Town Moderator Jack Attridge just announced several new developments for Tuesday night’s Town Meeting, which is happening at the field house at Marblehead High School, 2 Pleasant St., at 7 p.m. Last night’s meeting at the Veterans School was postponed due to capacity issues. More than 2,000 voters turned out.
Tonight, Attridge plans to ask Town Meeting if there’s a majority of voters who want to use a written ballot for Article 23, the MBTA Communities Act compliance plan, which would create three as-of-right multifamily housing zones in town. If there is a written ballot, a reconsideration vote would not be allowed, according to town bylaws.
Attridge tells the Current there is an amendment to Article 1 (to take articles in numerical order), which proposes to consider Articles 23, 33 and 34 first. Articles 33 and 34 are debt exclusion overrides (which would raise property taxes for 15-20 years) for a new MHS roof and renovations to the Mary Alley Municipal Building.
Attridge also shared the following items:
ENTRANCE – Everyone should use the main entrance at MHS. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and check-in will begin as close to 6 p.m. as possible, according to Attridge.
PARKING – There will be overflow parking at St. Stephen’s Church and Star of the Sea. You can also park at all public lots, to include the Community Center, Brown School and Mary Alley Municipal Building during the meeting.
Starting at 5:30 p.m., a shuttle bus will pick up at Star of the Sea and drop off at Marblehead High School. The shuttle bus will run once the Town Meeting ends and head back to Star of the Sea. These buses have limited space.
Vehicles parked illegally, especially the fire lanes at MHS, will be subject to being ticketed and/or towed.
CHILD, INFANT AND NON-VOTER SEATING – Children and infants who do not require an
additional seat will be allowed to sit with an adult voter. There will be segregated
seating areas for all other non-voting participants.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
