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You can tell another Town Meeting is approaching with it’s time for the town manager’s public hearing.
Town Manager Beth Rudolph hosted the forum on Oct. 30, where, in a low-key fashion, she went over articles not previously covered by other town boards and committees and answered questions.
“I thought it was fairly standard for the town manager’s hearings," Select Board and Town Meeting member Anthea Brady said, of the evening. “The questions from Town Meeting members were great and I look forward to seeing how the fall session turns out.”
Town Meeting Moderator Heather von Mering called the forum “a great opportunity for residents and Town Meeting members to ask questions.”
She added similar forums have also been low key in the past and no participant was prevented from speaking.
Article 3
Among others on the evening’s agenda was Article 3. Sponsored by the Committee on Rules, it proposes changes in bylaws “to declare vacant the seats of certain Town Meeting members for failure to attend one half or more of the total number of sessions of the Winchester Town Meeting held during the previous 12 month period, Fall 2023 and Spring 2024.”
Rudolph said the article is expected to be tabled and is not applicable at this time.
Article 9
Sponsored by the Select Board and Climate Action Advisory Committee, Article 9
is a proposal to adopt the state “Specialized Energy Code” for the purpose of regulating the design and construction of buildings for the effective use of energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. have new construction for electric appliances for eventual use even if they are not going to be used immediately.
Climate Action Advisory Committee member Joshua Bers feels there is “a good possibility” it will pass.
“You never know, but we’ve had support,” he said.
He expects a discussion at Town Meeting so people can be assured it won’t cost the town money. Bers feels it will do the opposite because the town will be eligible for grants if it adopts the code.
“The code allows for gas stoves in a mixed fuel pathway, but new construction will need to meet additional standards for electrification for future use,” he explained during the forum.
Article 22
Article 22 is a Citizens Petition from Town Meeting member Shamus Brady, who is proposing members of the Select Board, School Committee, Planning Board, Board of Health and Town Meeting moderator be subject to term limits, specifically no more than two terms (6 years) within 18 calendar years for Select Board, School Committee, Planning Board and Board of Health and no more than six terms (6 years) within 18 calendar years for moderator.
Any elected officials in office as of Dec. 31, 2024, who have already served two terms in that office shall be permitted to complete their current terms and anyone elected to a partial term shall not have that partial term counted against the limits.
“The intent is to encourage more folks to get involved in elected offices,” Brady, a former School Committee member, said during the forum. “Term limits will encourage people to run.”
He added the limits with 18 years is to “discourage people from cycling on and off one board.”
“I don’t want there to be semi-incumbents that come back and are re-elected to positions after one term off,” he explained.
Rudolph asked him if the article was enforceable.
“Town counsel believes it is not,” Shamus Brady said. “In discussion with town counsel, I was working to get it to be enforceable, but we were not able to land on language that is enforceable. I did after, but it was too late to change the language and I would welcome any amendments on the floor to make it enforceable."
Von Mering, who was also a member of the Planning Board, said the article is, as worded, a statement not enacting a change in bylaws. It reads “to see if the Town will vote...,” presumably to have the matter be a ballot question in the future.
“I’m elected by the voters, but my responsibility is to Town Meeting,” she said. “If Town Meeting prefers it, it’s their choice.”
Article 23
Article 23, sponsored by the Committee on Government Regulations, is a proposal to see if the town will vote to amend the bylaws to remove gendered pronouns and replace them with specific titles.
“We are looking for inconsistencies, outdated language and bylaws that might no longer be relevant,” Committee on Government Regulation member Caren Connelly explained. “One of the first things that struck many members was the use of gendered language throughout the bylaws; for example, always referring to the town manager as ‘he.’ Currently, and possibly in the future, that is inaccurate. The goal of the amendment is to remove a suggestion of gender from the by-laws without changing the intent. The proposed amendment attempts to make the by-laws more uniform and remove language that was suggestive of males occupying specific roles in the town.”
Von Mering expects Town Meeting to run up to the four nights scheduled for Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 18 and Nov. 21, with extensive discussion of Articles 7 (zoning for the Main Street Mixed-use District), 8 (provisions for Accessory Dwelling Units), 9 (Specialized Energy Code) and 20 (the ability of Finance Committee members to serve on other boards and committees).
“There’s a substantial amount of work to go through,” she said. “It’s a full agenda.”
