Sudbury Special Town Meeting: What's On The Warrant

SUDBURY, MA — Sudbury will convene a special town meeting Monday night to vote on 14 articles related to local law changes, spending and even supporting an effort to change the state flag and seal.

The warrant was recently mailed to all Sudbury voters, but here's a sketch of what will be up for a vote Monday:

Articles 1 to 4 — These deal with editorial changes to several bylaws. The League of Women Voters of Sudbury has filed an amendment to articles 2 and 4 asking to keep the authority over specified fees and fines with Town Meeting rather than give them to boards or officials in the executive branch.

Article 5 — Establishes a town Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund to place close to $90,000 the Sudbury got following an interstate lawsuit.

Article 6 — Appropriates $100,000 for "design and replacement of the Atkinson Pool dehumidification equipment."

Article 7 — Appropriates $900,000 to a contingency fund for the Fairbank Community Center project to keep construction going through the winter to finish by spring. Town Manager Andrew Sheehan has warned that if the contingency fund runs dry, the project would be delayed, and could potentially cost more than $900,000.

Article 8 — Funds the new contract with the Sudbury firefighters union.

Article 9 — Transfers $1.1 million from a fund meant to rehab the former Melone property sandpit to the town's capital stabilization fund. The Melone fund is no longer needed because the property has already been redeveloped.

Article 10 — Takes $800,000 from the capital stabilization fund to improve the intersection of Route 117, Mossman Road and Powder Mill Road. Those improvements include "new traffic signals, pedestrian signals with count down timers, accessible pedestrian signals (APS) push buttons with signage, emergency vehicle preemption, geometric highway improvements, ADA compliant pedestrian ramps, traffic signs, and pavement markings."

Article 11 — Sets aside $248,000 to design a new Nixon Elementary School roof. The town needs to have money set aside for a design before applying for financial assistance from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (anticipated in early 2024).

Article 12 — Sudbury Public Schools wants to add $232,380 to its current budget, which is the amount the district is expected to get due to an increase in Chapter 70 funds included in the state's fiscal 2024 budget that Gov. Maura Healey signed in August — after spring Town Meeting approved the Sudbury schools budget.

Article 13 — Sudbury Public Schools wants to add $184,755 to its current budget in anticipation of a state supplemental budget that will increase reimbursement for special education out-of-district tuition.

Article 14 — Supports an effort to update the state seal and flag, an effort ongoing at the state level.

The meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School auditorium.