Published July 23, 2020
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Virtually all barriers have been now been removed for the town to move forward with an outdoor Special Town Meeting on Saturday morning, August 8 when voters will be asked to consider the purchase of the Seven Acres Poultry Farm on Concord Street.
The only thing left to do is hope for sunny skies and low humidity.
Concerned about being unable to potentially hold a Special Town Meeting in a confined indoor space during the COVID-19 era due to the quorum of 150 voters required under the Town Charter, the Select Board was able to reduce that requirement to just 15 voters by a unanimous 5-0 vote Monday night.
The decision to hold the Town Meeting outdoors on the Arthur J. Kenney turf field at NRHS starting at 9 a.m. was done in consultation with the town moderator, as required under the law, and also aligns with the unanimous opinion of the Board of Health that such large gatherings should be held outdoors “for the foreseeable future.”
The Board of Health had opposed holding the Annual Town Meeting in the high school gymnasium on June 29, but the town moderator okayed it given that the warrant was pared back and the town’s open Town Meeting format for a regular meeting does not have a quorum requirement. A total of 67 people attended the annual Town Meeting — 49 voters and 18 visitors.
Town Moderator John Murphy stated for the record Monday night that he was in agreement with the quorum reduction in this instance and the outdoor venue.
“I support the motion. I think it’s important. I do not want to continue, continue, continue, continue this meeting. I think it makes a lot of sense. It gives the community the flexibility to move forward,” Murphy said.
Murphy was referencing the prior recesses and continuances of this Special Town Meeting on May 11, June 8, June 29 and July 27, which were done to ensure that all voters who wished to participate in the deliberations and the vote could do so, particularly the town’s most vulnerable populations susceptible of contracting the virus.
But it was not possible for the Select Board to reduce the quorum requirement until Gov. Baker signed House Bill 4777 on June 5, which was enacted as Chapter 92 of the Acts of 2020. This law authorizes a Select Board to “reduce the quorum for an Annual or Special Town Meeting, regardless of whether such quorum is set by bylaw or charter.”
“It’s obviously an extremely unusual measure to reduce a quorum. The quorums are in place for good reason because we want to encourage active participation,” commented Select Board Chairwoman Kate Manupelli. “Whatever the town votes at Town Meeting is instructive to how we proceed. But nevertheless it is obviously important in COVID-19 to be able to take this kind of an extraordinary measure.”
Manupelli also noted that the town moderator “has been joining us for our meetings and actually has provided us with input with regard to this matter.” Murphy had also participated in several Board of Health meetings. All of these public meetings have been held virtually. Numerous town officials also visited both venues previously to discuss how best set up indoor and outdoor town meetings that took into account all social distancing requirements.
After the unanimous vote by Manupelli and Select Board members Stephen O’Leary, Liane Gonzalez, Rich Wallner and Vincenzo Stuto, O’Leary then moved to release “for public consumption” the documents developed by the town’s consultants over the past several months which evaluate all three properties under consideration for purchase from the Magliozzi family, who have owned the land for over 80 years. The town has the right of first refusal because of the special tax status of the farm.
“It is important for the public to understand that we have been doing our due diligence on the purchase of the turkey farm and the two adjacent parcels,” O’Leary said. “And in order for other boards, committees and commissions to make informed recommendations to Town Meeting, such as the Finance Committee, the Economic Development Committee or Planning Commission, or anybody else who wants to weigh in … it’s important that we release this as soon as possible so that the public can take a look at it and make an informed decision when they come to town meeting and vote to either raise and appropriate the money to purchase the property or decide not to.”
These documents will be available on the town’s website, www.northreadingma.gov.
Residents should also be on the lookout for their Special Town Meeting warrant which is expected to arrive in their mail by Saturday, two weeks in advance of the meeting.
