Foxborough Town Meeting Voters in Approving Mood

The town of Foxborough continued town meeting Monday night with the following actions being taken up in the second night of voting. The first meeting was ajourned May 9 after seven articles were discussed.

Article 8: Fire Contract. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to any applicable statute such sums of money deemed necessary to fund to the cost items for Fiscal Year 2012 in a collective bargaining contract between the Town of Foxborough and Foxborough Permanent Firefighters Association.*The Advisory Committee recommends no action by a vote of 9 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. No action taken, because talks have just started.

Article 9: Police Contract. To see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate, transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to any applicable statute such sums of money deemed necessary to fund the cost items for Fiscal Year 2012 in a collective bargaining contract between the Town of Foxborough and the Foxborough Police Department. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 6 in favor, 2 against and 0 abstain. Article passed 120-22.

Article 10: Highway Contract. To see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate, transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to any applicable statute such sums of money deemed necessary to fund the cost items for Fiscal Year 2012 in a collective bargaining contract between the Town of Foxborough and the Foxborough Highway and Water Employees Union. *Advisory Committee recommends no action by a vote of 11 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. No action taken.

Article 11: Boyden Library Employees Contract. To see if the town will vote to raise an appropriate, transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to any applicable statute such sums of money deemed necessary to fund the cost items for Fiscal Year 2012 in a collective bargaining contract between the Town of Foxborough and the Boyden Library Employees Association.*Advisory Committee recommends no action by a vote of 11 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. No action taken. Library contract talks haven't begun.

Article 12: Fund Qualified OPEB Trust. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate, or transfer from availabe funds the sum of three hundred forty-seven thousand five hundred and twenty-eight dollars ($347, 528) into the other post employment benefits liability trust fund to be used towards the unfund liability of health care and other post-employment benefits for the town of Foxborough retirees. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 8 in favor, 1 against, and 0 abstain. Article 12 passed 143-0.

Article 13: Budget Adjustments. To see if the town will vote to amend article 4 and article 5 of the May 10 2010 sewer budgets as follows in order to dedicate already collected sewer betterment funds for associated sewer payments and to fund the revised waste water treatment plant capital assessment from Mansfield. *The Advisory Committee recommends by a vote of 9 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. Article 13 passed 139-1.

Article 14: Department Revolving Funds Authorization. To see what revolving funds the town may authorize or reauthorize pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 44, Section 53E 1/2 for the fiscal year 2012, beginning July 1, 2011. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 9 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 137-1.

Article 15: Town Hall. To see if the town will vote and raise and appropriate transfer from available funds or borrow pursuant to G.L C 44 Sec 7(3) and 3(A) the sum of $8,000,000 for the renovation and expansion of the town hall, or construction of a new building, including the hiring of engineers, architects, and or consultants for the purpose of preparing design plans and specifications to include contract documents and estimates or probable site work, construction costs. *The Advisory Committee recommends no action by a vote of 9 in favor, 3 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 134-3.

Article 16: Special Act. To see if the town will vote to petition the General Court for a home rule act set forth below and to request the town's representatives in the Massachusetts General Court submit special legislation on behalf of the town seeking enactment of a special law providing. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 7 in favor, 5 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 85-66.

Article 17: Expend Highway Funds. To see if the town will vote to authorize the town manager to expand any funds received or to be received from the State and/or County for the construction, reconstruction, improvements or other highway related activities. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 9 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 149-0.

Article 18:  Authorization for Long-Term Lease at 85 Washington Street. To see if the town will vote to authorize the board of water and sewer commissioners to lease pursant to Massachusetts G.L c. 30B and G.L 40, a portion of the town-owned property located at 85 Washington Street and known as the town Assessor Map - for a lease term to not exceed thirty years for advertising purposes. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 9 in favor, 1 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 136-3.

Article 19: Master Plan. To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate Transfer from available funds a sum of money to pay the cost of performing a Master Plan of the town. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 10 in favor, 0 against, and 2 abstain. Article passed 129-13.

Article 20: General By-laws change. To see if the town will vote to amend Article V, section 1, police regulations of the revised general by-laws as authorised by Chapter 35 of the acts of 2010 by adding the following new last subsection after the subsection entitled "Police Protection Required at Certain Gatherings. -Civil Fingerprinting Persons By-law -If requested by the licensing authority, the police department may conduct State and federal fingerprint based criminal history checks for individuals applying for or in possession of the following licenses: Hawking and peddling or other door-to-door salespeople, pawn dealers and hackney drivers. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 8 in favor, 3 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 98-32.

Article 21: General By-law change. To see if the town will vote to amend the revised general by-law by adding to Article 5, police regulations after paragraph 12 so that the fifty dollar find is increased to two hundred dollars. *The Advisory Committee recommends approval by a vote of 11 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstain. Article passed 128-10.