By Christopher Haraden

Residents are being summoned to Hull High School next week for an event as rare as finding a parking space at the beach – a summertime town meeting.

On Thursday, Aug. 31, voters will act on 10 articles, ranging from a request for another package store license to allowing the sale of recreational marijuana in Hull to appropriating more money to repair the historic Fort Revere water tower.

The relatively fast-paced time frame resulted from the meeting being requested by a citizens’ petition, as state law mandates that special town meetings requested in this manner be held within 45 days. Town officials have scheduled public meetings to educate voters about the issues that will be on the warrant.

Click here to read the warrant, along with the advisory board comments.

Town Moderator George Boylen will host an informational session with article proponents that will air live on Thursday, Aug. 24, at 7 p.m. on Hull Community Television, and will be replayed frequently in the days leading up to the meeting.

Click here to watch the moderator’s review, courtesy of Hull Community TV

The select board will hold a virtual public meeting Tuesday, Aug. 29 at noon to review and discuss the warrant articles. Citizens may attend to ask questions and offer their opinions.

The advisory board, which reviews each article and makes recommendations prior to town meeting, indicated that the tight time frame made it impossible for members to review each article before the warrant was printed for distribution. For example, the board was unable to discuss Article 1, which would allow accessory dwelling units in owner-occupied homes, prior to the planning board’s hearing on the proposal. The board plans to make its recommendation on the floor of town meeting.

“The advisory board wishes to encourage the town to bring its regular business before annual town meeting each May,” members wrote in their warrant message. “The window of opportunity for the advisory board to review articles from the town is very short for special town meetings. Having a meeting at this time of year creates difficulty for the advisory board due to personal and professional scheduling conflicts and doesn’t afford the voters of Hull to spend as much time reviewing the articles.”

The full text of the special town meeting warrant, as well as the advisory board’s recommendations, is available at www.hulltimes.com.

Briefly, the 10 proposals that will greet voters on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. at Hull High School:

Article 1, proposed by the zoning board of appeals, would create a special permit process to allow accessory housing units within an existing single-family structure for family members, seniors age 60 and over regardless of income, or other occupants who qualify according to income eligibility for affordable housing.

Article 2, inserted at the request of the moderator, seeks to streamline the disposition of so-called “housekeeping” articles – those that must be approved annually in order to operate the government – by creating a “consent agenda” that would approve them in one vote. The handful of articles typically do not generate debate and would be approved once the budget article has been finalized.

Article 3, sponsored by the conservation commission, would increase the fees charged for various permits and would tighten regulations on wetlands that serve to capture stormwater, overwash, and ocean surge to mitigate flooding.

Approval of Article 4 would authorize spending $120,000 for a new pump to regulate water flow in the drainage lagoon that runs between Draper and Vernon avenues. The 22-year-old electric pump has failed; the town would bond the $120,000 over 12 years to replace this unit. A secondary diesel pump has not seen major work in seven years.

Article 5 requests another $600,000 to cover increased costs to renovate the historic Fort Revere water tower on Telegraph Hill. Town meeting approved $2.2 million for the project in 2022, but bids for the work have exceeded the initial estimates.

Article 6 is a request from the school department to fund emergency repairs at the Memorial Middle School. The top of the portico over the front doors is pulling away from the building, and initial engineering and site work is expected to cost $300,000. The front entrance will be closed until the stabilization is completed.

Articles 7, 8 and 9 were submitted by citizens petition and seek to amend both the town’s general bylaws and zoning bylaws to permit recreational sales of marijuana in town. The town currently has one medical dispensary, Alternative Compassion Services on George Washington Boulevard, and ACS would expand its business if the article is approved.

The last item on the warrant, Article 10, is the reason for holding the town meeting – a citizens petition that would authorize the select board to ask the Legislature to grant another package store license in town, specifically for the Quick Pick Food Shop at 261-265 Nantasket Ave.

Watch this page for additional details and the coverage of the action taken at the Aug. 31 special town meeting.