Town Meeting convened at 7:30 pm on Tuesday, October 19 2004 at Natick High School, and dissolved on Thursday, October 21.

To determine what sum or sums of money the Town will appropriate and raise, or transfer from available funds, for the operation of the government of the Town of Natick, including debt and interest, and to provide for a reserve fund for Fiscal Year 2005 (July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005), and to see what budgets for Fiscal 2005 will be reduced to offset said additional appropriations, or take any action relative thereto. 

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate a sum of money from available funds for the purpose of supplementing the stabilization fund under Article 22 of the warrant for Annual Town Meeting of 1961, as authorized by Chapter 40, Section 5B of the General Laws, as amended, or otherwise act  thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or otherwise provide, the funds necessary to implement the Terms of Agreements reached between the Town and the following collective bargaining units:

a) SEIU Local 888 AFL-CIO  (Dispatchers)
b) Natick Patrol Officers Association
c) International Brotherhood of Police Officers, Local 622
d) Local 1116 Laborers’ International Union, Recreation & Human Services Employee

To see what sums of money the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or otherwise provide, to hire additional personnel for the operation of the Morse Institute Library, for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and raise, or otherwise provide, a sum or sums of money as may be required for capital equipment for the various departments of the Town of Natick, or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and raise, or otherwise provide, a sum or sums of money to implement a Capital Improvement Program, to protect the physical infrastructure of the Town of Natick, or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and raise, or otherwise provide, a sum or sums of money as may be required for the lease and/or repair of equipment for various departments of the Town of Natick, or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to increase from 50% to 75% the amount of monies allocated to the Commission on Disability as the result of fines generated from violations of handicapped parking laws

and further

To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and raise, or otherwise provide a sum of money not to exceed $4,125 for the purchase and installation of audio tactile push button walk signals at various intersections in Natick, curb cuts and access route installations and repairs, and to provide for disability awareness/educational materials to be used with the public and private sector or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 40:  Section 22A, will vote to raise the amount of fines for handicapped parking violations in the following amounts:

1) Handicapped Parking Violations:  from $100.00 to $200.00
2) Access Aisle Violations:  from $200.00 to $300.00

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds or otherwise provide a sum of money for site improvements and renovations of the Dug Pond Boat Landing on Windsor Avenue for the protection of Dug Pond; and to determine whether this appropriation will be raised by borrowing or otherwise; or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or otherwise provide, a sum of money to be expended by the Department of Public Works to implement the cleaning and relining of approximately 14,250 feet of water main along the section of Speen Street from the Sherborn town line to the Framingham town line; and to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise; or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or otherwise provide a sum of money to be expended by the Department of Public Works for the planning, study, design and/or repair of the Town’s sewer system to identify and/or prohibit extraneous flow in the form of Infiltration and Inflow into the Town sewer system; and to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise; or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to  raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or otherwise provide a sum of money for the construction of a Town sewer system to service the areas of Clubhouse Lane, and Saddlebrook Road; to determine whether this appropriation shall be raised by borrowing or otherwise; such work to be performed and betterments to be assessed in accordance with applicable Massachusetts law and the Town of Natick By-Laws, Article 71; and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire by purchase, eminent domain or otherwise, easements for utility purposes to permit the installation of Town sewer pipe in Saddlebrook Road, and service connections from said sewer pipe, and to allow the repair and maintenance thereof; or otherwise act thereon.

We the registered voters of Natick, Massachusetts request the Town of Natick to raise and/or appropriate funds for the purpose of certain storm water drain improvements in the Bennett-Hemenway school area.  Said improvements are believed necessary as recent school construction failed to properly provide for the efficient drainage of rain waters from the school area into the sewer system.  Presently the intersection of Westlake Road and Waring Road regularly floods during moderate to heavy rain events.  This intersection is a residential neighborhood that bears much pedestrian, car and school bus traffic during the morning and mid-afternoon hours related to the school’s operation.  Flood levels are routinely approaching the resident’s homes threatening damage to property.  Water levels during said storms reach mid-wheel on a school bus.  Manhole covers become displaced and uncovered manholes, not visible due to floodwaters, threaten the passing vehicles.  Children often play and swim in the floodwater amongst the collected drainage debris and are too at peril of being swallowed by the open manholes to their certain demise. 

We the voters and residents request the Town of Natick to address this drainage concern with due expedience and make the remedy of this safety concern of utmost priority.

To see if the Town will vote to rescind the following amounts of unissued debt authorized for the following purposes;
 

	Amount Rescinded	Article Number	Date of Vote	Purpose
	$100,000.00	Article 21	April 11, 2002	Golf Course

or take any other action relative thereto.

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, or otherwise provide such sums of money as may be required for the payment of unpaid bills of previous years, incurred by the departments, boards and officers of the Town of Natick, or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize and direct the Board of Assessors to take a sum of money from Surplus Revenue - Free Cash to reduce the tax levy for the current fiscal year.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to submit to the Massachusetts Economic Assistance Coordinating Council an application designating the property located at 2 and 3 Apple Hill Drive, Natick, MA, described on Assessor’s Map 19, as Parcel 7, as an Economic Opportunity Area.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into a Tax Increment Financing Plan with The Math Works, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 40, Section 59 of the Massachusetts General Laws, in connection with the purchase of property located at 2 and 3 Apple Hill Drive, Natick, MA , shown on Natick Assessors’ Map 19 as Parcel 7, which is the subject matter of a Certified Project Application prepared by The Math Works, and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to execute such documents and to take such action as is necessary to obtain approval of the Certified Project Application and to implement said Tax Increment Financing Plan, a copy of which is on file in the office of the Natick Town Clerk.

