Wellesley Special Town meeting votes ‘Yes’ on Hunnewell question

December 10, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

Hunnewell Elementary School in Wellesley The Board of Selectmen (BOS) on Monday, Dec. 9 convened a Special Town Meeting (STM) at the Wellesley Middle School Auditorium. The 199 STM members in attendance voted on whether the Town should allocation $5 million for design development funds for the Hunnewell Elementary School construction project.

162 members voted Yes to allocate the design funds. 35 voted No. There were 2 abstentions. Therefore, the two-thirds vote needed for the article to pass was achieved, and the design process for a new Hunnewell School will go forward. (Wellesley Public Media recording of meeting embedded below.)

Town Meeting is made up of 240 elected voting members in eight precincts.

For the first time, electronic voting devices were used to tabulate votes. Town Meeting members took a test run with the devices by doing some practice voting ahead of time. One of the practice questions was whether the Patriots would be one of the two teams in the Super Bowl. That question passed by a yes majority, but not by as wide a margin as the Hunnewell Design Funds vote.

Superintendent David Lussier in a tweet said, “Thank you to Wellesley Town Meeting for your overwhelming vote of support tonight to move forward with the detailed design of a new Hunnewell School. One more important step in bringing much-needed, new elementary schools online in Wellesley.”

Wording of Article 2:

“To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or borrow a sum of money, to be expended under the direction of the Permanent Building Committee, for architectural and engineering designs, plans, and other specifications, bid documents, permitting, and any associated costs related to the reconstruction or replacement of the Hunnewell School located a t 28 Cameron Street, and for any other services in connection therewith and, for the purpose of meeting such appropriation, to authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow said sum in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 7(7) of the Massachusetts General Laws, or any other enabling authority and to issue bonds or note of the Town therefor, and that any premium received by the Town upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of the issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 20, of the Massachusetts General Laws, thereby reducing the amount to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount; or to take any other action in relation thereto.”

Special Town Meeting to answer $5 million Hunnewell question

Special Town meeting to answer $5M Hunnewell school question

December 8, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Board of Selectmen (BOS) will convene a Special Town Meeting (STM) on Monday, Dec. 9 at the Wellesley Middle School Auditorium, 50 Kingsbury St., at 7pm. The major topic: to discuss the Hunnewell School building project. The warrant was posted on Nov. 6 at Town Hall.

Town meeting members will be asked to vote on whether to allocate $5 million for design development funds for the Hunnewell Elementary School construction project.

Hunnewell School, Wellesley — Hunnewell Elementary School

In June 2018, Town meeting members voted to OK $1 million for a Hunnewell feasibility study put together by Compass Project Management. The study examined the question of whether the 80-year-old school could be renovated. The study was completed in March 2019 and determined that a renovation was not feasible due to structural problems with the school. Specifically, the study found that the HVAC systems are beyond their life expectancy; code deficiencies exist throughout the facility; and an antiquated and inefficient control system can’t maintain temperature appropriately throughout the building.

Hunnewell Elementary School is a 36,000 square-foot, one-level, 15-classroom building that currently holds 260 students. If Town Meeting approves the design development funds, a plan will be put together by Compass for a new 75,000 square-foot, two-story, 19-classroom building that will educate 350 – 375 students, with a maximum capability of 400 -425 students.

Not everyone agrees that the design should go forward

A ballot question proposal for the 2020 annual Town election has been submitted to the BOS. The proposed text reads, “Do you believe the Town of Wellesley should keep our current seven neighborhood elementary school model by rebuilding and/or renovating the Hardy, Hunnewell and Upham Elementary Schools, instead of closing one school and redistricting all of our elementary students into six schools? Please vote YES or NO.”

Wellesley’s seven elementary schools are: Bates, Fiske, Hardy, Hunnewell, Schofield, Sprague, and Upham.

The following schools are not currently under discussion for closing or for major renovation: Bates, Fiske, Schofield, and Sprague.

If the BOS agrees that this question should be put to voters, it would appear at the polls on Tuesday, March 17, 2020.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Wellesley Special Town Meeting warrant

November 6, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

The Board of Selectmen will convene a Special Town Meeting (STM) on Monday, December 9 and Tuesday, December 10, 2019 to discuss possibly choosing a Moderator, the Hunnewell School building project and the Council on Aging governance.

