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Firearm Safety Business Use Zoning Bylaw Fails After Chaotic Maneuvering on the Floor of Town Meeting
Sudbury’s Annual Town Meeting commenced on Monday evening. Town Moderator Cate Blake called the meeting to order at 7:34 p.m. and kicked things off with some basic instructions on the clickers and a test vote to make sure the system was operating properly. It wasn’t. The hall moved on to the ceremonial bits and traditions, and back into another clicker test that showed 255 voters in the room at the time.
Next up, the Motion for the Consent Calendar came up. That included articles 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43 and 44. The moderator told the room that it would require 7 people to pull an article off the consent calendar. Nobody took her up on that, and all the consent calendar articles passed together by a vote of 241-10. Article 37 was indefinitely postponed as part of that vote. From there, a vote on Article 1, Hear Reports, passed.
Select Board Chair, Janie Dretler, delivered the State of the Town address, which focused on themes of resilience, unity, progress and inclusion. At that point, the hall moved on to the articles.
Here’s the running tally so far. We grabbed vote counts that were displayed on the screen, but those aren’t official until the Town Clerk says they are. Voted articles are in BOLD.
- Hear Reports — Craig Blake, a longtime member of the Permanent Building Committee, was given the honor of moving the first article in recognition of his service to the town. That passed 234-2.
- FY24 Budget Adjustments — This one was indefinitely postponed by a vote of 212-12.
- FY25 Budget — After a few cost center presentations, the initial limiting motion passed 253-12. That set the upper limit of the budget. The main motion then passed 261-8.
- FY25 Capital Budget — Town Manager Sheehan presented, the room voted, and the article passed 267-12.
- FY25 Transfer Station Enterprise Fund Budget (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- FY25 Pool Enterprise Fund Budget (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- FY25 Recreation Field Maintenance Enterprise Fund Budget (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Snow and Ice Transfer (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Unpaid Bills — This was indefinitely postponed because there are no unpaid bills. It passed 251-5.
- Chapter 90 Highway Funding (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- FY25 Stabilization Fund (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- FY25 Revolving Fund Spending Limits (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Capital Stabilization Fund (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Revoke Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund — This one sailed through 271-4 after a thorough presentation by the Health Director.
- Means Tested Senior Tax Exemption Extension (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Amend Zoning Bylaw, Sections 2200 and 7000, Firearms Safety Business Use — Select Board Member Charlie Russo made the presentation. Steve Garvin, the Chair of the Planning Board, told the hall the Planning Board voted unanimously to support the article. John Riordan, Chair of the Sudbury Zoning Board of Appeals, read a statement that pointed out the ZBA was not included in the process, and voted unanimously to recommend the article be withdrawn or indefinitely postponed.
Next up, Select Board Vice Chair, Lisa Kouchakdjian, made a motion (as a private citizen) to amend the article. Her amendment would increase setbacks from sensitive uses like childcare facilities to 500 feet, from the 250 foot starting point. The amendment also eliminated paragraph D of section 2256 of the bylaw. Adam Burney, Sudbury’s Director of Planning and Community Development, responded to state that he felt a 500 foot setback that eliminated any possible parcels for gun shops was bad planning policy. Len Simon, a former Select Board member, also provided comments from the podium in support of the amendment. The motion passed 167-109.
At that point, the Select Board caucused and voted 3-2 to oppose the amended article. Two proponents on the Select Board, Charlie Russo and Jennifer Roberts, made comments calling the amended bylaw legally indefensible. Chair Dretler read a statement calling into question the process the majority of the Select Board used to create the bylaw, and the last-minute changes that came in that same day via an update to the wording of the initial motion. But procedure, rather than the bylaw itself, had become the focus. The room was confused and lashing out at the Town Moderator as some residents felt the vote was called too quickly on the amendment, and wanted more discussion.
Next up, a motion to reconsider the amendment. That needed a two-thirds vote to pass, and it didn’t get it when the tally came in at 162-111.
After more comments from the hall, Member Russo motioned to amend the amended motion back down to 225 foot setbacks and restore the paragraph D under section 2256.
