SOUTHAMPTON – All 18 articles on the warrant at this year’s annual Town Meeting were passed on Saturday morning, in a meeting that Moderator Robert Floyd judged to be a success on both the civic and safety fronts.
“Some say it was the best town meeting they’d ever been to,” said Floyd. “I was tickled pink by the feeling of community.”
Floyd said that the questions people asked at the meeting were “phenomenal.” He also said that attendees were respectful of the safety measures put into place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
They included spacing chairs 6 feet apart in pairs of two, having sanitizing products on hand, and asking that all attendees wear masks.
“I did not find anyone not wearing a mask,” said Floyd.
The meeting, which was held outdoors at Labrie Field, took approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, and Floyd said it proceeded very efficiently.
“Nobody was rushed,” he said.
Floyd got an estimate that the turnout for the meeting was approximately 150, although this included non-voters. He said that while this was smaller than most annual Town Meetings, it was larger than some special Town Meetings.
In addition to the passage of 18 articles, three amendments were voted through, all of which increased the fiscal year 2021 operating budget contained in Article 2. The amendments, which were approved ahead of time by the Select Board, increased funding for street lighting, the pay of the assistants in the town clerk’s and assessor’s offices, and the elementary school. They were funded by greater than expected state aid.
The $49,435 added to the budget meant that the fiscal year 2021 operating budget increased from approximately $17.65 million pre-amendment to $17.7 million post amendment.
Other articles that were passed included Article 6, which funded the repair and sealing of the gutters at the William E. Norris School for $25,000; Article 16, which funded safe access to the trails at the Manhan Meadows Sanctuary for $7,000 of Community Preservation Act money; and Article 18, which transferred $53,000 of Community Preservation Act funds to the Southampton Historical Society for the preservation and stabilization of the Clark-Chapman House.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.