By Carol Britton Meyer

The draft warrant for the May 5 annual town meeting features 41 articles, including 11 citizens’ petitions.

The warrant articles, discussed by the select board this week, include proposals to remove the town manager from the role of municipal light plant manager; align Hull’s accessory dwelling units regulations with less-restrictive state law; prohibit highly illuminated, moving, and excessive commercial signage, electronic community message boards, and billboards; and projects recommended for funding by the Community Preservation Committee.

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Article 36, submitted by light board member Jacob Vaillancourt and others, seeks to restore to the light board the statutory responsibility found in Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 164, “including but not limited to the ability to make policy, hire and fire the light plant manager, employees (pursuant to union and any civil service requirements), and to perform as a board those actions and responsibilities it had prior to 1993,” when the town manager was designated to serve in the light plant manager role.

Select Board Chair Irwin Nesoff said that the town manager doesn’t receive an additional stipend from the light plant beyond the salary that was negotiated for the town manager position.

Town Manager Jennifer Constable noted that if town meeting approves this change, “there would be no town authority over the light plant,” which in certain cases could be “to the detriment of the entire community,” she said.

Another article relates to authorizing the select board to acquire land near 31 and 169 Beach Avenue and 33 Malta Street by eminent domain to allow for constructing, repairing, maintaining, or improving the road, utilities, dune, and infrastructure system and “to protect persons and property, to provide protection from storms or sea level rise, and to enable and facilitate public and municipal access to and use of the beach,” among other stipulations. A similar article failed to pass at last year’s town meeting.

Article 17 notes: “Nothing contained in this article or any action there under shall be construed to indicate that the town does not already own or have sufficient interests in the property. Any action taken under this article is intended to remove any clouds on the town’s rights and/or to establish and affirm the town’s rights.”

This matter “continues to make its way through litigation, and it’s important enough to revisit this year,” Constable said during a board review of the draft warrant this week.

Affordable housing trust creation

Another article calls for setting aside money to be used to cover matching funds as required by grants for which the town might apply, while another asks voters to approve the creation of an affordable housing trust to help create and preserve below-market-rate housing for low- and moderate-income households and to fund community housing.

Article 25, sponsored by the select board, would establish a schedule of fines for parking violations (not to exceed $100), and Article 37, submitted by Ann Marie Papasodero, would change the town’s bylaws to require a quorum of 150 registered voters to be present at town meeting and special town meeting in order to conduct business. The town has had a zero quorum rule since 1987, when voters eliminated the 150-voter quorum because of difficulty in obtaining the required number of participants.

Other proposals on the warrant would limit the number of times an individual can speak to no more than twice on any question at town meeting, with a couple of exceptions, and limit speakers to no more than five minutes the first time – down from the current seven minutes, excluding the presenter of the article – and no more than three minutes the second time on any subject.

CPC recommendations

The Community Preservation Committee’s projects to be discussed at town meeting include funding for the redevelopment of Jones Park in Kenberma with a new ADA-compliant playground, restoration of the Hull Lifesaving Museum boathouse at Pemberton Point, restoration of the Paragon Carousel’s roof, and preservation of town historic documents, among others.

Appropriating money for an ambulance and pumper truck is the subject of Article 23. Article 8 includes the general government and school budgets, while a number of the articles are for “housekeeping” purposes – required to be voted on each year to enable the government to operate.

Constable said the 11 citizen’s petitions are printed in the warrant “exactly as they were presented to us, including missing words or spelling inaccuracies. That’s how we have to include them in the warrant.”

In addition to the quorum article, the resident-sponsored proposals seek to rezone as public open space several town-owned and private conservation trust parcels, change the town’s inclusionary zoning bylaw to require 100% of units in developments of four or more to be designated affordable, and repeal the flexible plan development bylaw, among other considerations.

The board will sign the warrant on March 26, following further discussion at upcoming meetings. The advisory board also reviews each article and develops recommendations for voters to consider. Those attending the May 5 town meeting will have final say on the proposals through their votes.

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