8 May, 2021
The 2021 Hopkinton Annual Town Meeting is live on HCAM-TV (Comcast: Channel 8, Verizon: Channel 30) and our youtube page! You can also follow along with what is happening at Town Meeting on this page!
As of 9:30am - Quorum Reached
Special Town Meeting Articles
Article 1: Senior Citizens Means Tested Property Tax Exemption - Passed
Article 2: Elementary School Feasibility Study - Standing Vote: Passes 105-1
-$1,000,000 for study of Elmwood School at 14 Elm Street
Special Town Meeting Concluded
Annual Town Meeting
Article 1: Acceptance of Town Reports - Passed
Article 2: FY 2021 Supplemental Appropriations & Transfers - Passed
-Transfers from Certified Free Cash
Article 3: Unpaid Bills from Prior Fiscal Years - Passed
-$18,212.69 and $505.78
Article 4: Excess Bond Premium - Passed
Article 5: Set the Salary of Elected Officials - Passed
-Town Clerk Salary: $73,527
Article 6: Fiscal 2022 Operating Budget - Passed
-$101,408,800
-$96,393,072 to General Fund
-$373,924 to Community Preservation Fund
-$2,099,409 to Sewer Enterprise Fund
-$2,195,448 to Water Enterprise Fund
-$346,947 to PEG Access Enterprise Fund
Article 7: Parks & Recreation Revolving Funds - Passed
-Expenses related to the operation & maintenance of the Fruit Street Fields
Article 8: FY 2022 Revolving Funds Spending Limits - Passed
Article 9: Consumer Price Index for Property Tax Exemptions - Passed
-Property Tax exemptions for Senior Citizens
Article 10: Chapter 90 Highway Funds - Passed
-$635,871 for Road Repairs
Article 11: Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund - Passed
$410,000 to Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund.
Article 12: Transfer from the General Stabilization Fund - Passed
-Motion for No Action
Article 13: Transfer from the School Department Stabilization Fund to General Fund - Passed
-No Action Recommended
Article 14: Transfer from the School Department Stabilization Fund to School Department - Passed
-$500,000 used for School Department
-No Action Recommended
Article 15: Parks & Rec Enterprise Fund - Passed
-$334,198.71
Article 16: Pay as you go Capital Expenses - Passed
Article 17: Marathon School Addition - Passed
-$3,625,000 for Marathon School Improvements
Article 18: School HVAC Renewal and Digital Control Upgrade - Passed
-$350,000 for Hopkinton Middle School HVAC Renewal and Upgrade
Article 19: Hopkins & Middle School Roof Replacement - Passed
-$3,000,000 for partial roof replacement of both schools
Article 20: Police Station Roof Replacement - Passed
-$250,000
-2/3 Majority Required
Article 21: Pratt Farm Well Field - Passed
-$195,000 for engineering work of the Pratt Farm Well Field
-Amendment to specify funding - Passed
Article 22: Grove Street Chlorine Injection - Passed
$300,000 for engineering work related to Grove Street Chlorine Injection
-Amendment to specify funding - Passed
Article 23: Alprilla Farm Well - Passed
-$40,000 for Well Cleaning
Article 24: Water Main Replacement - Woody Island Road - Passed
-$280,000 for replacement of water main
Article 25: Inflow and Infiltration Investigation - Passed
-$80,000 to investigate water leaking in municipal sewer system
Article 26: Vehicle Replacement - Passed
-$53,000 for replacement truck for sewer department
Article 27: Community Preservation Funds - Passed
-$144,611 each for Recreation Reserve, Historic Resources Reserve, Community Housing Reserve, Open Space Reserve
-$867,675 for Budgeted Reserve
Article 28: Community Preservation Recommendations - Passed
-Motion to vote first several items - Passed
-Motion to Move Item H - Passed
A-$20,000 (TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Historic Resources
B-$60,000 (SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Recreation to add additional
equipment to unused space at the EMC Playground off Hayden Rowe, and upgrade the
perimeter border of the playground to improve safety;
C-$350,000 (THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for
Recreation to for the design, bid and construction of a public skate park at EMC Park, off
Hayden Rowe;
