You can view or download a copy of the final warrant for 2014.
COTUIT FIRE DISTRICT
ANNUAL ELECTION AND DISTRICT MEETING
MAY 27 AND 28, 2014
TO THE CLERK OF THE COTUIT FIRE DISTRICT, GREETING:
You are hereby required and directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Barnstable residing within the territory comprising the Cotuit Fire District qualified to vote in District elections and affairs to meet at the Freedom Hall Main Street, Cotuit, on Tuesday, May 27, 2014, between the hours of four o’clock and eight o’clock PM, then and there to vote for the following officers:
- One member of the Prudential Committee, for three years
- One member of the Board of Fire Commissioners, for three years
- One member of the Board of Water Commissioners, for three years
Warning shall also be given to said inhabitants to meet on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, at Freedom Hall, Main Street, Cotuit, at seven-thirty o’clock PM, when action will be taken on the following articles:
(All articles which are not followed by the words “by request of . . .” are inserted by the Prudential Committee.)
Article 1: To see if the District will vote to accept the reports of the officers and committees of the District as printed.
Article 2: To see if the District will vote to set the annual salaries of the elected officials as follows:
Prudential Committee Members, Members of the Board of Fire Commissioners and Members of the Board of Water Commissioners: $1,250.00 each; Moderator: $250.00 and Town Collector: $1,000.00.
Article 3: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer and appropriate the sum of $50,000.00 to establish the reserve fund as provided under Section 5C, Chapter 40 of the General Laws.
Article 4: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate:
$35,000.00 for labor and salaries for the Finance Department; and $140,000.00 for the remaining expenses of the Finance Department, to be apportioned approximately as follows:
- $139,600.00 for operations; and
- $400.00 for miscellaneous expenses
- for a total appropriation of $175,000.00.
Article 5: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate:
- $1,400,499.00 for the labor and salaries of the Fire Department; and
- $373,850.00 for the remaining expenses of the Fire Department, to be apportioned approximately as follows:
- Maintenance, $73,800.00
- Operating expenses, $299,050.00, and
- Miscellaneous, $1,000.00
- for a total appropriation of $1,774,349.00.
(Requested by the Board of Fire Commissioners)
The Prudential Committee recommends this Article.
Article 6: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer and appropriate $25,000.00 to purchase 14 new radios for the Fire Department. (Requested by the Board of Fire Commissioners)
The Prudential Committee recommends this Article.
Article 7: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer and appropriate $236,000.00 to purchase a new ambulance for the Fire Department. (Requested by the Board of Fire Commissioners)
The Prudential Committee recommends this Article.
Article 8: To see if the District will vote to raise and Appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate:
- $26,000.00 for the Water Department for service connections
- $343,410.00 for labor and salaries of the Water Department; and
- $333,400.00 for the remaining expenses of the Water Department, to be apportioned approximately as
- follows:
- $74,500.00 for maintenance;
- $206,900.00 for operations; and
- $52,000.00 for miscellaneous expenses
- for a total appropriation of $702,810.00 and that the receipts and revenues of the Water Department be applied to these amounts.
(Requested by the Board of Water Commissioners)
The Prudential Committee recommends this Article.
Article 9: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $30,000.00 for the pump replacement/Well Treatment. (Requested by the Board of Water Commissioners)
The Prudential Committee recommends this Article.
Article 10: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $120,000.00 for engineering costs related to water system improvements including the construction of a new water storage tank, the demolition of both the Main and West Street water storage tanks and additional water main upgrades. (Requested by the Board of Water Commissioners)
The Prudential Committee recommends this Article.
Article 11: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate:
- $3,000.00 for the labor and salaries for Freedom Hall Maintenance Department; and
- $24,500.00 for the remaining expenses of the Prudential Committee, to be apportioned approximately as follows:
- Maintenance, $6,300.00,
- Operating expenses, $18,100.00, and
- Miscellaneous, $100.00
- for a total appropriation of $27,500.00.
Article 12: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $75,000.00 for the purpose replacing the HVAC System at Freedom Hall.
Article 13: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $40,000.00 to paint the exterior of Freedom Hall.
Article 14: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $25,000.00 to maintain the street lights of the District.
Article 15: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $18,450.00 to support the Maintenance of the Cotuit Library.
Article 16: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $268,050.00 for payment of principal and interest.
Article 17: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $746,000.00 for the purpose of paying employee/other post-employment benefits.
