Clock Ticking on Long Town Meeting Talks?

Some Westborough voters emphatically stated their disappointment with the length of some of the March 16 annual meeting presentations.

Should presenters at Westborough town meetings be on the clock? Town Moderator Joe Harrington says he received “very emphatic feedback from the comment cards” after the March 16 annual town meeting “expressing severe disappointment in the length of some of the presentations, both initial and subsequent.” “I thought about that. I take blame on myself as much as anyone for that,” Harrington says. Harrington spoke during the annual post town meeting discussion with Advisory Finance Committee Chairman Edward Behn, selectmen and Town Manager Jim Malloy on Tuesday night. Harrington suggested that, possibly for the October town meeting, “I would negotiate with each initial presenter a time” and hold them to that time. If the speaker requested …

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Text Alert Draws Voters to Town Meeting for Budget

'I think whenever the integrity of the meeting is undermined, it hurts us all,' Behn says.

A text message prompted Westborough's March 16 annual town meeting to draw voters for the budget discussion -- only -- which undermined "the integrity of the meeting," Advisory Finance Committee Chairman Edward Behn said Tuesday night. Behn, Town Moderator Joe Harrington, selectmen and Town Manager Jim Malloy had their annual post town meeting discussion. “I think whenever the integrity of the meeting is undermined, it hurts us all," he said in prefacing his remarks. Westborough residents need to discuss “how do we do a better job of getting people to stay for all the meeting so that we don’t have people coming for one issue," Behn said. “That’s what the heart of our government is about: it’s that legislative ability," he said. Behn said …

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Dominic Capriole

5:34 am on Saturday, March 30, 2013

Andy My educational experience is as relevant or irrelevant as yours, you brought it up. I hesitated at Town Meeting because a saw little value in making a presentation to a hostile audience, and I was right. Westborough town government could be better without some self-serving group inflating the cost. I was referring to your "next generation", young people, who when they come of age, will …   more ›

Early Fall Start for Town Hall Project Possible

Voters approved the funding at last Saturday's annual town meeting.

Westborough Town Hall renovations could start in the early fall, Municipal Building Committee Chairman Bob Brown said Wednesday. Voters at last Saturday's annual town meeting approved the borrowing of $7,354,063 for the project. Brown said the architect is finishing the design of the 14-month project. Officials hope to go out to bid around August, he said. The town offices must be housed elsewhere during the work due to mold, asbestos and other issues, Town Manager Jim Malloy has said. Brown said the temporary space has not been determined. "It's a matter of finding the proper space close to the center of town," he said. Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our…

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Stephen Faris

12:06 pm on Monday, March 25, 2013

Folks, I have been investigating putting spending questions on the ballot. It turns out several towns are already pursuing this idea. Below is an article: http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/opinions/editorials/x1665847191/Editorial-Put-local-questions-on-high-turnout-ballots As we have seen in the Town Hall and Fire Station projects, a small number of voters are causing big problems for our taxes…   more ›

Spending Control Citizen Petition Defeated

The request was on Saturday's annual town meeting warrant.

A citizen petition that proponents said sought to control Westborough’s spending for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 was defeated by a majority of voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting at Westborough High School. Selectmen Chairman Ian Johnson said the voters at the town meeting “can’t really bind ourselves” to “future town meetings.” He said Westborough’s tax rate won’t be set until October or November. “What the proponent here, in our eyes, is asking for, is really impossible to do,” Johnson said. The warrant article sought “to see if the town will vote to limit the tax rate for FY15 and FY16 to 0 percent increase or less over FY14 tax rate,” proponent Dominic Capriole said. Capriole said the matter of the article not being binding was not…

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Dominic Capriole

9:56 pm on Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Knowledge coupled with a sincere desire to help others who may feel underrepresented, marginalized and unappreciated is not a waste of time in my value system. This is most true when the population that I am trying to help is a minority within the social structure of the town of Westborough.   more ›

School Board Chairman: 'You Get a Great Bang for Your Buck'

Majority of voters agree, and support schools' budget request.

Westborough School Committee Chairman Ilyse Levine-Kanji's "You get a great bang for your buck"-themed budget presentation Saturday apparently resonated with voters. The annual town meeting approved school officials' budget request of $42,694,208, a 3.1 percent increase from current spending. Voters had three school budget options: the school department's request; the advisory finance committee's recommendation of $42,521,400; a 3 percent increase; and resident Dominic Capriole's proposal of $42,108,000. Town Moderator Joe Harrington said voters would discuss all three numbers simultaneously, but vote on the largest number first, and end the voting if a majority supported it, per Westborough's bylaws. "The purpose of public education is an…

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Michael Gelbwasser

8:02 am on Friday, March 22, 2013

I've removed a comment that was flagged by a user as inappropriate.   more ›

Voters OK Medical Marijuana Zoning, School Budget

The annual town meeting approved all articles except the last one, a citizen petition.

Westborough's annual town meeting Saturday approved the school committee's budget request over two lower figures. Voters also approved the planning board's proposed zoning bylaw amendment regulating medical marijuana treatment and dispensing facilities, as well as marijuana cultivation. And voters approved the municipal building committee's request to borrow $7,354,063 to renovate Westborough Town Hall. Voters approved 16 of the 17 warrant articles. Only a citizen petition to limit Westborough's tax rate increase for fiscal years 2015 and 2016 failed to pass during the session, which was held in the Westborough High School auditorium. The petition was the last order of business before the town meeting ended at 10:36 p.m. Westborough Patch …

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Stephen Faris

12:21 pm on Saturday, March 23, 2013

Mike, Check out Jennifers comments about me. Steve Faris   more ›

Westborough Heads to Town Meeting

The session starts at 1 this afternoon at Westborough High School.

Local Medical Marijuana Restrictions 'Premature,' Advocate Says

The annual town meeting is Saturday.

Adopting local medical marijuana restrictions is "premature, since the state has yet to issue regulations that will address many aspects of treatment center operation," Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance Executive Director Matt Allen said Wednesday. The Westborough Planning Board will ask voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting to approve zoning restrictions -- not a total ban -- on medical marijuana dispensaries and growing in town, Chairman Lester Hensley said today. The bylaw proposal included the restrictions as a fall-back option in case the Massachusetts attorney general's office struck down such a local ban. Wednesday, the attorney general struck down Wakefield's ban, according to the Boston Globe. The town meeting starts at 1…

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Bruce Tretter

2:21 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013

The Westborough Town Planner and Planning Board have demonstrated an outstanding example of leadership by addressing a problem and crafting a well researched and thought out proposal. Really looking forward to supporting their effort at Town Meeting tomorrow.   more ›