Second Time's a Charm for Electronic Sign, E-Voting Articles

After three evenings, September's Town Meeting concluded last night following debate on questions of zoning and general bylaws. Only around 77 of the 126 members were present, and the conversation was nudged along several times by participants moving the question, which means stopping debate and forcing a vote.

Two articles found success upon a second introduction. Article 12 to establish an electronic voting committee passed easily after an amendment to change the appointing authority to the Town Moderator and make the person in that role a voting member of the committee. This article had failed after some discussion the first time it was introduced, in September 2023; the General Bylaw Review Committee re-introduced it because they felt the topic didn't get true discussion since it came last in a long single-night town meeting.

It would seem they were correct that bringing it before the body again would result in a favorable result. Moderator Bill Beyer joked that, with one more committee to appoint, he expected to see lots of emails expressing interest in a seat on the committee.

Another article that received a yes vote the second time around was the amendment to change the zoning bylaws to allow an electronic sign on the Town Common. This sign will be placed at the corner of Cambridge and Bedford Streets, replacing the current structure of two wooden posts that hold up vinyl signs one at a time. Unlike the electronic voting article, which was submitted with no changes, the electronic sign article was updated with more specific information and accompanied by a report from Burlington's Traffic Sergeant, Peter Abaskharoun, that laid out recommendations for the sign's use. The Select Board has also drafted a policy and will continue adjusting it to fit the needs and desires of the town.

What didn't make it through?

An Article that would require 12 Town Meeting Members to request a roll call vote failed, with many Town Meeting Members stating that a larger threshold would unnecessarily introduce more barriers into the process. An article that would require that a report on the capital plan accompany large expenditure requests also failed. Ways & Means Committee (the town's finance committee) representative, Ed Parsons, assured the body there are wheels in motion that would make the capital planning process more transparent and that the proposed bylaw might cause more problems than it solved.

And, an article seeking to clarify the zoning bylaws around what kinds of structures can be built without a permit didn't make it through. Zoning Board of Appeals chair, Jeff DiBona, argued that the building code is clear and that passing a more restrictive bylaw won't clarify things for residents who are looking for information. He suggested instead that the building department work more collaboratively with residents to help them find the information they need and requirements for the specific project they want to do.

Also at Town Meeting:

• Updates to the town's zoning bylaws were approved that, in Planning Director, Liz Bonventre's opinion, will increase the likelihood of the state accepting Burlington's MBTA Communities Multi-Family Zoning Overlay. This provision, required by the state, zones a certain amount of the town's land for multi-family housing without a special permit; it was approved by Town Meeting in May.
• More zoning bylaw updates were approved to further refine the parking and landscape requirements for businesses.
• A change to the makeup of the town's Information Security committee was approved.
• The "experiential retail" use was updated to make it more clear that a restaurant is not required for this use.

See the final disposition of all September Town Meeting Articles. Town Meeting is now adjourned until January 27, when the body will discuss a new slate of Articles intended to support the future development of the town.