Article 18: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate to sum of $25,000.00 for the Stabilization Fund as provided under Section 5B, Chapter 40, of the General Laws.
Article 19: To see if the Cotuit Fire District voters will authorize the Cotuit Fire District to transfer, borrow and/or raise and appropriate the sum of $235,000.00 to acquire, pursuant to Article 97 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, for water supply protection purposes, a conservation restriction or watershed preservation restriction pursuant to MGL Ch. 184, ss. 31-33, to be jointly held with the Town of Barnstable, on sixteen (16) acres, more or less, of land located in a Wellhead Protection Overlay District and Aquifer Protection District for Well #E3 in Cotuit Village, being shown on Barnstable Assessors Map 036 as a portion of Parcel 039, to be under the control of the Board of Water Commissioners. In furtherance of this objective, the Cotuit Fire District is hereby authorized to expend up to $225,000.00 for the purchase of said restriction and $10,000.00 for the costs associated with the purchase. Said land shall be open to the general public for appropriate outdoor passive recreational use while consistent with 310 CMR 22.00. Said land is more fully described on a sketch entitled, “Sketch showing 16 acres +/- to be acquired by the Barnstable Land Trust, Inc. and a Conservation Restriction to be acquired by the Cotuit Fire/Water District and/or the Town of Barnstable Conservation Commission, and 3 acre +/- to be acquired by the Town of Barnstable and added to Lowell Park, 4-5-14. Final dimensions subject to confirmation by survey plan by Town of Barnstable, Dept. of Public Works, 2014 (pending),” on file with the District Clerk. (Requested by Citizen Petition)
Prudential Committee recommendation will be made at Annual District Meeting
Article 20: To see if the District will vote to amend Article 2, Section 3, which presently reads “The Clerk shall give notice of all District meetings by publishing the same in a newspaper printed within the Town of Barnstable, and shall post such notice in two public places in Cotuit, said publishing and posting to be completed not less than seven days prior to the date of said meeting” by deleting the words “two public places in Cotuit” and inserting in place thereof the words “Town of Barnstable and Cotuit Fire District web sites.”
Article 21: To see if the District will vote to amend Article 2, Section 6, which presently reads “All Committees/Boards of the District shall publish notice of all meetings, special and regular, in accordance with the Massachusetts open meeting law by posting on the District web site and by posting on any bulletin board designated by the Prudential Committee” by inserting the words on the Town of Barnstable web site and before “on the District web site.”
Article 22: To see if the District will vote to amend Article 11, Section 1, which presently reads “All boards and committees shall be required to hold at least one regular monthly meeting. A majority of the elected board shall constitute a quorum at each meeting. The Clerk shall post all regularly scheduled meetings in accordance with Massachusetts general laws” by inserting the word “elected” between the words “All” and “boards.”
Article 23: To see if the District will vote to amend Article 11, Section 9, which presently reads in part “the Committee shall conduct meetings at least once a quarter” to read “the Committee shall conduct meetings at least once a year.”
Article 24: To see if the District will vote to amend Article 2, Section 5: which presently reads “Annual elections by ballot shall be held on the Tuesday preceding the last Wednesday in May of each year. The polls shall be open from four PM until eight PM. Each candidate for election to a District office shall file nomination papers with the District Clerk bearing at least twenty-five signatures of qualified voters of the District at least thirty days prior to the Annual Meeting and election. Thereupon the Clerk shall have prepared printed ballots in accordance with the Massachusetts General Laws” to read as follows:
“Article 2, Section 5a: The election for District Officers by ballot shall take place one day prior to the Annual District Meeting. Upon receipt of valid nomination papers, the Clerk shall have prepared printed ballots, including absentee ballots, in accordance with the Massachusetts General Laws.”
“Article 2, Section 5b: Nominations for District Officers shall be made by filing nomination papers with the District Clerk, signed by at least twenty-five persons qualified to vote in said District. Such nomination papers must be filed for certification of signatures with the Town Clerk, Town of Barnstable, not later than fifty days prior to the date set for the election; and must thereafter be filed by the nominee with the District Clerk not later than thirty-five days prior to such election, or such other date as may be prescribed by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 53, Section 10, as from time to time amended. “
Hereof fail not to make due return of this warrant and your doings thereon at said meeting.
Given under our hands this Twenty-Eighth day of April, 2014.
Laurie C. Hadley
Frances Parks
Richard G. Barry
PRUDENTIAL COMMITTEE
A True Copy, attest:
_________________________
Charles W. Eager, Clerk
Cotuit Fire District