Wellesley Town Constable — Constable Phil Juliani posts the warrant for STM on the bulletin board in front of Town Clerk K.C. Kato’s office in Town Hall. Photo: Town of Wellesley

The Special Town Meeting will be held in the Wellesley Middle School Auditorium, 50 Kingsbury St., at 7pm.

The list of issues (called articles) to be discussed by Town Meeting representatives is known as the Warrant.

Article 1 — Moderator, yes or no

Article 1 states: “To see if the Town will vote to choose a Moderator to preside over said meeting and to receive reports of town officers, boards and committees, including the Report of the Advisory Committee; or to take any other action in relation thereto.”

Article 2 — Money for Hunnewell School reconstruction or replacement

Article 2 states: “To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, or borrow a sum of money, to be expended under the direction of the Permanent Building Committee, for architectural and engineering designs, plans and other specifications, bid documents, permitting, and any associated costs related to the reconstruction or replacement of the Hunnewell School located at 28 Cameron Street, and for any other services in connection therewith and, for the purpose of meeting such appropriation, to authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Board of Selectmen, to borrow said sum in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 7(7) of the Massachusetts General Laws, or any other enabling authority and ti issue bonds or note of the Town therefor, and that any premium received by the Town upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this vote, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of the issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this vote in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 20 of the Massachusetts General Laws, thereby reducing the amount to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount, or to take any other action in relation thereto.

Article 3 — Citizen Petition, Council on Aging

Article 3 states: Town Meeting is being petitioned to authorize the Moderator to appoint and facilitate a Committee to evaluate the governance at the COA, including the treatment of the COA employees by the COA Board, and to report back to Town Meeting with the Committee’s recommendations for governance of the COS going forward. The COA Director will report to the Executive Director of General Government Services until the Committee makes its recommendations and further action is taken by Town Meeting.

My wander in search of the warrant

When the Town serves a warrant, by law a physical copy of the warrant must be displayed in at least two conspicuous places in town at least 14 days before the meeting is held. My go-to spot to check out the document has always been the bulletin board in Wellesley Square near the post office.

Wellesley bulletin board — Here’s the spot where warrants have been posted for many years, with Town Hall in the background. But where’s the bulletin board? Where’s the warrant?

I asked Communications and Project Manager Stephanie Hawkinson for the lowdown. She told me, “At STM in May, Town Meeting members voted to change the posting location from the bulletin board to the bulletin board in front of the Clerk’s office and at the Wellesley Police Dept. As the bulletin board had been damaged and defaced after so many years outside, I think DPW took it down.”

So there we go. The STM warrant has been posted according to the process. Copies of the warrant are also available in the Selectmen’s Office.

Learn more about the STM articles:

A public hearing on the Special Town Meeting articles is planned for Wednesday, November 6 at 6:30pm during the Advisory Committee meeting. Residents are invited to attend to ask questions and share their thoughts.

Whatever happened to the idea of Indigenous Peoples Day?

Wellesley Board of Selectmen in April 2019 held a public forum to begin consideration of a request from the World of Wellesley (WOW) organization to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day in town. At the meeting, the public had the opportunity to speak about the WOW request. BOS Chairman Jack Morgan at that time said that the role of the BOS at the meeting would be as listeners, and that no immediate decision would be made as a direct result of this one meeting.

At this time, the BOS says that the question of whether to abolish Columbus Day and instead observe Indigenous Peoples Day should not be decided by an elected Board of five, but should be put to the largest elected body in Wellesley, Town Meeting.

Stay tuned for further upcoming public discussions. The next annual Town Meeting is scheduled for March 30, 2020.

Wellesley League of Women Voters to host meet up on October 17, 2019

October 10, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley League of Women Voters The always-popular League of Women Voters (LMV) Meet-Up will take place on Thursday, October 17, 7pm at the Wellesley High School cafeteria. Come talk to your elected officials and find out what’s happening in town.

Who makes the decisions for our community?
What do those acronyms — PSI, HHU, SBC, HPP, 40B — mean?
Where do you get a free flu shot?
Is your house addition subject to Large House Review?

