Town Meeting Articles of the Day
In preparation for the 2021 Special Annual Fall Town Meeting on October 25, 2021 at 7pm in the Ayer Shirley Regional High School Auditorium, the Town will be publishing the “Articles of the Day” to provide further information on each of the Town Meeting Warrant Articles. Each day, the Town will feature two or three Town Meeting Warrant Articles with a brief summary of each Article. The complete Town Meeting Warrant and additional information regarding the Warrant Articles can be found here. For any questions about the Town Meeting or the Town Meeting Warrant, please do not hesitate to contact the Town Manager’s Office at 978-772-8220 x100 or at tm@ayer.ma.us Thank you.
Article 1: Transfer of the Woodlawn Cemetery: This Article would authorize the Select Board to acquire the Woodlawn Cemetery by donation from the Woodlawn Cemetery Company to include all personal property, funds, and accounts. This is the second step in the transfer process. Town Meeting passed Article 27 at the 2021 Annual Town Meeting on April 26, 2021, which authorized the Town to conduct its due diligence with respect to the transfer and to return to the Fall Special Town Meeting on October 25, 2021, with a formal recommendation and presentation. The formal recommendation is to proceed with the transfer of the Woodlawn Cemetery to the Town. The Woodlawn Cemetery Transfer Study Report can be found here. Presentation to be made at Town Meeting.
Article 2: Funding for Operations of the Woodlawn Cemetery: This Article would authorize the funding in the amount of $41,000 for the Town to operate the Woodlawn Cemetery for the balance of Fiscal Year 2022.
Article 3: Establishment of An Appointed Cemetery Commission: This Article would authorize the creation of a three-member Cemetery Commission to be appointed by the Select Board for the purposes of maintaining the Woodlawn Cemetery. The Article would further authorize the placement of a ballot question to this effect on the Annual Town Election Ballot to be held on May 10, 2022, in accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 41, Section 21.
Article 4: Cell Tower Lease: This Article would authorize the Select Board to re-lease the existing town land that the cell tower is located on at 25 Brook Street (DPW) for lease or leases not to exceed twenty years. The land lease for the land where the cell tower is located will expire in January of 2023. In accordance with Massachusetts Procurement Law, the lease of town-owned land must go out to a public competitive bid process. To date the Town has collected approximately $900,000 over the current 20-year lease period. A map of location of the cell tower and cell tower lease is available here.
Article 5: Community Preservation Committee Funding to Update the Community Preservation Five-Year Plan: This Article would authorize funding of $21,000 from the Community Preservation Fund (FY 2022) Balance Reserve for Undesignated Reserve to hire a consulting firm to work with the Community Preservation Committee to update the Community Preservation Five-Year Plan.
Article 6: Community Preservation Committee Funding for the Ayer Shirley Regional School District (ASRSD) Athletic Field Project: This Article would fund $300,000 form the Community Preservation Fund (FY 2022) Balance Reserve form Open Space Category to help offset a portion of the Town of Ayer’s cost for the installation of a track area as part of the Ayer Shirley Regional School District’s Athletic Field Project. The track will be available for use by the public when not in use by the schools.
Article 7: Town of Ayer Fertilizer Use Bylaw: This Article would amend the Town’s Bylaws to adda Fertilizer Use Bylaw in the Town of Ayer which is intended to help prevent the threats of fertilizer pollution to Ayer’s waterway and shared environmental resources. The principal enforcement agent would be the Ayer Conservation Commission. The Fertilizer Use Bylaw if passed by Town Meeting is subject to final review and acceptance by the Massachusetts Attorney General.
Citizens Petition: Rezone of 29 Harvard Road, Lot 35-22, From General Residence to General Business: This Citizens Petition was submitted by Theodore Maxant on September 8, 2021, signed by 142 Ayer Voters with all signatures certified by the Town Clerk. To view a copy of the Petition and supporting documents, please click here or contact the Office of the Ayer Town Clerk.