Just when you least expect it, as we seem to say every year, it’s Town Meeting time. Citizens are called to gather on the field in front of the Bromfield School and library this Saturday, May 15, at noon to debate and decide 23 articles, including a $34 million omnibus budget—the largest in town history—and nine capital projects, including one that proposes borrowing an additional $876,134 to repair the old library roof, gutters, and upper brickwork.
The meeting is both novel and concerning. It’s the third to be held during the COVID-19 pandemic and the third in this century to be held outdoors, under tents and on the grass. And it’s the Select Board’s second attempt to split what was formerly a one-session Annual Town Meeting into two, the first devoted almost exclusively to financial matters, with a second session to follow in the fall.
Inside this issue of the Press you’ll find some tools to help you make sense of this year’s proceedings. Read our Guide to Town Meeting, with its handy map, to plan your day. Then turn to our Warrant in Plain English for a concise but insightful look at every item on the agenda. We’ve analyzed three of this year’s most substantive articles: the budget, the old library borrowing, and changes to the bylaws written to promote senior housing in Harvard. Other articles that are likely to spark debate include proposals to sell Bromfield House but keep the land, and to fund a $300,000 study and rewriting of Ayer Road’s commercial district zoning bylaws to manage growth. We can think of no better way to prepare for the meeting than by reading past Press coverage of these issues. But then we’re biased. If you’re planning to speak for or against any of these measures, you should also read the reports of the Finance, Capital, and Community Preservation committees published in the Town Meeting booklet (aka “Finance Committee booklet”), which is available at the town website (go to https://bit.ly/3y7mAMf).
Then come if you can to Town Meeting Saturday—with snacks, warrant booklet, Harvard Press, sun/rain protection, disinfectant wipes, a card with your name and address printed on it for easy check-in (since masks are mandatory) and a commitment to keeping your neighbors safe.
As an attendee, you’ll get to decide what happens next. And in a world tilting toward more centralized, less representative governance, that’s a right and a privilege.
Town Election
While Harvard’s governance is on your mind, don’t forget this year’s Town Election on Tuesday, May 18. The polls are open only five hours this year, from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. With three candidates running to fill the Select Board seat being vacated by 21-year veteran Lucy Wallace, voters have a real choice to make for the first time in years. We recommend you watch the one-hour forum sponsored by the Harvard League of Women Voters and the Press held earlier this week. You’ll find it here: https://vimeo.com/548369372. Let’s show our appreciation for their willingness to run for office with a big turnout next week.
