Session No. 5:  $300,000 transfer to school budget shot down

A request from Precinct 13 member Stephen Harrington to transfer $300,000 to the school budget, in part to reduce fees for athletics, was rejected in a decisive standing vote on Monday, May 6.

The budget for Minuteman Tech was approved, as was a fuind for special education.

The Arlington Avocado weighs in.

For more, see notes by Wes Beal, Christian Klein and Dan Dunn. | Official votes

Session No. 4: Financial matters slow pace

Session No. 4 of the 2013 annual Town Meeting on Wednesday, May 1, addressed financial issues, and the pace slowed.

Members approved Article 25, an exemption on personal property, which amounted to $3,100 in total revenue. They discussed at length budgets under Article 31. For more, see notes by Wes Beal, Christian Klein and Dan Dunn. | Official vote

Beal commented before the meeting >>

Session No. 3: Self-serve gasoline ban continues

The annual Town Meeting on Monday, April 29, voted to retain the bylaw banning self-serve gasoline after the proponent said he had changed his mind about limits on the ban.

The meeting moved to lower overnight parking fees as well as pay for an amount (still to be decided) for the public art fund. The meeting reached Article 31, the budgets, and adjourned early so they could be considered Wednesday, May 1.

For more, see notes from Christian Klein,Wes Beal and Dan Dunn. | Official votes

Before the meeting, Wes Beal offered his views >>

Session No. 2: Leaf-blower plan passes, bottle-ban shot down

At a Special Town Meeting held Wednesday, April 24, a measure that leaf-blower supporters called a "compromise" and opponents called an "evisceration," was supported, 113-95.

An article proposing to ban plastic water bottles was defeated by voice vote. Brought by three Arlington High School students, the measure was the first ever presented to Town Meeting by students.

For more, see notes by Christian Klein, Wes Beal, Bob Sprague and Dan Dunn  | Official votes

Before the votes, Beal had some thoughts >>

Session 1: E-voting, medical-marijuana moratorium supported

Town Meeting, at its first session Monday, April 22, approved a year's delay on situating a medical-marijuana dispensary in Arlington Center and supported a move to electronic voting at future meetings.

Finance Committee Chairman Al Tosti described the $10,000 appropriation to pay for voting devices a lease, allowing the town to evaluate the system for a year.

For more, see notes by Christian Klein, Dan Dunn and Wes Beal | Official votes

Town Meeting underway: Dunn views town's state

The annual Town Meeting began at 8 p.m. Monday, April 22. Selectmen Chairman Dan Dunn presented the State of the Town Address.

The warrant (agenda) for this year's meetings is online at arlingtonma.gov/townmeeting.

Among the issues to be considered are those involving leaf blowers, plastic water bottles, fees for overnight parking and medical marijuana.

Read the reports to Town Meeting here >> 

 Watch Town Meeting on TV in April. Arlington Community Media (ACMi) plans to air Town Meeting live every Monday and Wednesday evening on the Government channel until the session ends and replays throughout the week. Please visit ACMI's website for channels and replay details at arlingtonstudio.com.

All precincts invited to post meetings

This information was published Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, and updated May 10.