Or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to acquire a parcel of land with the buildings thereon owned now or formerly by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and used now or formerly as a National Guard Armory; said parcel contains approximately 34,180 square feet, is located at 97 East Central Street, Natick, MA, and is shown on Town of Natick Assessors’ Map 44 as Parcel 269; to see what sum of money the Town will vote to appropriate for the purposes of this article; to determine how said appropriation shall be raised, whether by transfer from available funds, borrowing or otherwise; to see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for and receive on behalf of the Town grants, gifts or donations for the purposes of this article from federal, state or private sources; to authorize the Board of Selectmen to execute all documents and to take any action necessary to accomplish the purposes of this article;

or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court to enact legislation in substantially the following form, provided that the Legislature may reasonably vary the form and substance of the requested legislation within the scope of the general public objectives of this petition.

AN ACT AUTHORIZING THE 
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
TO CONVEY CERTAIN PROPERTY
TO THE TOWN OF NATICK

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

 SECTION 1: Notwithstanding sections 40E through 40J of Chapter 7 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may convey to the town of Natick, upon such terms as the commissioner of capital asset management shall determine, a parcel of land with the buildings thereon owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and used now or formerly as a National Guard Armory.  Said parcel contains approximately 34,180 square feet, is located at 97 East Central Street in said town, and is shown on town of Natick Assessors’ Map 44 as Parcel 269.

 SECTION 2:   This act shall take effect upon its passage.

To see if the Town will vote to accept the following streets and appurtenant easements as laid out and filed with the Town Clerk, and as shown on street acceptance plans on file with the Town Clerk:

Libby Road
Samuel Path
Marie Path
Katie Path
Pheasant Hollow Road (from the end of the current accepted portion to Theresa Lane)

or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to approve an amendment to Section 2-13 of Chapter 2 of the Natick Home Rule Charter for submittal to the voters in order to (1) correct the procedures for calling the election so that they are in compliance with the General Laws; (2) allow the Selectmen more latitude in scheduling the election; (3) define the referendum procedure so that it is only permitted to reverse the action taken by Town Meeting on an affirmative main motion properly introduced, debated, and either approved or disapproved; (4) describe the effect of subsidiary motions applied to the main motion; (5) revise the list of cases for which referendum is not allowed; and (6) handle the issue of formulating the ballot question to insure that it is clear to the voters; or otherwise act thereon.

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town of Natick By-Law by amending Article 53 which reads:
 

Article 53
Use of Recreational Conveyances

Section 1     Prohibited Areas of Use
Recreational conveyances, both motorized and non-motorized, including, but not limited to, scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and roller blades may not be used or operated in, on or upon any non-school building owned by the Town of Natick or the stairs and grounds of a non-school building owned by the Town of Natick, except grounds specifically designated for recreational use or operation.  Such recreational conveyances may not be used or operated upon any private building or land where the owner or other person in control of the property has posted a notice prohibiting such use or operation.

Section 1.     Prohibited Areas of Use
Recreational conveyances, both motorized and non-motorized, including, but not limited to, scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and roller blades may not be used or operated in, on or upon any building owned by the Town of Natick or the stairs and grounds of a building owned by the Town of Natick, except grounds specifically designated for recreational use or operation.  Such recreational conveyances may not be used or operated upon any private building or land where the owner or other person in control of the property has posted a notice prohibiting such use or operation.

To see if the Town of Natick will amend its Zoning By-Laws in the following respects, or otherwise act thereon:

Insert new areas of the Housing Overlay Option Plan – II (HOOP-II) District after Area a) to read as follows:

Area b):
 As shown on the Town of Natick 2004 Assessor’s Map 44 Lots 269, 270, 271A and 271B.

Area c):
 As shown on the Town of Natick 2004 Assessor’s Map 35 Lots 39,41,41A,40,44,99,100,101,102,103,104,43,42 and Map 43 Lots 466,467,467A,468,469.

Area d):
 As shown on the Town of Natick 2004 Assessor’s Map 36 Lots 1A, 1B, Map 44 Lot 277, Map 37 Lots 90A, 90C, and 91.

To see what action(s) Town Meeting will take to consider, accept, reject, refer and/or modify either in whole or in part by either addition, deletion, amendment, clarification or otherwise, the so called Town Meeting Member Handbook presented and distributed by the Financial Operations Committee of the Board of Selectmen at the Spring 2004 Town Meeting or take any other action relative thereto.

To receive the reports of Town agencies to whom subjects were referred at previous Town Meetings and to see if the Town will vote to take additional actions to refer these subjects.

To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to Chapter 44, Section 53El/2 of the Massachusetts General Laws, to establish a revolving fund in order to utilize fees paid to the Conservation Commission by applicants pursuant to the Natick Wetlands Protection By Law for the purpose of hiring consultants; to authorize the Conservation Commission to expend money from said revolving fund for consultant services regarding applications to the Conservation Commission under Chapter 131, Section 40 of the Massachusetts General Laws and under the Natick Wetlands Protection By Law; to establish a limit on the total amount which may be expended from such fund in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2004; or otherwise act thereon.