The LWV Wellesley has heard from residents who feel that there are not enough opportunities to discuss issues with their elected officials. Attendance at scheduled board meetings and Town Meetings is seen by many as an opportunity for statements rather than discussion, requiring a certain amount of preparation and courage. Additionally, we’ve observed that Citizen Speak and resident participation at board meetings is handled differently across the boards.

Come meet members of the Board of Selectmen, School Committee, Library Board of Trustees, Natural Resources Commission, Planning Board, Board of Public Works, Board of Health, Town Moderator, and more. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

WHEN: Thursday, October 17, 2019 , 7pm

WHERE: Wellesley High School cafeteria, 50 Rice Street

CONTACT: Ann-Mara Lanza, Vice President, Program Planning and Development
7817108555
[email protected]

Wellesley schools Director of Diversity: the search continues

July 11, 2019 by Deborah Brown 2 Comments

Wellesley Public Schools offices The Wellesley Public Schools has re-opened its search for a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. In May 2019, the field had been narrowed to three finalists, but none of those candidates has been hired for the position. Funding for the new job was approved by Town Meeting in March, and Superintendent Dr. David Lussier informed the Wellesley School Committee that he hoped to appoint a director by the end of the recently completed school year.

According to the job listing for the Director of Diversity, some of the responsibilities will include formulating a strategic plan to support district diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives; deepen community awareness, understanding, and respect for diversity, equity and inclusion; oversee the METCO program; and work collaboratively with the A Better Chance program. You can see the complete listing here (and please let WPS know that you heard about it on Swellesley if you apply).

The initial search yielded three candidates:

Dr. Roland Davis, a consultant with college and high school administrative experience. He served at Harvard as Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, but stepped down after one year for personal reasons, according to the Harvard Crimson.
Kimberlee Henry, an administrator whose most recently listed job on her resume was that of school principal in Oxford, Massachusetts. According to Worcester news source telegram.com, Henry was in October 2018 put on paid leave from that position.
Wellesley High School Social Studies teacher Jackie Katz, who was one of the speakers at May’s WHS graduation ceremonies.

You can see their cover letters and resumes here.

Davis in an email said, “I was offered the position with WPS but declined it because I was also offered a position with an educational non-profit in the area and elected to accept this position instead.”

Katz in an email said that she was not offered the position.

It is unknown at this time whether Katz or Henry was offered the job.

Superintendent Lussier said in an email, “Our search is still ongoing for a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” He had nothing further to add regarding whether the job had been offered to any of the candidates.

The Wellesley community had opportunities to meet and comment on each of the candidates during afternoon and evening meetings in late May.

Wellesley Special Town Meeting: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes

May 11, 2019 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Wellesley Special Town Meeting blew through its agenda Monday night, with all 9 articles voted on getting “yes” votes, 4 of them unanimously. The meeting was dissolved, so it won’t stretch into Tuesday.

Town Meeting members approved zoning changes that pave the way for a couple of onetime 40B projects at Delanson Circle and Weston Road and one 40R project at Wellesley Office Park on William Street to proceed. “No” votes on the 4oB projects could have undone months of negotiations that have scaled down those real estate developments that in part will increase the town’s affordable housing stock.

The town also okayed $175K from free cash to be used for additional mental health and social services. The Town Meeting scorecard is below.

Download (PDF, 22KB)

League of Women Voters to present Special Town Meeting prep session

May 4, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters of Wellesley will sponsor a Special Town Meeting prep session on Wednesday, May 8th, at the Wellesley Free Library Wakelin Room, from 7pm to 8:30pm. This will be the only prep session offered for the May Special Town Meeting.

The Wellesley Board of Selectmen will convene a Special Town Meeting at the Wellesley Middle School Auditorium, 50 Kingsbury Street, on Monday, May 13, 2019 at 7pm.

The Advisory Report, Advisory Chair Letter and Motions are available online and in the mail to all Town Meeting Members. Additional informationis available on the website.

The Special Town Meeting will continue on Tuesday, May 14 if two nights are needed for discussion.

The public is invited to attend.

