Harvard’s Town Meeting is a direct democracy in which every townsperson is a potential legislator, guaranteed a voice and a vote in town decisions. But last Saturday’s 2022 Spring Town Meeting, like many before it, had the feel of a less direct legislative body, one in which the larger public was represented by current and former officials; by advocates with a stake in one or more of the articles on the warrant; and by longtime residents summoned by the chords of tradition.
Turnout was the lowest this century, drawing 175 attendees—approximately 4% of registered voters—who made their way to a cloud-like circus tent on the Bromfield School’s Mass. Ave. field at noon to consider 56 measures put forward on this year’s warrant by the Select Board, Finance Committee, and other town organizations.
Spring 2022 Town Meeting marks the fifth to be held outdoors under a tent. Attendees cited the beautiful weather and lack of controversial articles as to why attendance was low. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
The skies were sunny, the temperature a summer-like 80 degrees, and an occasional breeze fluttered shirttails and skirts, yet despite the distraction of fair weather, attendees sailed through the warrant in four hours, passing 55 measures and rejecting only one. (See table below.)
More than half the measures (29), passed in a minute or less without discussion, including the $31.6 million fiscal 2023 operating budget, better known as the omnibus budget, the largest in town history.
Only four measures sparked 20 minutes or more of debate: a $50,000 request for an athletic field study (27 minutes); the leasing of town center land for a cell tower (25), the $46,000 purchase of a field mower (23); and $58,500 for preservation of a historic Shaker herb house in Shaker Village (20). Contrary to past years, no discussion exceeded 30 minutes, and the average time spent on any given measure was 4.3 minutes.
Girl Scouts Kylie Nguyen, Maddie Kosakow-Yu, Natalie Guilmette, and Jane Besse lead Town Meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance with Moderator Bill Barton.(Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz) (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Marc Sevigny debates financing new athletic fields.(Photo by Jen Manell)
Terry Symula listens to debate on an article. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Dollars and cents
Spring Town Meeting deals traditionally with financial matters, and this year was no exception. In addition to the millions appropriated with passage of the fiscal 2023 omnibus budget, attendees approved 10 supplemental articles—sometimes referred to as “small warrant” articles—for spending on personnel, equipment, maintenance, and other projects beyond the scope of yearly departmental spending. The total cost was $231,058, twice the amount spent on such projects in fiscal 2022. Both the omnibus budget and small warrant articles will be paid for with fiscal 2023 tax dollars. (For an analysis of fiscal 2023 spending, see “Making up for two years of austerity: Deconstructing the fiscal 2023 budget,” in the May 13 issue of the Harvard Press.)
In addition to taxpayer-funded spending, town meeting approved an additional 25 projects that will be paid for with money accumulated in two town saving accounts, the Capital Stabilization and Investment Fund and the Community Preservation Fund. Attendees approved 14 projects recommended by the capital committee with an estimated total cost of $1.9 million, and 11 of 12 grants recommended by the Community Preservation Committee valued at $348,449.
Fields, redux
Speakers who participated in the 90 minutes of public debate that accompanied consideration of the day’s business had a lot to say, sometimes exposing long-simmering town issues. For example, debate over the request to spend $50,000 for an athletic field study and another $26,000 for a new field mower drew comments on both the poor condition of Harvard’s playing fields and their shortage, aggravated by the recent loss of two fields at the new elementary school.
Billy Salter of Elm Street wondered why the town wanted to add fields when it couldn’t maintain those it had. “I thought at first I was having some kind of neurological event,” he said, describing his reaction to the proposal. “It seems like even though we can’t keep the beach going adequately, and we can’t maintain our existing playing fields adequately, we are initiating a project that will result in spending multiple millions of dollars to get a lot more athletic facilities.” The town should first “fix the problems we have,” he said.
Brad Besse of Westcott Road objected. “Billy, you’re one of my favorite people at Town Meeting but I completely disagree with what you said,” said Besse. “Yes, there’s a maintenance issue we’ll have to figure out,” he said. But “the real problem is lack of fields and overuse of existing fields. That’s the big problem.”
Marc Sevigny of Shaker Road, a member of the Open Space Committee and the Harvard Conservation Trust, said he was concerned that money was being appropriated for design of an athletic facility on land that had yet to be identified. “I think we should consider reserving funds like this for when the land actually becomes available,” he said. And Town Meeting agreed, extending the sunset date for use of the money to five years.
A number of speakers had climate change on their minds, urging solar power, heat pumps, and greater fuel efficiency for energy-consuming equipment purchases, such as the field mower and school air conditioners. A bid to require that the town’s new field mower be electric was defeated by arguments that current technology was too expensive and unable to support the hours of sustained use required, but support for amending the article to stipulate purchase of an electrical mower was substantial, in spite of the technology’s acknowledged shortcomings.
Preserving the character of the town also seemed a priority. Speakers voiced worries that placing a cell tower near Hildreth House would destroy the well-
preserved look of the town center. Once the tower goes up, warned Robert Curran of Slough Road, “It will definitely change the character of the town; it’s gonna look very different.” And although there was strong support for preserving the historical herb house in Shaker Village, a measure to spend $58,000 to restore and make it amenable to public access was defeated. Opponents argued that the money was unnecessary given the present solidity of the structure, confirmed by a regional expert on such buildings. Others said the scope of the work went well beyond preservation and would disrupt the character of Shaker Village.
Citizen of Note and a retirement
Moderator Bill Barton paused the meeting twice during the afternoon, once to honor the 100th anniversary of Harvard’s largely volunteer Fire Department squad and to honor this year’s Citizen of Note Tony Shaw.
Then, with 30 minutes remaining, Barton paused a second time to recognize Select Board Chair Stu Sklar’s 12 years of service, first as a member of the School Committee and later as a member of the Select Board, both elected positions. Sklar, whose term expires this week, will leave the board, though he has told friends and colleagues he plans to remain engaged in town affairs. “It’s been an honor and a privilege,” he said following a round of applause from attendees. “This is what democracy looks like in New England,” he said, gesturing toward the audience. “Thanks again.”
It was Sklar who had the last word. Shortly before 4 p.m. he stepped to the mic to move that the meeting adjourn until Saturday, Oct. 1, when a second session will convene to consider changes to the town’s bylaws and financial measures that require immediate attention. The vote in favor was unanimous.
The Votes of 2022 Spring Town Meeting
At Town Meeting, Saturday, May 14, voters acted on 56 measures, rejecting one and passing the rest. The meeting was the first of two sessions planned for this calendar year. Saturday’s warrant dealt primarily with financial matters that need to be settled before the start of fiscal 2023. A second session will be convened in the fall to consider changes to the towns’ bylaws and pressing financial matters that can’t wait until 2023. Of the town’s 4,488 registered voters, 175 (4%) signed in sometime during the day. The meeting began promptly at noon and adjourned four and one-half hours later.
