Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Several officials call the article financially irresponsible.
If the town of Seekonk is going to spend money to complete the restoration of the Banna Fire Station on Pine Street, the funding will most likely come from a debt exclusion tax approved next year by voters. Town Meeting on Tuesday rejected putting $550,000 toward the project from Seekonk's free cash fund. The vote was 77-56. Supporters of the article stressed the need to finish the project, which is several years in the making and has been delayed by various setbacks, including a lawsuit. Selectmen Gary Sagar and Francis Cavaco said the station was needed to serve the town's north end, and reduce emergency response time. Fire Chief Alan Jack said the current response time is unacceptable. Those opposed to the article, including a majority …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
There are 29 articles on the warrant.
The Seekonk Fall Town Meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Seekonk High School. There are 29 articles on the warrant, which is attached to this article. Among the warrant items are proposals to add $550,000 to the project calling for the demolition and reconstruction of the Richard Banna Memorial Fire Station on Pine Street, to spend $10,000 on the construction of a Veterans Memorial Garden in front of Town Hall and to set aside $80,000 for a Special Education Stabilization Fund. Other warrant items include several town labor agreements, creation of an overlay district to allow for the construction of an elder care facility at the Firefly Country Club property off Fall River Avenue and various proposals for the town property on 69 School …
Monday, September 24, 2012
Attorney General Martha Coakley says the Town Meeting-approved article violates Seekonk and state laws.
A major decision by Seekonk Town Meeting in June has been tossed by Attorney General Martha Coakley. She issued a decision Monday stating the unanimously approved article prohibiting selectmen from serving on other town boards violates local and state laws. Similar to the recommendation by town counsel prior to Town Meeting, Coakley wrote that the article "restricts the executive appointing authority of the Board of Selectmen in violation of the Town Charter." She wrote that it also violates a state general law "which partially vests in the Board of Selectmen the power to fill vacancies on boards." Coakley wrote, "We recognize that the likely intent of [the article] was to preserve for the town's citizens (as opposed to elected Selectboard…
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
The Attorney General's Office needs more time to review an article approved at the recent Seekonk Town Meeting that would prevent selectmen from serving on other town boards.
Seekonk's legal consultant is certain a town meeting-approved article that prevents selectmen from serving on other local boards conflicts with local and state laws, but the state Attorney General's Office is not sure. In a letter issued last week about its review of the June town meeting, the state agency wrote to Town Clerk Jan Parker that it approved all the articles passed at the meeting except for the one about limiting selectmen's power. The letter states that the office needs more time to review the measure, and would have an answer by Sept. 24. The article was drafted by former Selectman Bill Rice, who collected more than 160 signatures to get the item on the town meeting warrant. He said that it is a "misuse of power" for …
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
The town meeting-approved bylaw must be reviewed by the attorney general before it can be implemented.
If you want drive your own ice cream truck or sell door-to-door Bibles in Seekonk, you better not have an extensive criminal background. The town meeting on Monday approved an article calling for fingerprint-based criminal background checks on people applying for certain licenses. Proponents of the measure, including Police Chief Ronald Charron, said it would add an extra layer of protection for Seekonk residents. Opponents said it was an example of government getting too involved in people's lives. The background checks would cost applicants $100. Those subject to them would be people applying for or in possession of licenses for hawking and peddling, alcohol, dealing second-hand articles, pawning, hackney driving and ice cream truck …
The state Attorney General's office will determine the legality of prohibiting selectmen from serving on other town boards.
The town of Seekonk's legal consultant may not like the proposal to prevent selectmen from serving on other municipal boards, but the town meeting is enthusiastically behind it. The proposal was passed unanimously Monday night at the meeting, which took place at Seekonk High School. The approval came a few days after the town's legal consultant, attorney Joyce Frank, issued an opinion that the measure was in conflict with town and state law. She wrote that the town meeting's decision would not be binding. The state Attorney General's office will have the final say. Several people addressed the town meeting in favor of the measure. "For the Board of Selectmen to assume positions on other boards is just wrong," said Lauren Walsh, chair of …
41.83687
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Seekonk High School
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499686
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The new facility is expected to open next summer.
One of the largest town meetings in recent memory led to the landslide approval Monday night of a tax measure to fund the construction of a new senior center in Seekonk. The vote was 409-36 in favor of the proposal. "I think it's great, it's wonderful to get the measure approved," said Dave Bowden, chair of the Senior Center Building Committee, after the meeting. Bowden said there was a big effort to make sure people came to the meeting at Seekonk High School to vote for the measure, especially since it needed two-thirds support for passage. "Now we've got to put together RFPs, get architects in here ... and go out to bid," Bowden said. He said the new facility next to Town Hall on Peck Street should be open next summer. The tax will cost…
41.83687
-71.33201
Seekonk High School
261 Arcade Ave, Seekonk, MA
/articles/senior-center-wins-big-at-town-meeting
499686
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Monday, June 11, 2012
Check back for updates of tonight's town meeting.
DECISIONS ON ARTICLES Special Warrant Regular Warrant
The Seekonk Town meeting will begin at the high school at 7 p.m.
Seekonk voters will decide on 29 items—including the proposal for a temporary tax hike to fund the $2.5 million senior center and the town's $43.9 million budget for fiscal year 2012-13—at the town meeting tonight. The session at Seekonk High School will begin at 7 p.m. There are actually two warrants for tonight's meeting—one for a regular session and one for a special session. The regular session will begin at 7 p.m., and the special session is scheduled to start five minutes later. The regular session will begin again after the special session has concluded. [Both warrants and the proposed budget are attached to this article.] The special session includes two of the major items of the night—the senior center measure and a proposal to …
41.83687
-71.33201
Seekonk High School
261 Arcade Ave, Seekonk, MA
/articles/town-meeting-includes-budget-sr-center-prop
499686
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Friday, May 11, 2012
The Seekonk town meeting will vote on a proposal to exempt national guardsmen and reservists from paying property taxes during overseas deployment.
Seekonk property owners serving on foreign soil in the National Guard or as military reservists could get exemptions from paying property taxes during their time overseas. The Board of Selectmen voted 5-0 on Wednesday to put the proposal before next month's town meeting. A Massachusetts law allows municipalities to grant property tax relief of up to 100 percent during a national guardsman or reservist's time on duty in a foreign land. The selectmen determined they wanted town meeting voters to consider full exemptions. This proposal was one of two items added to the warrant for the town meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. on June 11 at Seekonk High School. The other item would allow the town to dispose the former school administration…
Michael Davis
5:35 pm on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Thanks Amy more ›