Town Meeting: Wellesley’s Dexter Road in for a change

April 9, 2019 by bbrown 1 Comment

Nothing gets Wellesley Town Meeting buzzing like a Citizen Petition, especially when it’s on a topic in which realtors, developers, lawyers and longtime residents have a stake.

That was the case on Monday night when it came to Article 37. Discussion lasted for an hour and a half, blocking Town Meeting members from watching most of the NCAA men’s basketball championship and threatening to drag into Tuesday and mess with opening day plans at Fenway Park.

The article, brought to town meeting on behalf of a group of residents in the Dexter Road/Wellesley Avenue neighborhood, sought to rezone 9 properties from a General Residence District to a Single Family Residence District. This would have prevented the buyers of a home and 13,000 sq. ft. lot at 8 Dexter Rd., from tearing it down and erecting a 2-family home that current residents fear will disrupt the character of the neighborhood. That neighborhood features relatively modest homes that have not changed much in size or style over the past 90 years, according to the article’s proponents, and it sits within walking distance of Town Hall and Wellesley Free Library.

dexgter road

The buyers of 8 Dexter Rd. shared a letter making their argument on the Town Meeting mailing list over the weekend, and cited concerns that they were being singled out with a proposed zoning change. The petitioners shared a letter of their own to counter that of the buyers (both letters are embedded below). The opposing sides repeated their arguments at Town Meeting, bandying about numbers and claims to support housing stock diversity to bolster their respective causes.

The petitioners argued that we need more relatively affordable single-family homes (we’re talking under $900K assessed value affordable), while the owners of 8 Dexter Rd., argued for more diverse types of housing (to which the petitioners countered that just because you build a 2-family house doesn’t mean that it’s going to be relatively affordable or modest in size).

Some Town Meeting members said they were torn. Some argued that yes, people should be able to do what they want with their property within reason, while others argued that we all need to take the common good into consideration, too. Some Town Meeting members cited the fact that the town has spent lots of money and time on consultants and a housing production plan arguing for more diverse housing stock, and here was a chance to either preserve neighborhood character or allow development in new housing. A former Planning Board member argued that this sort of one-off zoning change is not the right way to go about making changes, which need to be done more deliberately. Another resident proposed a compromise: Let the buyers of 8 Dexter Rd., do their thing, but change zoning in the area to curtail such future efforts.

In the end, Town Meeting members went against the Planning Board and Advisory Committee and shot down the proposal 106-81, with a few abstentions.

The buyers of 8 Dexter Rd., haven’t detailed their plans, so what becomes of the property remains to be seen. While they bought the property through an LLC, they’ve suggested they might even want to live there.

It’s likely that Article 37 won’t be forgotten soon. The town will keep this in mind as undertakes a comprehensive review of zoning bylaws in the years ahead.

Town Meeting dissolved shortly after the Article 37 discussion. Up next: Special Town Meeting in May.

PRESERVE THE CHARACTER OF THE TOWN BY SUPPORTING SWELLESLEY: Here’s how to Advertise and/or Donate to support our independent journalism venture

Download (PDF, 3MB)

Download (PDF, Unknown)

Here’s what’s on Wellesley Special Town Meeting agenda

April 7, 2019 by bbrown Leave a Comment

Special Town Meeting warrant is posted — Town Constable Phil Juliani posts the Wellesley Special Town Meeting warrant

The regular Wellesley Town Meeting is still going, but the warrant already has been posted for the follow-on Special Town Meeting to be held on May 13 (and possibly May 14) at Wellesley Middle School.

The focus of the meeting includes:

*Zoning changes related to Smart Growth Overlay Districts and more specifically, the Wellesley Park Smart Growth Overlay District proposed at the Wellesley Office Park on William Street. These changes, adhering to the Commonwealth’s 40R rules, could help the town address its shortage of affordable housing and generate new jobs in the area.

*Zoning changes that would allow for less intrusive development at Delanson Circle and Weston Road under what had been 40B proposals.

*Possible funding for mental health and social services in town

A public hearing on the Special Town Meeting articles is planned for Thursday, April 11 at 7 PM during the Advisory Committee meeting. Residents are invited to attend to ask questions and share their thoughts.