All items on agenda pass at Town Meeting

Oct 28, 2024

Wareham residents approved 15 proposed articles at Town Meeting, signing them into law and passed over four, postponing them until the spring Town Meeting.

The meeting, held Monday, Oct. 28 in the Wareham High School auditorium began with a moment of silence for the recent death of Rep. Susan Williams Gifford. Afterward, attendees voted to pass over two items which involved town budget matters.

Voters also chose to pass over the item to allow the town to seek a seasonal community designation from the state and an item regarding zoning bylaws amendment for accessory dwelling units. All four items will be on the agenda for the spring 2025 Town Meeting.

Of the 15 passed items, five of them included projects which would draw money out of the Community Preservation Fund, a pool of money collected by the town from a surtax on property values over $100,000. One of these projects included the refurbishing of Lopes Playground for $750,000 and the item passed unanimously. The project will allow the town to completely redo the current wooden structure at the playground and build an accessible walking path.

Additionally, voters passed an item to give the Buzzards Bay Coalition $375,000 to spend on the purchase and permanent conservation restriction of more than 215 acres in Wareham along the Weweantic River. The purchase is a part of a larger, $5.8 million land purchase by the coalition for land in Carver.

The property will make up a little less than half of the 515 acre conservation area which stretches into Carver and will host trails and recreation areas open to the public, according to Brendan Annett, Buzzards Bay Coalition vice president of watershed protection.

Voters also approved several items authorizing funds for restoration projects to be paid for with Community Preservation Funds. Voters unanimously voted to allocate $400,000 for the exterior restoration of the East Wareham School and approved a vote to spend $80,000 for an estimate on a large window restoration project for Town Hall. The vote passed with a majority.

The last project drawing money from the Community Preservation Fund comes from Damien's Food Pantry to build 20 new raised beds, a new irrigation line and permanent fencing for their community garden.

For more information on every agenda item from the 2024 fall Town Meeting visit the Town of Wareham website wareham.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif12101/f/pages/2024_fall_town_meeting_warrant.pdf