How I Feel About the The Citizen Petitions Passing
Northborough Patch posed the question about my reaction to Town Meeting and the fact that the citizens petitions on zoning bylaws have passed.
I am very pleased with the outcome. Pleased that numerous citizens took their time to vote, in hopes, to make a change. They were successful at it. Although I was the person to present this articles, it was put together by several citizens. I took it upon myself to be the voice. It was hard to hear some of the negative comments at town meeting about the citizen petitions. Calling this due to NIMBY and referencing a white picket fence.
The truth is, yes, this process began for me on 1-24-2012 at the first public hearing for the 130 Main project. A man I never met before stood up and said these bylaws were changed in 2009 and he explained he tried to stop it. He said there is nothing you can do about it now. Then he made a comment: "there's not enough time before town meeting to make a change."
Well, what he didn't know was, at that hearing there was a very driven, determined woman in the room. He piqued my curiosity. I remembered his name and contacted him, and from there things moved forward. His name is Brian Smith, and he was one of the citizens also involved in the passing of these citizen petitions. From that initial hearing there were other concerned citizens that I contacted and got on board. As time passed, more citizens came forward. Citizens have been concerned about this since 2009 and have continued to be concerned through present. These concerns should be a shock to no one.
The planning board and zoning committee have both agreed that something needs to be done. I know they will work on these issues, in time. The citizens wanted action now and that is why these petitions passed. Waiting for a year for a revision was not a risk that the citizens wanted to take. The goal was to preserve their rural town. We were able to get the word out through various and multiple media sources, email, phone calls, and flyers. More of an effort was made to contact citizens than your average public hearing notice.
Even though there were several citizens in attendance at Town Meeting, there would have been more if the meeting did not go on so late. I know some families wanted to vote yes on the petitions but were just unable to stay there with their kids until 11 p.m.
I think the outcome shows that this is what the citizens wanted. Although there was not an official count on the votes; I could see that only maybe 20 or fewer people voted against it. Several members on several boards voted yes as well. It has given me hope that there is a chance we can further keep this town more rural than an urban feel. Maybe a developer will build "cottage dwellings" rather than apartments. They could market them as small and affordable. I URGE more people to be involved. Attend town hearings and vote at town meeting. You really can't complain if you are not going to make an effort to make things better.
The bylaw committee and boards worked extremely hard and long hours in preparation to change the bylaws in 2009. That was never in question. The citizens used their right at Town Meeting to make a change that they could not get done any other way. It's nice to know at town meeting you can be heard.
I think it would be an accomplishment if the boards would listen a little more closely to what their citizens expect and are asking for. There have been several citizen groups formed in the last few years. All that have been disappointed with certain boards. There are similarities too. The boards are capable of doing more for the citizens but choose not to. It's something that needs to be addressed. I hope the current and new selectmen listen to the citizens.
I have been asked by several people what my future role will be in town. At this moment, I'm not sure. I really did this for the people as well as myself. I am a caring person; I felt compelled to help. I had to get involved.
I feel like my life has been on hold for the last four months starting with the 130 Main St. and ending with the Town Meeting. I need to get back to what is my number one priority; my family. I hope to use this blog to keep in touch. I don't know if I can ever go back to not being involved at all.... I have enjoyed the people, the contact, the ensemble; and it's been a great pleasure.
Karen Ares
5:21 pm on Friday, April 27, 2012
Very well said Carol. I appreciate your countless hours of work and agree that citizens should get involved in issues they firmly believe in. I do think some board members took the articles personally as well, which was not the case intended. The real issue has been and will always be to keep and move more towards a rural town feel. I still think there is much work to be done, especially in the downtown area. I would personally like to see a pedestrian and biker friendly area with shops and restaurants in close proximity with a small town common. I have enjoyed the comraderie and getting to know people with common goals. I look forward to working with you in the future, friend!
Carol C
12:30 am on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Thank you very much Karen. I feel the same about you my friend : )
Brian Smith
12:06 pm on Saturday, April 28, 2012
Nice job Carol.
It was disconcerting to hear a few town board members at town meeting speak in a negative tone to the petitioners and bring up the same old tired refrain on how hard everybody worked on creating the zoning by-laws. We heard this endlessly at the 2009 Town Meeting. As everyone knows, lots of hard work does not always guarantee the best result. The Titanic and the Edsel come to mind as examples of this.
We have a very pure form of democracy here in Northborough. If a handful of committee members comes up with laws that a majority of citizens do not agree with, the citizens as legislators at Town Meeting, have the right to change them.
William Jeas
10:19 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012
Citizens have the Power to Govern their Town
The citizens alone have an incontestable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to institute government; and to reform, alter, or totally change the same, when their protection, safety, prosperity and happiness require it.
What the Citizens undertook under their supremacy of self-governance was to change a municipal law (Zoning law) as citizen-legislator convened in a legislative body (Annual Town Meeting) and by the legal assent of the legislative body (by 2/3rds vote). This was done so under the right of the Mass. Constitution Article VII:
"Art. VII. Objects of government; right of people to institute and change government."
Citizens under an Open Forum municipal government in Massachusetts have the power of a municipal "legislator" and the power of a municipal "appropriator." These are inordinate and absolute governance powers which all citizens in Northboro possess. These are the highest and absolute powers for governance of the people, by the people, for the people. It's the absolute innate and fundamental power of citizens in a plebiscite-run democracy, and in our Town. Nothing more can exceed such lawfully established governance powers of the people. These citizen powers transcend any beliefs that the municipal functioning and control are not by the hands of its citizens.
JB
11:21 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012
I think the town administration could do a better job of notifying residents of proposals affecting citizens. A handful of people with agendas that may not coincide with that of the general population have little motivation to clearly inform town citizens of proposed changes. A simple email describing any proposed changes in non-legal terms would be helpful – I know we receive emails when there’s a change in trash pickup or other weather related events. This year I noticed the link to the warrant on the town website did not work until the Monday of the meeting. It was also hard to find, buried at the bottom of the ‘Distinguished Budge Award’ page. I don’t feel town hall really strives for transparency, if it did, it’s very easy to achieve and email is cheap
William Jeas
11:23 am on Sunday, April 29, 2012
Online access at the Town Hall's website to the Warrant Articles book for the CY2012 Annual Town Meeting (April 23-24, 2012) was not posted until a mere approx. 2 weeks prior to the Annual Town Meeting. Such a late posting online was inadequate.
The Warrant Book in its earliest state of composition became available legally as a "Public Record" in Jan. 2012. Yet the Town Administrator did not post the document online.
This Reader emailed the Town Administrator in February 2012 to get the Warrant Book posted(as soon as it became a Public Document, whatever its Draft state was). However, the Town Administrator ignored and/or refused to post online the Warrant Book until approx. 2 weeks prior to the April 23rd Annual Town Meeting. This UNSATISFACTORY. It violates the Open Government needs of citizens upon their government.
This is most UNACCEPTABLE.
Additionally, many other Town Hall and School Dept "Public Records" have not and are not being posted online. Perhaps we need a change in govt responsiveness, or a change in personnel.
deb goldsmith
4:51 pm on Sunday, April 29, 2012
Great job carol.
Rose
10:34 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
It's unfortunate that the residents have to go to such extremes. If only the boards did listen to the residents maybe it wouldn't have come to the passing of new bylaws. If the ZBA were truly protecting the residents than the residents would not be writing laws and wasting town money on appealing the zba decisions.When will someone in town of authority do something? VOTE NEW people for selectman! Time to shake things up within this town government!