by Joe Hutchinson
After several days of intense negotiation, a brokered compromise has apparently been agreed among proponents of municipal buildings articles 17 and 18.
At its 4 p.m. meeting Thursday, Selectman Bill Johnson appeared before the Capital Planning and Investment Committee (CPIC) and described a modified motion to be made under Article 17 that, he said, has been negotiated among stakeholders of articles 17 and 18. He said the finishing touches had been completed only 15 minutes earlier, and he would begin immediately to contact representatives of each stakeholder group, so that they, in turn, could inform their board, committee, or constituency for any action needed.
Johnson was not specific as to the participants in crafting the revised motion, but presumably they included Selectman Ron Ricci, his collaborator in drafting Article 18 as a citizens’ petition, and Town Administrator Tim Bragan. Johnson said that Town Counsel Mark Lanza had also been involved, to ensure that the revised motion is within the scope of article 17. He said that all of the negotiated changes (and funding request) would come under article 17, the Municipal Buildings Committee’s (MBC) proposal. Johnson told the committee he was very confident that all factions in the weeks-long dispute over the municipal buildings plans would agree to the revisions. Bragan echoed the same confidence.
By phone at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Pete Jackson, who is acting as chairman during Ron Ostberg’s brief unavailability, said that the MBC was unaware of the final results of negotiations, but that the MBC is prepared to meet in a resumption of its Tuesday meeting, at which the parameters of the negotiated changes were presented by Bragan and endorsed by 4-0 vote of the MBC. MBC member Doug Coots was absent from the Tuesday meeting, but he was the principal negotiator for MBC in the deal which has been mediated by Bragan.
In a phone conversation with Jackson this morning, he confirmed that Coots had been present in yesterday's completion of negotiations, and that the output of negotiations includes revised language for article 17, and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) which spells out other terms of the agreement. Jackson said he is "comfortable" with the warrant language, and has a few concerns with the MOU, but does not consider them deal breakers, and expects that, when MBC meets this afternoon, they will be able to suggest a few bits of "language tightening" that would resolve MBC concerns. Jackson emphasized that, although he is hopeful for an agreement all can support, it isn't done yet, and it will still need everyone's support at Town Meeting to make sure it gets the two-thirds vote needed to pass, and on Tuesday to pass the ballot question.
Jackson went on to say that, if there is in fact a successful outcome with a single motion that both sides can support, full credit should go to [Town Administrator] Tim Bragan for his role in bringing the factions together, and reaching consensus.
Several boards and committees have meetings posted Saturday morning before the 9 a.m. start of Annual Town Meeting. Except for MBC, which has a meeting posted for 3:30 p.m. today and 8:40 a.m. Saturday, these Saturday meetings will be the only time the Board of Selectmen (8 a.m.), Finance Committee (8:30 a.m.) Capital Planning and Investment Committee (8:30 a.m.), and School Committee (8:30 a.m.) can meet to consider their positions relative to the revised motion. CPIC member Keith Cheveralls complained about the expectation of deliberating and deciding in the final minutes before ATM, citing a preference for time to absorb complex information without compression of time. He also pointed out the conflict he has, because School Committee (Cheveralls is chairman) is posted to meet at the same time. CPIC member and BOS Chairman Peter Warren, has the same conflict, as BOS is also posted to meet.
CPIC made no decisions about its recommendations on the revised motion, which in fact was not presented, only described. Members did discuss whether there would be any change in recommended funding (current recommendation by the Finance Committee is for funding by excluded debt, which requires two-thirds vote at ATM, and passage of Question #1 at Tuesday’s town election).
CPIC members discussed the concern that a large majority of Tuesday voters, who may not have attended ATM, will have no way to know about the changed motion, and will be voting based only on the communication leading up to ATM. Alternative funding options would include Free Cash (majority vote required); or Stabilization or Capital Stabilization (two-thirds vote required, but no ballot vote needed). While no vote was taken at the CPIC meeting, citizen-at-large members Cindy Russo and Debbie Ricci voiced strong opposition to changing from debt exclusion, which would give voters a chance to vote it down at the ballot box.
Russo said, “You don’t have to do it. I think it’s a really good idea, but we don’t have to do it. It’s going to cost a lot of money, people should get to say ...”. Ricci weighed in, “I don’t want to set a precedent, hold it up to the last minute and then because we come to an agreement at the last moment and we don’t have time to publicize it we’ll be more likely to get our funding because we’re going to do it an easier way on Town Meeting floor.” Ricci concluded, “You have people who are assuming that they can go to the ballot [to vote it down] without having to go to Town Meeting.”
Discussion ended with no decisions made, no votes taken. The next meeting of CPIC will be Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in the Bromfield gym.