BRISTOL — Voters attending the 2020 Town Meeting on March 14 approved a $6,812,436 operating budget but defeated a petitioned article that would have replaced the traditional meeting format with the so-called SB2 form of decision-making.
The first order of business, however, was to decide whether to go forward with the meeting in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Although the attendance was comparable to last year’s turnout, several people said they knew of residents who had stayed home to avoid contracting COVID-19.
Moderator Edward “Ned” Gordon said he took full responsibility for the decision to hold the meeting amidst conflicting advice from state officials, but he wanted those attending to decide whether they wanted to recess to a later date.
“Are things going to be better in two weeks, a month, or six weeks?” he asked.
Donna Nashawaty moved to postpone the meeting to April 18, but her motion was defeated and the meeting went on.
Recognitions
Prior to the start of the meeting, town officials honored the memory of Archie Auger, a long-time resident who had served as a science teacher, school administrator, and “the man in suspenders” who reminded the moderator of any missteps in the conduct of town and school meetings. Auger died on Feb. 11 at the age of 83, and there was to have been a celebration of his life next weekend until it was postponed because of the coronavirus.
Leslie Dion, chair of the Bristol Board of Selectmen, recognized Rick Alpers for 15 years’ service on the board. Alpers did not run for re-election this year.
The town also recognized the members of the Bristol Bicentennial Committee who had planned and executed last year’s celebration of the town’s 200th anniversary.
Finally, Gordon noted that former budget committee member David Carr had served on that panel for 33 years.
Official Ballot Act
Petitioners made their third attempt to have the town adopt the Official Ballot Act, which would split town meeting into a deliberative session followed by a ballot vote on election day. They argued that it would expand residents’ opportunity to vote on town affairs if they were unable to attend a town business meeting, due to its length, their health, work commitments, or because they spend their winters in warmer weather and are not back in Bristol by Town Meeting Day.
Opponents pointed out the poor attendance at deliberative sessions in the towns and school districts that have made the change, and the provisions governing the default budget — which takes effect if voters turn down the proposed budget — have been confusing and easily manipulated to increase spending.
Selectman Don Milbrand said he would address the problems that SB2 was designed to solve by moving town meeting to May and moving to a July-June calendar year.
Tom Caldwell advocated for a town charter to govern town meeting, citing Peterborough’s charter as an example of a locally devised plan that preserves the best of the traditional town meeting while addressing the concerns expressed by SB2 supporters. He suggested holding a town meeting just as it exists today, but putting those decisions on a ballot for ratification by the electorate on Election Day. In contrast to the Peterborough model, which holds a third meeting for specific items, Caldwell called for a third session similar to the first that would address any article that is defeated on the ballot.
The petitioned article to adopt the Official Ballot Act required an hour-long ballot vote, and the 169 voters casting ballots defeated the measure, 49-120. Because the measure would have required a ⅗ majority vote, it would have taken 102 affirmative votes to pass.
Other Articles
There was an attempt to decrease the operating budget by $175,000, followed by a motion to increase it by $10,000, but voters defeated both amendments, leaving the budget committee’s recommendation untouched.
The other significant article was one to rescind last year’s vote to extend the municipal sewer lines to Newfound Lake — a petitioned article that would be nonbinding because, by law, such a decision cannot be rescinded for five years. Notwithstanding that announcement, voters expressed “buyer’s remorse” and said they did not realize the plan included extending the sewer line through a wetlands area to Hall Road — despite extensive discussion of the plans last year.
Many of those voting to rescind the article said they agreed with the need to protect the lake, but that they did not believe the project would help and, in fact, because zoning allows greater density when municipal sewer is available, it could prove detrimental to the Newfound watershed.
Residents reached the ⅔ vote required to pass the nonbinding article and rescind the decision, approving it 91-31.
A proposal to spend $100,000 to design a new public safety building for the police and fire departments failed on a 51-80 vote. Voters said the approval was premature because the town just last year committed to a new town office building project and is still paying for a library addition and a fire engine which will be paid off in the next couple of years.
Selectmen pointed out that there would be no payments until those bonds were paid off because the project would come to the town for approval next year and construction would not take place until the fall of 2021, with the bond payments starting in 2022. The cost of the architectural and engineering studies would come from the unassigned fund balance, resulting in no new taxation.
Voters did approve an article to spend $56,000 for a lift in the new town office building so the second floor would be accessible to the public and to employees with disabilities.
Town Seal
Bristol native Boake Morrison took exception to Bristol’s new town seal, adopted by the selectmen on the recommendation of the town’s economic development committee as part of a “rebranding” effort for the town. The committee felt that, in order to attract young people to town, they needed a modern logo for the town, rather than the artist-designed seal depicting Bristol’s historic Central Square.
Morrison complained that the new computer-generated seal using generic images had nothing to do with Bristol. “It’s got twin mountains — that’s up north,” Morrison said. In addition to preferring the old logo, Morrison objected to the cost of replacing the seal on town vehicles.
