Spring Town Meeting not all about numbers and budgets – SouthCoastToday.com

Daniel Schemer| Correspondent

MIDDLEBORO The Spring Annual Town Meeting held on April 26 has come and gone. Hopefully, it will be the last one held during the pandemic.

Roughly 90 people were in attendance, meeting the reduced quorum requirements. Most of the articles dealt with the town budget, special projects, and necessary expenditures, though the Select Board and attending residents approached each decision gingerly given the last year of economic turmoil the pandemic has brought.

There were a few human interest articles that deviated from the fiscal focus.

One of the last articles was pushed to the front of the line by special request.

Article 30 proposed renaming the intersections of Center St., North Main St., Wareham St., and South Main St. locally known as the Four Corners in honor of Norman E. Record, former Police Officer and Veteran.

The family of Record attended the meeting for the vote, which passed unanimously.

The much talked about Article 26 sought to reimburse and distribute over $53,000 to 57 high school students who had their senior trips cancelled in 2020.

As previously reported, the school district worked hard to get the involved travel company to refund the money. That company has since gone out of business. Most of the families received half the initial deposit back in August.

Attempts were made to get the insurance company to honor the claims for the rest of the refund. The School District and families have since filed claims with the Attorney General over disputes with the insurance company.

The vote itself is to authorize a home rule petition submitted to the General Court that would allow the town issue the reimbursements, which would come from Free Cash.

No one argued that students and families shouldnt be reimbursed, though there was some debate over where the refund should come from.

At least one voter asked for an amendment to change the funding source from free cash to the school department.

Town Manager Robert Nunes asked Attorney Jonathan Silverstein, acting as Town Counsel, if this was allowed.

Silverstein explained the proposed amendment was not in order because youre trying to force the school department to expend funds in a particular way, which Town Meeting doesnt have the authority.

In the end, School Committee member Teresa Farley offered: Its all semantics. We all pay taxes in town. Were paying for this.

Town Meeting voted almost unanimously to refund the families.

The Article that received the most debate and attention was Article 21. The article proposed to change all pronouns in the Town Charter to gender neutral. It was one of five articles proposed by the Town Charter Study Committee.

Committee member Paula Fay pointed out that a Select Board vote of 3-2 chose not to endorse this article. Fay defended the article against previous accusations made that it was an attempt at political correctness and erasing history, explaining the proposal is about equal representation in language and impacting the future of the town.

There is embedded gender bias in the Town Charter. Equality is not absurd or political correctness gone crazy, said Fay.

Selectmen Neil Rosenthal explained that personally, I dont think a historical document should be subjected to change.

Former Selectman Allin Frawley disagreed, arguing since it has the ability to be revised and adapt to with the times, that its a living, breathing document.

Town Planner Leann Bradley announced to the room that last June the Planning Board removed specificity based on gender from all the subdivision rules and regulations the Planning Department oversees.

Resident Jessica Chartoff reiterated the evolution of language in modern business and school settings. She concluded that the motion is a wonderful example to children that they are accepted into as a whole regardless of the pronouns they choose to use.

Numerous residents also pointed out the Town Meeting vote last October to change the Board of Selectmen to Select Board, though that is still waiting approval from the state legislature because it was a Home Rule Petition.

Town Meeting voted 63-26 in favor of applying gender-neutral language to pronouns in the Town Charter.

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Spring Town Meeting not all about numbers and budgets - SouthCoastToday.com