Hissy Fit

From the Town Council Minutes:

Vice Chairman Botterman moved to authorize the balance in the open space account, $381,073 be allowed to be put on the warrant to purchase the Carpenter and surrounding properties, understanding that the potential for school expansion is in standing with the original warrant article that was approved.  Councilor Bergeron seconded the motion.  Town Administrator Wojnowski polled the Council. 

Ayes: Council Chairman LaBranche, Council Vice Chairman Botterman, Councilor Bergeron, Councilor Nazzaro, Councilor Bentley

Nays:  Councilor Levy                                        Absent:  Councilor Zink

You can read the full approved minutes from the January 18th meeting here.

And this was on the ballot:


Article 1. To see if the School District will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of One Million Three Hundred Forty Thousand Dollars ($1,340,000) to purchase properties located at 216, 218, 220, and 2041⁄2 South Main Street for construction of a new Junior/Senior High School facility or renovation/addition to the existing Junior/Senior High School facility to be funded with Three Hundred Eighty Thousand One Hundred Seventy-Three Dollars ($380,173) from Open Space Bond Funds and authorize the withdrawal of Nine Hundred Fifty-Nine Thousand Eight Hundred Twenty-Seven Dollars ($959,827) from the Expansion of School Facilities Capital Reserve Fund created for this purpose for the balance of the amount. (Recommended by the School Board (5-0) and by the Budget Committee (8-2))


I voted in favor of this article on March 13, 2011. Me, and 1,476 other Newmarket residents.

Dr. Hayes went to the town council last month to begin the process of transferring the money and as a voter, I assumed that this was merely a formality.

But for some reason we are still debating this even though as Mr. Levy pointed out, that when the previous council voted in favor of releasing the funds (basically allowing the article to be placed on the warrant) that there were no amendments made at that time. In other words, they voted in favor of it. Not "in favor of it IF....".

Now, I understand that the public hearing is a formality and part of the process. But I attended the town council meeting when they discussed this. I was at the deliberative session. I voted on March 13th. And I was there again when Dr. Hayes approached the town council recently. And I was taken aback by the comments of the council members.

One of the concerns that was brought up was that they just wanted to understand who would have ownership of the land. Really? It seemed clear to me - at the time of the vote, and now - that the school district would have ownership of the land. Another concern was what would happen if down the road, the school doesn't get built and school district decides to sell off the land: Would there be restrictions then around the potential sale? (i.e. Would some of it need to be designated as Open Space because such funds were used to buy the land?) A valid concern if that were to arise, but it certainly shouldn't hold up the process.

During the meeting, one councilor suggested that people still had some concerns. Concerns that were raised by residents during the deliberative session but they felt were never really answered. I'm sorry that some people feel that their questions were never answered. All I can say, is that they should have kept asking them.

Apparently though, a lot of people did feel that they had enough information to vote on the article and a lot of people did.

The voters made a choice.
1,477 people voted to pass that article.

When can Newmarket move forward?