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Welcome back!

Annual Town Meeting is just a few weeks away, and things are getting mighty interesting out there. We have quite a bit to cover this week.

1. Planning Board Supports Firearms Safety Business Use Bylaw

2. Community Center Faces Down Last-Mile Hurdles

3. What to Expect at Annual Town Meeting

4. SudburyWeekly.com News Roundup

Let’s get into it!

Planning Board Supports Firearms Safety Business Use Bylaw

By Kevin LaHaise

On Wednesday, April 10, the Planning Board held a public hearing to discuss the proposed Firearms Safety Business Use Bylaw, and to hear from the public. Select Board member Charlie Russo presented the bylaw to kick things off. After a public comment, the board members offered high level comments and voted to recommend approval of the bylaw amendment unanimously.

The common theme among the board members’ comments was that the bylaw provided more control than the town currently has to regulate such business uses. Some members noted that the the bylaw could be amended and improved in the future, and Russo indicated that Acton, which passed a similar bylaw last year, is already considering updates to their bylaw.

The bylaw heads to Annual Town Meeting with the support of the majority of the Select Board and the full Planning Board. However, the Zoning Board of Appeals has not taken a position on the article.

The bylaw designates the Select Board, not the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals, as the permitting authority. That matter came up during the public hearing, and it was pointed out that it was not necessarily unusual, as other communities with similar bylaws have done the same thing. It’s also consistent with the manner in which Sudbury regulates 5G wireless small cell infrastructure. However, neither the Planning Board nor the Zoning Board of Appeals were formally involved in the development of the bylaw, which has been raised as a point of concern by the members of the Select Board who do not support the bylaw.

The bylaw is article 16 on the Town Meeting warrant. You can review it on page 25 here.

Community Center Faces Down Last-Mile Challenges

By Kevin LaHaise

The Fairbank Community Center is open to the public while the last phases of the project are wrapped up. The Permanent Building Committee met on April 8 to talk through some last-mile challenges.

The first challenge is a water leak that the project team believes is coming from the old roof of the Atkinson pool. More analysis has to be done to determine the cause and remedy the situation. Because it’s tied to the Atkinson pool, it was believed to be outside of the scope of the construction project, and will be addressed by the Sudbury Facilities Department.

The public also learned, during the last Park and Recreation Commission meeting, that the Atkinson Pool dive well has been closed indefinitely due to environmental concerns associated with an ongoing leak of chlorinated water. An anonymous report submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency prompted the closure and dechlorination. (1:22:00)

The ongoing Atkinson Pool maintenance issues are the target of a proposed project that is on the warrant for Annual Town Meeting in May. If the article passes, it would provide $2,350,000 for the Town to replace the roof of the Atkinson pool, replace key mechanical equipment and piping, and repair/re-grout the tile in the pool. (Page 33)

The second challenge that cropped up at the community center is the discovery of arsenic in the soil that needs to be removed from the recreation side of the building. (23:30) The soil tests indicated that the arsenic levels slightly exceed the allowable threshold. In combination with other unforeseen challenges over the course of the project, the Permanent Building Committee felt it had no choice but to vote to extend the “substantial completion” date to June 21. They also authorized a member to negotiate up to $50,000 in additional costs for all facets of additional soil testing, handling and disposal.

With a couple months left to go, the Owner’s Project Manager, Chris Eberly, encouraged the committee to prioritize any further change orders on the project, as contingency funds are healthy, but the existing list of anticipated potential changes is significant. They also have site drainage work to complete.

What to Expect at Annual Town Meeting

By The League of Women Voters of Sudbury

Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting will begin in less than a month, on Monday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, 390 Lincoln Road.

All registered voters are voting members of Town Meeting. Register to vote by Friday, April 26.

Van transportation is available for qualified voters. For all other voters, parking is available in the high school parking lot. Enter the lot through the driveway east of the high school building.

To get to the auditorium, walk toward the high school building. Follow the walkway down the small hill. Enter the building through the doors directly in front of you.

Once inside, voter check-in will be immediately to your left. You must check in to receive an electronic voting clicker that will allow your vote to be recorded. You must be present to vote; there is no remote or absentee voting.

The clicker has two buttons: one for a “yes” vote and one for a “no” vote. All votes taken at Town Meeting will be “yes” or “no” votes in favor or against the approval of each article.

Check-in staff can demonstrate how to use the clicker, and the Moderator will review the voting procedures and offer a practice question with the clicker prior to the start of article voting. You can find additional information about the clickers on page iii of the Warrant, here and here.

The Moderator will follow the order of the Warrant. Each article will be debated and voted on in turn, except for articles on the Consent Calendar. The articles on the Consent Calendar are non-controversial articles that are expected to pass. Articles on the Consent Calendar, found on pages viii-x of the Warrant, will be voted on as a group, without debate.

Information about accessibility for Annual Town Meeting can be found on the Town webpage and on pages i and ii of the Warrant.

Basic information about Annual Town Meeting is available here and on pages iv-viii of the Warrant. You can learn more about town meetings in the Citizen’s Guide to Town Meeting and here. Recordings of Sudbury’s past town meetings are available on demand on SudburyTV.

Annual Town Meeting begins on Monday, May 6, at 7:30 p.m. and may be continued on additional nights, as needed.

Parting Thoughts

The wind was howling out there today, and there were reports of trees coming down. Fortunately, the days ahead look more pleasant. Next week we have school vacation, and the Town calendar is sparse, with one notable exception…

Earth Day festivities are scheduled for Saturday, April 20. It looks to be a sprawling and dynamic event. More details here.

While next week may be a vacation week, it is not without deadlines. April 19 is the deadline for residents to apply to serve on the Finance Committee. Info here. And the Town has posted a list of all committee volunteer opportunities here. If you have a relevant skill or passion, there’s probably a committee or commission that could use it!

Onward!