At this point, a motion to adjourn failed. More discussion ensued, and the vote finally came on the motion to amend the amended motion. That passed by 167-83, effectively undoing the prior motion to amend, but also reducing the setbacks down to 225 feet instead of the original 250. Then came the final vote on the new amended article, which narrowly failed 163-88. It needed to pass by two-thirds.
With the bylaw having failed, Town Meeting adjourned for the night as midnight approached. We will update this post with the results of the Tuesday votes. - Acquisition of MBTA Buildings — The second night picked up here. Historical Commission Chair, Chris Hagger, rocked the presentation with a mini-history of both the Section Tool House and the South Sudbury Station Building. It passed 151-8.
- Swap Body Trucks w/Plow & Various Bodies (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Pickup Truck with Plow (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Town-Wide Culvert and Drainage Reconstruction — Dan Nason, the DPW Director, presented on culverts. It was thrilling, and the article passed 151-8. Apparently 8 people don’t like things that are cylindrical?
- DPW Roof Top HVAC Unit Replacements (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- DPW Salt Shed Vinyl Cover Replacement (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Atkinson Pool Renovation — Sandra Duran, the Combined Facilities Director, presented. It passed easily by 138-23.
- SPS School Classroom Instructional Equipment Replacement (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- SPS Haynes Elementary School Dehumidification HVAC (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Lighting Control Replacement (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School Exterior Stairwell Replacement (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Electric Car Charging Stations for Goodnow Library — Katina Fontes, Chair of the Goodnow Library Trustees, presented the article, which has repeatedly been described as unnecessary by Town staff. The Select Board and Finance Committee did not support, with each group citing the same reasons. The Select Board asked Sandra Duran, the Combined Facilities Director to comment, and she explained that the contract was already signed and they are beholden to Eversource on the timeline. She also explained how the Solar Energy Revolving Fund works, and that it’s under her control. The Finance Committee motioned to Indefinitely Postpone at this point. Town counsel clarified that unspent money appropriated from the Solar Revolving Fund will go back to free cash, not the Solar Revolving Fund. Eventually the vote came in on the motion to IP, and it was booted by a vote of 126-33.
- Amend General Bylaw, Article XV, Building Permit Fees — Andy Sheehan presented, and there was a motion to amend by a resident. The amendment would waive all Building Permit fees for Sudbury residents for 10 years or more. The motion to amend failed 30-110. The original motion passed 82-61.
- Amend General Bylaws Article XXII Conservation Commission Permit Fees — Town Manager, Andy Sheehan, presented again. It passed 104-27.
- Amend Zoning Bylaw: Codification – Additional Changes == Town Clerk, Beth Klein, presented. No talk in the hall. It required a two-thirds vote, and it got it with a 107-11 vote.
- Amend Zoning Bylaw Article IX, Section 6300, Site Plan Review — There was a good deal of vocal opposition to this one from residents. It failed 61-62.
- Amend Zoning Bylaw Article IX: Insert Section 4700C Multi-Family Overlay District — This is the MBTA Communities article. Adam Burney, Director of Planning and Community Development, presented with Planning Board Chair, Steve Garvin. A motion to amend failed 7-115. The unamended article eventually passed 104-19.
- Amend Zoning Bylaw Article IX: Section 5600 Inclusion of Affordable Housing — The room was thinning out and people were tired at this point. This one passed 104-4 without much discussion.
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Wayside Inn Road Bridge Reconstruction (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Bruce Freeman Rail Trail – Phase 3 (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Housing Authority Allocation (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Housing Trust Allocation (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Remediation of Water Chestnuts from Hop Book Pond System (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Parkinson Field Driveway Design (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Community Garden (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Regional Housing Services Office (RHSO) Membership Fee (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – Return of Unspent Funds (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Community Preservation Act Fund – General Budget and Appropriations (Passed on Consent Calendar)
- Amend General Bylaws, Chapter 20, by Adding “Disability” (Petition Article) — Kay Bell presented the petition article. It passed 100-4, uniting a room that had been deeply divided just one night prior, just in time for adjournment.
The Town is publishing results on this page. Towards the end of Town Meeting, the Moderator announced that she appointed Andrew Sousa, John Fries, and John Baranowsky, to the Finance Committee.