Published April 1, 2020

By DAN TOMASELLO

LYNNFIELD — The COVID-19 virus outbreak has brought life across the world to a screeching halt. The Annual Town Meeting is no exception.

The Board of Selectmen closed the Annual Town Meeting warrant last week. Town Administrator Rob Dolan told the selectmen that the warrant contains 14 articles, 13 of which were submitted by the selectmen.

Town Moderator Joe Markey announced on Monday that Town Meeting will be delayed from Monday, April 27 to Wednesday, May 27 due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak.

“Although the governor’s orders explicitly exempt any municipal legislative body, a term that includes town meetings, turnout for Lynnfield Town Meetings can be expected to exceed 175 voters, the required quorum,” Markey stated in a letter to the editor. “The logic of the governor’s orders compels the conclusion that holding the Annual Town Meeting on the scheduled date would pose an unwarranted risk to the health and safety of the people of Lynnfield. In addition to consulting with the selectmen, the emergency management director and the director of health, I have reviewed guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Given the rapid spread of the disease, the limited testing conducted to date, the present lack of containment, and the risk to vulnerable populations inherent in public gatherings, I conclude that delaying the Annual Town Meeting is in the best interest of the town and its citizens.”

Markey said he is working with local officials in order to “access the best possible place where the future Town Meeting could take place due to the health pandemic.”

“One untraditional option could be holding the meeting outside, where attendees could be 6 feet away from one another,” said Markey. “Information about the COVID-19 virus is evolving, and the situation remains dynamic. Rest assured, town officials are working on a solution to conduct Town Meeting prudently based upon the best interest of our community’s health.”

Warrant breakdown

Article 1 will request Town Meeting to act on reports of town officials and special committees. Article 2 will choose all town officers “not required to be chosen by ballot” including three field drivers, one pound keeper and three wood measurers.

According to the warrant, Article 3 will request Town Meeting to “fix the compensation of each of the elective officers of the town” as required by state law. The Board of Assessors and the Board of Selectmen are the only boards in town that get paid.

Article 4 will ask Town Meeting to “vote to raise and appropriate or appropriate by transfer from available funds, sums of money to supplement certain accounts in the current 2020 fiscal year where balances are below projected expenditures for various reasons.”

According to the warrant, Article 5 will request Town Meeting to approve paying overdue bills from a previous fiscal year.

Article 6 will ask townspeople to approve the proposed fiscal year 2021 operating budget. Dolan has proposed a $58,959,164 operating budget for the next fiscal year, representing a 3.1 percent increase over FY20’s $57,199,707 appropriation. The selectmen were recently forced to postpone the public hearing on the proposed spending plan due to the outbreak.

Article 7 is the proposed FY21 capital budget, totaling $2,571,726. Dolan told the selectmen recently that the proposed capital budget includes $488,000 for personal protective equipment for the Fire Department, $300,000 for engineering costs associated with the Summer Street Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) project and $350,000 for road construction. The $300,000 capital budget for the School Department includes $250,000 for technology expenses, $50,000 for a new bell system at Lynnfield High School and $20,000 for a new phone system for Summer Street School.

According to the warrant, Article 8 will ask townspeople to appropriate $200,000 for the Stabilization Fund.

Article 9 will set spending limits for the town’s revolving funds. According to Article 9, the limit for the Council on Aging’s revolving fund totals $50,000. The Board of Health’s revolving fund’s limit is $15,000. The Lynnfield Public Library’s revolving fund limit totals $10,000.

Lynnfield Recreation’s revolving fund limit equals $325,000. The DPW’s fields’ revolving fund limit totals $75,000. The DPW’s revolving fund limit for the Al Merritt Media and Cultural Center is $10,000.

Article 10 will ask voters to “appropriate a sum of money from Emergency Medical Service Enterprise receipts to pay expenses and contractual services.” Article 11 will ask Town Meeting to allocate funds from “Golf Enterprise receipts and/or Golf Enterprise Retained Earnings to pay expenses and contractual services required to operate the Reedy Meadow Golf Course and King Rail Golf Course.”

According to the warrant, Article 12 will ask Town Meeting to appropriate $200,000 by transferring available funds as part of a plan to renovate the Town Common. Article 12 will not allocate funds for the purpose of constructing a gazebo on the Town Common. The Historical Society will be paying to have the gazebo constructed.

The final warrant article the selectmen submitted is Article 13, which seeks to amend the town’s general bylaws in order to prohibit minors from sitting at bars in the town’s various restaurants and clubs. The selectmen approved a similar regulation change in February.

Town Counsel Tom Mullen recently told the selectmen approving a general bylaw at Town Meeting does not require a two-thirds vote that changes to the Zoning Bylaw require.

“I find it hard to believe that you are going to get a majority in opposition to something that is unobjectionable like this,” said Mullen.

Dolan noted the warrant includes a citizens’ petition that was submitted by former Planning Board Co-Chairman Alan Dresios. The selectmen voted to refer Article 14 to the Planning Board, which will be scheduling a public hearing on the proposed warrant article.

Article 14 seeks to amend the town’s Zoning Bylaw amendment’s section. The article states, “Regardless of any provisions to the contrary any amendment, adoption, or change to the Zoning Bylaws, town of Lynnfield shall require a two-thirds vote of a Town Meeting.”