordering your first round of drinks.
* The proponents of this article have not asked to have a bar in their restaurant. They have merely asked that smaller restaurants be eligible for full liquor licenses, and that is all Town Meeting should grant them.
* The Selectmen have also voiced their concern about restaurants serving more like bars. The simplest way to prevent this is would be to support this amendment before passing Article 25. Proposed amendment to Article 52 (Thompson/Stratton) by Ron Spangler (final version)
ARTICLE NO. 52: APPROPRIATION/SCHOOL FACILITIES WORKING GROUP
I, Ronald Spangler, do hereby submit the following Amendment to the vote of the Finance
Committee under Article 52:
DELETE:
(4) That this plan be reviewed each year from feedback from the MSBA and other sources.
AND REPLACE WITH:
(4) That the School Facilities Working Group shall continue to discharge fully and completely its duties, as laid out in the unanimous vote of the 2006 Annual Town Meeting under its Article 65, including, but not limited to, revising plans and reporting to the Thompson and Stratton communities, and to Town Meeting, annually until construction has commenced on the seventh elementary school. It is further voted that the School Facilities Working Group’s membership shall be redefined as: the Superintendent, the Town Treasurer, the Town Manager or his/her designee, the Director of Planning or his/her designee, the chair of the Permanent Town Building Committee or his/her designee, the chair of the School Committee or his/her designee, the chair of the Board of Selectmen or his/her designee, the chair of the Finance Committee or his/her designee, the chair of the Capital Planning Committee or his/her designee, and Town Meeting Members representing the Thompson and Stratton school districts (said Town Meeting Members to be appointed by the Moderator).
Respectfully submitted:
Ronald Spangler, TMM Pct. 15
Please note: Explanatory remarks, and FinComm vote as amended, on reverse.
This is a housekeeping amendment. There is some confusion about current membership of SFWG, that membership having been defined by no fewer than three Town Meeting votes over the past 14 years. Given that SFWG could be in operation for many years to come, it seems appropriate to tighten up the membership and eliminate any confusion. This amendment is also intended to remind all involved that Town Meeting voted last year to instruct SFWG to keep working until construction on the last school has begun.
The FinComm vote, as amended, would be:
VOTED: That the Town Meeting supports the prime recommendation of the School Facilities Working Group which includes the following actions:
(1) Letters of interest for the Thompson and Stratton Elementary Schools be submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) prior to June 30, 2007,
(2) That since it is likely that it will be 3 to 5 years until the MSBA provides funding for the Thompson School that such amounts of monies be spent on the school to ensure that the facility meets the basic needs of the students and faculty using the facility. This includes $120,000 in the Capital Budget for fiscal 2008, (3) That since it is likely that it will be 15 to 20 years until the MSBA provides funding for the Stratton School that the Town appropriate approximately $150,000 per year over the next 10 years in the Capital Budget to upgrade the facility over that period. (4) That the School Facilities Working Group shall continue to discharge its duties, as laid out in the unanimous vote of the 2006 Annual Town Meeting under its Article 65, fully and completely, including, but not limited to, revising plans and reporting to the Thompson and Stratton communities, and to Town Meeting, annually until construction has commenced on the seventh elementary school.
It is further voted that the School Facilities Working Group’s membership shall be redefined as: the Superintendent, the Town Treasurer, the Town Manager or his/her designee, the Director of Planning or his/her designee, the chair of the Permanent Town Building Committee or his/her designee, the chair of the School Committee or his/her designee, the chair of the Board of Selectmen or his/her designee, the chair of the Finance Committee or his/her designee, the chair of the Capital Planning Committee or his/her designee, and Town Meeting Members representing the Thompson and Stratton school districts (said Town Meeting Members to be appointed by the Moderator).
Article 74 Resolution/Supporting Our Troops by Kaj Telenarfollowing substitute motion:
VOTED: That the Town does hereby adopt the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the Town of Arlington, Massachusetts has a long and distinguished history of certain residents answering the call to defend freedom; and
WHEREAS, so many Arlington residents have paid the ultimate sacrifice; and
WHEREAS, a number of brave and dedicated Arlington residents should be thanked for dedicating a portion of their lives to the defense of Our Great Nation.
Be it therefore resolved that we, the Town Meeting Members, on behalf of every resident of the Town of Arlington, extend this Statement of Appreciation to the Service Men and Women of the United States Armed Forces, and their families, for their sacrifices.
This resolution should not be interpreted to mean in any way that the Town, Town Meeting, or any of its residents takes a position for or against any current or prior war.
Signed:_______________________
Kaj Telenar
Town Meeting Member, Precinct 15
May 7, 2007
Supporting Statement
I want to make this resolution something that we can all agree with. Here's my reasoning behind the specific changes from the original article.
I kept all references to the patriotic intent to serve, but removed references to the result of those actions, since people can disagree on whether a particular war, action, or policy or the results thereof was good or bad.
Similarly, I removed all references to the "War on Terrorism" because I want to focus on supporting the troops and do not want to get into arguments over the current war.
I changed the words "supreme sacrifice" to "sacrifices" because I want to acknowledge all the sacrifices that are made by the troops and their families, from the uncertainty of whether their loved ones will be called up, to the loss of income when the primary breadwinner is mobilized, to the extra expenses of phone calls and possibly body armor (when that was in short supply), to the missed months or years from children and loved ones, to the changes brought on by post traumatic stress disorder, to the debilitating loss of limbs, and finally including the supreme sacrifice of loss of life.
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