Updated May 11, 2024
What’s so special about the Special Town Meeting set for Tuesday, May 14, at 7 p.m. upstairs at Town Hall?
Its rationale and urgency are spelled out by reporter Joan Eliyesil in her analysis of the warrant’s sole article, Article 1, which asks voters to approve the borrowing of an additional $2.3 million to build a pump house and pipeline to connect the town’s public water supply to the water system in Devens.
You’ll find additional reasons to attend the meeting and vote for the measure in a letter to the editor from members of the Harvard Board of Health as well as an op-ed by the chairs of the Select Board, Water and Sewer Commission, and the Board of Health.
Special town meetings are called when it’s necessary to decide matters that can’t wait for a regularly scheduled fall or spring meeting. The Select Board has the power to call them with only 14 days notice. But Harvard’s charter requires a quorum of 50 registered Harvard voters to sign in and take a seat before Moderator Bill Barton can gavel the meeting to order.
Passage of Article 1 requires a two-thirds vote. With 50 voters in attendance, it would take 33 “yeas” to pass it—but only 17 “nays” to defeat it. A larger turnout reduces the impact of special interest groups, though so far there has been no organized opposition to the measure either online or off.
Voting will be done by a show of hands, Barton told the Press this week. As in years past, each attendee will receive a colored card to be raised when the moderator calls for votes for and against.
The Town Hall meeting room has plenty of chairs and is accessible via an elevator on the ground floor. In a brief phone call Tuesday, Town Administrator Tim Bragan said attendees can park in the spaces available at Town Hall, at Hildreth House, and along Elm Street. Do not park at the fire station, however. For those who are unable or prefer not to drive, the Council on Aging can provide transportation to and from the meeting. For further information, contact the COA at 978-456-4120 ext. 101.
Babysitting is not available. With only one article on the warrant the meeting could be over in minutes, but that will depend entirely on the length of the debate that precedes the vote. With sunset at 8:10 p.m. next Tuesday, attendees won’t need flashlights to find their way back to their cars.
Editor's note: This article has been updated to include that the COA will offer van transportation to the meeting.
