Special Town Meeting Includes Drainage, Turf and Phillips Beach Articles

Below are the warrant articles to be presented at the Special Town Meeting on Monday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Swampscott High.

For the exact language of the articles as they are presented on the warrant see the attached special town meeting warrant or click here to visit the town website.

One item of note: The town administrator and the Friends of Swampscott Athletic Fields will amend Warrant Article 7, a proposal to appropriate $1,541,073 to build a multi-sport artificial turf field, demolish existing grandstands and replace the same with foundations for future grandstands, install footings and electric conduit for future light towers, erect and/or install related fixtures and landscaping at Blocksidge Field in Phillips Park ... .

Christian Urbano of the Friends group sent us the following information about their intention to amend Article 7: 

"FSAF and Town Administrator have jointly agreed to present a motion to amend the current warrant article at the Special Town Meeting Monday night.  The amendment will provide that any successful vote in favor of the article would be contingent upon receiving a PARC Grant in the amount of $400,000 as applied for in July.  The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs informed the town a couple of weeks ago that the announcement of awards would not occur until the last week of November or the first week of December.  Accordingly, the FSAF and Town Administrator will not know whether we were awarded or denied the grant.  Further, we cannot adjourn the meeting and reconvene for such a vote after hearing from the EEA because the town's tax rate for next year must be determined by 12/7, and the tax rate may be affected by the outcome of votes at the Special Town Meeting (and nothing is effective for 5 days after Town Meeting officially closes).  Bond counsel is currently drafting proposed language for the amendment."

Article 1: To hear and act on reports.

Article 2: A proposal to amend the FY14 Budget to increase the veterans services line from $6,500 to $41,500; increase the pension contribution from $3,841,097 to $4,050,402; increase sewer pension from $128,254 to $135,560; and increase the water pension from $141,797 to $149,874.

Article 3: To authorize selectmen to buy land at Phillips Beach to acquire and clear property rights there.

Article 4: To fund $820,000 for the first phase of the Lower Paradise Road drainage project.

Article 5: To fund a town-wide drainage study.

Article 6: To authorize payment of bills, $16,200, from 2013.

Article 7: See above.