This week we’re devoting a large portion of the paper to Special Town Meeting, which will convene at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, Oct. 16, in Cronin Auditorium at the Bromfield School.
The meeting became necessary when Harvard’s community solar project filed a citizen petition asking the town to approve three articles that would level its playing field with residential solar installations in town. Shortly thereafter, the Selectmen learned that the Town Hall project needed an additional $1.1 million to start. A date was set, a warrant was prepared and several articles were added to clear up other bits of town business.
Beginning on page one, you’ll find discussion of 11 of the 12 STM articles, written by reporters familiar with the issues. It’s often said that a town government like ours is the “purest form of democracy.” That’s because everyone who enters Cronin Auditorium next week has the right to speak and vote. Unlike Congress, we are our own representatives.
We urge you to become familiar with the issues and to bring your judgment to the meeting. Here, once again, is the list of Special Town Meeting articles and where you’ll find discussion of each in this paper:
- Article 1: Town Hall building project, page 1
- Articles 2-5: Community solar, page 1
- Article 7: Cell towers, page 10
- Article 8: Rantoul trust fund, page 10
- Article 9: Dog license penalty, page 10
- Article 10: Bare Hill Pond bylaws, page 10
- Article 11: Cable TV studio, page 3
- Article 12: Medical marijuana, page 10
What about Article 6? That’s the one that lets the town grant an easement to National Grid to place a new transformer next to Town Hall. We figured it was self-explanatory.
The town will not be mailing copies of the warrant to residents. You can find a link to the warrant on the town website, www.harvard.mass.us, or you may read it here.
