Opening remarks: Assistant Town Manager Tom Begin called attention to the Recreation Department‘s increased capacity for summer program younger participants (grades K – 6) and a change in focus for older participants (seventh and eighth graders). Select Board member Alissa Nicol highlighted a possible substantial ($500,000 to $800,000) reimbursement to the Town and school district from the Health Insurance Trust as both entities transition health coverage to the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association (MIIA).
Traffic calming: Town engineer QinRui Pang described a Draft Traffic Calming Policy for Acton. Traffic calming, in the spirit of “Complete Streets,” aims to make the roads safer for shared use.. Ms. Pang’s presentation showed examples of how lane width, curb and crosswalk design, and tree placement, could promote more cautious driving. Both the presentation and the policy document showed how residents could petition for specified streets to be considered for calming measures. In response to a question from Board member Jim Snyder-Grant, Ms. Pang recognized the contributions of the Transportation Advisory Committee to the policy discussions.
Safe Communities Act: The Board discussed a letter in support of the Safe Communities Act. Board members cited a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) decision, Federal law and Acton’s immigration policy.
The SJC has decided that nothing in the statutes or common law of Massachusetts authorizes court officers to make a civil arrest when presented with a Federal civil immigration detainer for an undocumented immigrant. Lunn v. Commonwealth (SJC, 2017)
The Immigration and Naturalization Act allows the Federal Government (the Attorney General) to enter into agreements with state employees to perform Federal immigration law enforcement functions.
The Safe Communities Act would, however, prohibit state and local law enforcement from entering into such agreements. “Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no officer or employee … or any city or town police department shall perform the functions of an immigration officer, whether pursuant to 8 U.S.C. section 1357(g) or any other law, regulation, or policy…”
Mr. Snyder-Grant acknowledged that some towns might want their police to enforce federal immigration laws, which the Safe Communities Act would prevent. Similarly, Board member Dean Charter foresaw the possibility of wanting cooperation with Federal authority, and characterized the proposal as “sanctuary state light”. Select Board member David Martin asserted that the Safe Communities Act and Acton’s current policy do not violate federal law. Ms. Nicol emphasized that the issue is simply approving the letter, not changing Acton policy or practices. The Board approved the letter by a 4:1 vote, with Mr. Charter opposed.
Finance, budgets, and guidance: The Select Board and Town Manager John Mangiaratti reviewed recent Acton Leadership Group (ALG),Finance Committee (FinCom) and School Committee discussions. The ALG maintains a planning spreadsheet, and a page from that spreadsheet typically appears in the Town Meeting Warrant booklet. The School Committee has projected a possible 6.33% budget increase and has proposed a restructuring analysis. The issue before the Board was how to represent budget projections on the ALG’s spreadsheet’s future fiscal years, and how best to convey these complexities to the town. The Board appeared to favor providing informational context rather than altering the ALG plan’s future-year figures, with further discussion planned for April 7th before the next ALG meeting.
Town meeting and Town elections:
- The Board discussed the Draft Town Meeting Warrant articles, choosing consent-calendar status, and voting on whether to approve, disapprove, or defer action on each article.
- Postcard Notice of the Warrant: In recent prior years the Town has mailed the bulky Town Meeting Warrant to residents. The Board discussed sending a postcard notice of the Warrant, perhaps with a QR code for the Warrant text, as a tree-saving and cost-saving alternative; after discussion, and mentioning the possibility for future years, the Board declined to approve the proposal.
- Ballot Questions for Annual Town Election: The Board approved the ballot questions on the linked document, subject to review by Town Counsel.
Briefly noted:
- Town Seal: Mr. Mangiaratti has revived an earlier version of the Town Seal that more accurately depicts the Town Monument. The Board appreciated Mr. Mangiaratti’s initiative especially in light of the Acton250 observances.
- The Board returned to the gas-powered leaf-blower ban, again discussing details of a DRAFT Leaf Blower Control Bylaw.
- The Town Manager reports to the Select Board, and each year the Board conducts a Town Manager Annual Performance Evaluation. The Board briefly examined the methods for the 2025 review.
Tom Beals is the Select Board beat reporter for the Acton Exchange.