D- $40,000 (FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Recreation for skate park
netting at EMC Park, which will protect skaters and participants from the batted balls at the
ballfield at EMC Park;
E-$90,000 (NINETY THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Community Housing for the
Covid-19 Emergency Housing Relief Program, which provides Covid-19 related emergency
mortgage and rental assistance for low- and moderate-income households;
F-$75,000 (SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Recreation to install
two roughly 0.2 to 0.3 mile stone dust trail sections to connect the Center Trail Phase 2 at
Field 13 to the Chamberlain Street sidewalks, and Center Trail to Field 11 and the
Chamberlain Street sidewalk;
G-$22,000 (TWENTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Recreation for
preparation for a turf surface at the Lacrosse wall at Fruit Street Fields, Hopkinton, MA;
H-$56,000 (FIFTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS) from funds reserved for Open Space for the
purchase the “Dunbar” property, a parcel of land on Hayden Rowe in Hopkinton, MA,
containing 0.35 acres, more or less, identified as Assessor’s Parcel U25 26 0
Article 29: Carwashes Downtown Business District - Passed
-Removes carwashes as allowable use in downtown business district
Article 30: Industrial B District Housekeeping - Passed
Article 31: Wireless Telecommunications Facilities - Passed
Article 32: Accessory Family Dwelling Unit - Standing Vote: Passed 92-12
-Changes requirement of being related by blood, marriage or adoption
-Allows accommodation of a caregiver or service provider
-2/3rd majority required
Article 33: Nonconforming Lots, Uses & Structures - Passed
-Allows for a waiver as long as structure doesn't alter footprint of existing dwelling
Article 34: Temporary Signs - Passed
-Allows extended use of signs for businesses affected by construction
12:00pm: Quorum Check - 101 Attendees (117 required)
MEETING ADJOURNED UNTIL 12:30 IN HOPES TO REACH QUROM
12:44pm: Quorum Check - 136 Attendees
Article 35: Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Installations - Standing Vote: Passed 126-14
-The purpose of this Article is to permit the creation of new commercial solar photovoltaic installations
by providing standards for the placement, design, construction, operation, monitoring, modification and
removal of such installations that address public safety and minimize impacts on scenic, natural and
historic resources, and promote the public health and welfare by minimizing impacts on and undue
disturbance to neighboring landowners, including from noise, traffic, lighting, smoke, fumes, dust, odor,
glare, storm-water runoff, or the unnecessary removal of trees or destruction of natural habitat.
-2/3rd Majority Required
Article 36: Commercial Solar Photovoltaic Installations Overlay - Standing Vote: Failed 2/3rd Majority 59-82
-Creates overlay district specifying where solar panels can be installed
-Two-Thirds Majority Required
Article 37: Rubbish Disposal, Garden Apartments in Residential Districts and Village Housing in Residential Districts - Standing Vote: Fails 12-94
-Amended by Tom Garabedian to say "Rubbish Diposal may be provided by the Town". - Passed automatically by Petitioner
-Planning Board Recommends Disapproval
-Select Board Recommends Disapproval
-Two-Thirds Majority Required
Article 38: Dog Licensing - Passed
Article 39: Storm-water Management and Erosion Control - Passed
-Protection from Storm-Water developments
Article 40: Obstruction of Streets & Sidewalks and Housekeeping - Passed
-Further protects sidewalks & streets from leaves and debris from being placed on them in addition to the current bylaw which only provides snow protection.
Article 41: Street Opening Permits - Passed
Article 42: Trench Safety Officer - Passed
Article 43: 148 Lumber Street - Passed
-Historical Commission Acquisition
-Oldest House in Hopkinton (MacFarland-Sanger House)
Article 44: Teresa Road to Hughes Farm Trail - Passed
-No Action recommended by Select Board, Appropriations Committee and Capital Improvements Committee
Town Meeting Concluded
