Results of Special Town Meeting
OCTOBER 24, 2000
THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

Worcester, ss.

To any Constable of the Town of Lancaster in the County of Worcester,

GREETINGS:

In the name of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, you are hereby directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Lancaster qualified to vote in the elections and Town affairs, to meet at the Chan Shun Dining Commons of Atlantic Union College, Prescott Street, in said Lancaster on Tuesday, the twenty-fourth day of October, at 7:00 o'clock in the evening, then and there to act on the following Articles:

ARTICLE 1
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $20,000 to supplement FY2001 Town Counsel Expenses, as voted under Budget Line Item #22 of Article 4 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 2
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $35,000 to supplement FY2001 Group Life and Health Insurance Premium Expenses, as voted under Budget Line Item #174 of Article 4 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 3
Board of Public Works

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $9,704 to supplement FY2001 DPW Highway Safety Expenses, as voted under Budget Line Item #94 of Article 4 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 4
Board of Library Trustees

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $8,723 to supplement FY2001 Thayer Memorial Library Wages, as voted under Budget Line Item #146 of Article 4 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee.
Passed

ARTICLE 5
Board of Library Trustees

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds the sum of $4,600 to supplement FY2001 Thayer Memorial Library Expenses, as voted under Budget Line Item #147 of Article 4 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 6
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds a sum of money to be transferred to Communications Department Salary and Wages and/or Expenses for the purpose of implementing the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the Town of Lancaster and the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, AFL-CIO, Local 203A, Lancaster Dispatchers Union for a contract period beginning July 1, 2000, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommendation from the floor.
Unanimously voted to indefinitely postpone this article

ARTICLE 7
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds a sum of money to be transferred to Police Department Salary and Wages and/or Expenses for the purpose of implementing the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the Town of Lancaster and the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, AFL-CIO, Local 203, Lancaster Police Officers Union for a contract period beginning July 1, 2000, or act in any manner relating thereto.   Recommendation from the floor.
Unanimously voted to indefinitely postpone this article

ARTICLE 8
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds a sum of money to be transferred to DPW Salary and Wages and/or Expenses and to transfer from Water Enterprise Available Funds a sum of money to DPW - Water Division Salary & Wages and/or Expenses; and/or, to amend the vote taken under Article 11 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting and to appropriate a sum of money from the Water Enterprise Fund and take a sum of money from Water Enterprise Available Funds to fund the operation of the Water Department for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, said appropriations for the purpose of implementing the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiated between the Town of Lancaster and AFSCME, Council 93, Local 1817, Lancaster Public Works Employees Union for the contract period beginning July 1, 2000, or act in any manner relating thereto. Recommendation from the floor.
Unanimously voted to indefinitely postpone this article

ARTICLE 9
Board of Public Works

To see if the Town will vote amend the vote taken under Article 13 of the May 1, 2000 Annual Town Meeting and to take $161,026.11 from available funds to be expended by the Board of Public Works and Board of Selectmen for capital improvements to local roads and other authorized projects, said "Chapter 90" funds to be reimbursed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts under the relevant Acts of 2000, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommendation from the floor.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 10
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $1,500 to be expended by the Board of Selectmen for the purpose of providing a cash match for the Greater Lancaster Heritage Preservation Project Grant, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommendation from the floor.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 11
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $8,700 to be expended by the Board of Selectmen to purchase a new defibrillator for the Ambulance Department, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommendation from the floor.
Amended from the floor to adjust amount to $6,700 to reflect a grant received by the Fire Department to be used to help fund the purchase.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 12
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds the sum of $19,800 to be expended by the Board of Selectmen to purchase new radio equipment for the Fire Department, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommendation from the floor.
Voted to indefinitely postpone this article

ARTICLE 13
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds the sum of $2,000 to be expended by the Board of Selectmen to repair the Communications Center Building boiler and appurtenances, or act in any manner relating thereto. Recommended by Finance Committee. (Note: Article originally sought $4,500 to replace the boiler; lower figure sought after alternative solutions developed by officials)
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 14
Board of Library Trustees

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds the sum of $4,300 to be expended by the Board of Library Trustees to purchase a photocopier, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee. (Note: Article originally sought $6,000 but lower purchase price allowed savings)
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 15
Board of Public Works

