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Webster Board of Selectmen
PO Box 249
Webster, MA 01570 |
17 Indian Lane
Webster, MA 01570 |
October 31, 2002
To
the Board of Selectmen,
At our last town meeting I was the sponsor of
Article 35 (Revision of the Dock Registration Bylaw). In due
course the article passed with a unanimous vote. But what
preceded that vote prompts me to write this letter and to request
being put on the Board of Selectman’s agenda in the near future.
After my motion to pass the article, the Board of
Selectman’s Chairperson spoke on the article. What transpired is
puzzling. She began her speech for “informational” purposes to
notify the meeting that the Bylaw Committee had not reviewed the
article, or made an appearance at the meeting either in person or
by letter to approve or disprove the article. Her speech evolved
into a “recommendation” to pass over the article since it was not
a legal article. To emphasize her point,
she waved a copy of the town bylaws in the air. The moderator
then asked her if she would like to make a motion to that effect.
She did. There was no second to the motion.
During her speech, the Chair of the Finance
Committee asked Town Counsel for an opinion on the issue. He
ruled in favor of our Article being brought to a vote. At that
time I expected the Board of Selectman’s Chairperson to withdraw
her motion. She did not,
and in spite of no second to the motion, her motion was brought to
a vote. In the middle of the vote (her motion was not receiving
support) the audience brought up the lack of a second and the vote
was suspended. The moderator again asked the Board of Selectman’s
Chairperson if she would like to re-introduce her motion to get a
second. She declined.
The article finally was brought to a vote and
passed. In spite of the victory, the many voters who supported
this article feel that it may still be threatened. Therefore, I
respectfully request the Board of Selectman to respond to the
following questions:
1.
Article 35 will now have to be
approved by the State Attorney General’s office.
a)
Can someone stop it from being
submitted?
b)
How can the article be legally
discredited?
2.
If approved by the Attorney General’s
office,
a)
Can it be stopped again by some other
technicality?
b)
Will the approved bylaw have to be
published?
3.
If it clears hurdles 1 and 2, will
the Board of Selectman implement the bylaw?
4.
During the last town meeting, was the
motion to bypass Article 35 supported by the Board of Selectman?
5.
What is the purpose of the Bylaw
Committee and how does it function?
6.
Is the Bylaw Committee functioning
presently?
7.
If the Bylaw Committee does not
function, how might a citizen’s petition be protected from removal
from the warrant?
Myself, along with other lake residents,
are pleased with the support shown at the town meeting for Article
35 and look forward to having the new dock registration process
established by the Selectmen after thoughtful consideration.
Respectfully yours,
Richard Cazeault PE
508 949-0826 (home)
zcazeault@charter.net
cc: The Patriot
The Webster Times
WLA |