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate or take from available funds the sum of $8,500 to be expended by the Board of Public Works to purchase a new hydraulic sander and appurtenances, or act in any manner relating thereto.  Recommended by Finance Committee.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 16
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate $28,474 and take $94,030 from Excess Lottery Distributions to be transferred to the Stabilization Fund, or act in any manner relating thereto. Recommendation from the floor.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 17
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen to enter into one or more leases or license agreements with a provider or providers of telecommunication services for the installation and maintenance of cellular/wireless communication antennae and related facilities on property of the Town of Lancaster within the care, custody and control of the Board of Selectmen or any Town Board or Committee, and to further authorize the Board of Selectmen or any Town Board or Committee to grant such easements as may be deemed necessary for the provision of access and utility service to such facilities; said leases(s) or license agreement(s) to be for a term of more than three years and on such additional terms and conditions as the Board of Selectmen shall deem to be in the best interests of the Town, or act in any manner relating thereto. (Note: Allows Board of Selectmen to negotiate leases longer than three years)
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 18
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Board of Selectmen or any other Town Board or Committee to enter into leases with a provider or providers of telecommunication services for the installation and maintenance of cellular/wireless communication antennae and related facilities on the following parcels within the Town of Lancaster which are within the care, custody and control of the Board of Selectmen: Assessor’s Map 14, Parcel 7 Lunenburg Road; Assessor’s Map 26, Parcel 2 Bolton Town Line;  Assessor’s Map 38, Parcel 137, Center Bridge Road; Assessor’s Map 42, Parcel 115, Mill Street Extension; or act in any manner relating thereto. (Note: Article originally included three additional parcels that were not included in the motion because of other issues affecting the property, such as the need for special legislation to allow use: Assessor’s Map 28, Parcel 1, Brockelman Road; Assessor’s Map 37, Parcel 31 Winsor Lane; ; Assessor’s Map 43, Parcel 1, Mill Street Extension.; The four parcels approved are: Closed town landfill on Lunenburg Road, 56 acres; Pine Hill sand pit, 35 acres; Highway Department building, Center Bridge Road, 3 acres; Water Department building, 4.5 acres)
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 19
Board of Selectmen

To see if the Town will vote to transfer care, custody and control of a portion of the land owned by the Town described below to the Board of Selectmen for the purpose of conveying an easement to Massachusetts Electric Company and further, to authorize the Board of Selectmen to grant an easement to Massachusetts Electric Company located in, through, under, over, across, and upon a parcel of land located off the easterly side of Main Street, being specifically shown as Lot 135B on a Plan of Land recorded with the Worcester District Registry of Deeds in Plan Book 757, Plan 107.  And further, is laid out and more particularly shown on a MECO sketch entitled "Massachusetts Electric, A National Grid Company; Lancaster Police/Fire Station, Main Street, Rte 117, Lancaster, MA; Riser, Lateral, and Padmount Transformer Locations; Scale: 1” = 20’; Date: 6/22/00; WH 4898-0," said sketch on file for public inspection in the Town Clerk's Office, for the purpose of installing, operating and maintaining underground electric cables and associated equipment, including the facilities required to interconnect cables to electric lines, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Selectmen shall determine to be appropriate, or act in any manner relating thereto.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 20
Planning Board

To see if the Town will vote to amend the following sections of the Lancaster Zoning Bylaw, substantially as set forth in the September 18, 2000 text of the proposed Warrant Article 20 amendments on file with the Lancaster Town Clerk, or act in any manner relating thereto:

§ 1.20 Validity
§ 2.20 Zoning Map (reference)
§ 4.11 Lot Area
§ 4.12 Lot Frontage
§ 4.30 Building Dimensions
§ 8.11 Continuance, Alteration, Extension
§ 8.20 Nonconforming Uses
§ 8.30 Nonconforming Lots
§ 9.30 Special Permit Application and Duration
§ 9.40 Relief From Denial of Permit
§ 9.61 Repetitive Petitions
§10.14 Notice of Penalties for Violations
§10.20 Board of Appeals (procedural matters)
Art. 11 Definitions (Building or structure height, various yard definitions)
§13.12 (Site Plan Review) Procedure
§13.60 Fort Devens IPOD
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 21
Planning Board

To see if the Town will vote to amend Article 11 of the Lancaster Zoning Bylaw, entitled “Definitions” by: (1) revising the definition of “Accessory Use”; and (2) adding new definitions of “Dwelling, Multifamily,” “Dwelling, Two-Family,” “Living Facility For Seniors,” “Long Term Care Facility,” “Medical Clinic,” substantially as set forth in the September 18, 2000 text of the proposed Warrant Article 21 amendments on file with the Lancaster Town Clerk, or act in any manner relating thereto.
Passed unanimously

ARTICLE 22
Planning Board

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Lancaster Zoning Bylaw by deleting Article 3 “Use Regulations” in its entirety, and substitute therefor a new Article 3 “Use Regulations” substantially as set forth in the September 18, 2000 text of the proposed Warrant Article 22 amendments on file with the Lancaster Town Clerk, or act in any manner relating thereto.

ARTICLE 23
Planning Board

To see if the Town will vote to amend the Lancaster Zoning Bylaw to expand the boundaries of the Personal Wireless Service Overlay District by adding to the area described in Section 15 and noted on the Zoning Map as Map 30, Parcel 135A, and additional 1.96± acres of land on Main Street, formerly a portion of Assessors Map 30, Parcel 132 and shown as Parcel “A” on a plan entitled Plan of Land in the Town of Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts,” prepared by Guerriere & Hanlon, Inc., Engineering & Land Surveying,” dated June 26, 2000, a copy of which plan is on file with the Lancaster Town Clerk, or act in any manner relating thereto.
Passed unanimously

And you are directed to serve this Warrant by posting up attested copies thereof at the South Lancaster Post Office, the Center Post Office, the Brick Meeting House and the Town Hall, in said Town fourteen days at least before the time for holding said meeting.  Hereof fail not and make due return of the Warrant with your doings thereon to the Town Clerk at the time and place of meeting aforesaid.

SELECTMEN OF LANCASTER

Stephen J. Kerrigan, Chairman
James J. Ford, Jr., Clerk
Alexandra W. Turner, Member