The 2024 Annual District Meeting was held on Wednesday, May 29 at Freedom Hall. 26 warrant articles were put forth for consideration. By the end of the night, 4 articles were withdrawn, 1 did not pass, and 21 were approved. Among the articles that were approved:
– the budgets for the water and fire departments as well as the district’s Finance Department
– the authorization of $1.3 million to move forward with the project to design a new fire station
– the appropriation of $33,000 for new protective clothing for the fire department
– this sum of $25,000 for new meter reading software for the water department.
Here’s the listing of each article taken from the warrant list and the final outcome.
Article 1:
To see if the District will vote to accept the reports of the officers and committees of the District as printed.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article did not pass
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; and Moderator: $250.00
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 3:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer and appropriate the sum of $45,000.00 to establish the reserve fund as provided under Section 5C, Chapter 40 of the General Laws.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 4:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $122,315.00 for the labor and salaries for District’s Finance Department; and $309,182.00 for the remaining expenses of the Prudential Committee, for a total appropriation of $431,497.00.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 5:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $2,309,735.00 for the labor and salaries of District’s Fire Department; and $395,654.00 for the remaining expenses of the Fire Department for a total appropriation of $2,705,389.00.
(By the request of the Board of Fire Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 6:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $800,000.00 to purchase and equip a new fire engine and sell and/or trade the 1994 fire engine VIN 4PICT02D0RA000728 which it will replace.
(By the request of the Board of Fire Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article withdrawn
Article 7:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $33,000.00 for the purchase of protective clothing for the fire fighters.
(By the request of the Board of Fire Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 8:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $1,300,000.00 for the design phase including any related testing for the design of a new Fire Station.
(By the request of the Board of Fire Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 9:
To see if the District will vote to approve the transfer of the title for the 201 Brush Breaker VIN 1HTSEAAR61H366080 from the Cotuit Fire District to the Joint Base Cape Cod Fire Department.
(By the request of the Board of Fire Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 10:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $473,370.00 for labor and salaries of the Water Department; and $416,825.00 for the remaining expenses of the Water for a total appropriation of $890,195.00
(By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee does recommend this Article)
Article passed
Article 11:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $25,000.00 for new meter reading software and equipment.
(By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 12:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $8,500.00 for new departmental computers and related system/security equipment.
(By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 13:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds $50,000 to acquire a conservation restriction on the property located at 4609 Falmouth Road, Cotuit, pursuant to MGL Chp.184 ss. 31-33 to be held jointly with the Town of Barnstable.
(By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners)
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 14:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $6,211.00 for the labor and salaries and $21,180.00 for the remaining expenses of the operation of Freedom Hall for a total appropriation of $27,391.00.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 15:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds the sum of $10,700.00 to maintain the streetlights of the District.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 16:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds the sum of $26,780.00 to support the Maintenance of the Cotuit Library.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 17:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $431,293.00 for payment of principal and interest.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 18:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $970,161.00 for the purpose of paying employee/other post-employment benefits.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 19:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds the sum of $35,000.00 for the Stabilization Fund as provided under Section 5B, Chapter 40, of the General Laws.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 20:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds the sum of $46,300.00 for the Water Department Stabilization Fund as provided under Article IX, Section 5 of the District By-Laws
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 21:
To see if the District will vote to transfer and appropriate from certified free cash the sum of $37,100.00 for the balance of the fiscal year 2024 transfer to the Water Department Stabilization Fund as provided under Article IX, Section 5 of the District By-Laws.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 22:
To see if the District will vote to re-purpose the following Articles: Article(s) 2015-10 & 19 Water Tank Security comprising $312,634; and Article 2022-24 School Property Environmental Study comprising $28,000; to be available for funding the voter determined final disposition of the Cotuit Elementary School Building.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article passed
Article 23:
To see if the District will vote to repurpose Article 2021- 17 Alternative Development Determination as determined in the May 4, 2024, SDM Article 2 or if that article did not pass, to be available for funding the voter determined final disposition of the Cotuit Elementary School Building.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article withdrawn
Article 24:
To see if the District will vote to authorize the Cotuit Fire District to do all things necessary to petition the Massachusetts Great and General Court to change the enabling legislation of the Cotuit Fire District and the establishment of the Cotuit Water Commission under Chapter 244 of the Special Acts of Massachusetts (1935) substantially as follows: The Water Commission of the Cotuit Fire District shall have the authority to fund improvements on private property, with written approval of the property owner, to protect and enhance the quality of the water supply for the benefit of the residents of Cotuit.
(The Prudential Committee does not recommend this Article)
Article passed after a vote to amend the language
Article 25:
To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate from available funds a sum not to exceed $1,100,000.00 for the demolition of the Cotuit Elementary School Building located at 140 Old Oyster Road, Cotuit, Massachusetts.
(The Prudential Committee recommends this Article)
Article withdrawn
Article 26:
Upon motion duly make and seconded, the District votes to transfer and appropriate a sum, not to exceed the sum previously allocated and unexpended under Article 17 in 2021, from Certified Free Cash to:
(1) to study the feasibility and estimate the cost of restoring and rehabilitating all or a portion of the former Cotuit Elementary School at 140 Old Oyster Road (the “School Property”) for the use of District residents, funding a professional analysis of the building for potential reuse and potential recreational and other uses of the grounds, and for the author(s) of said study to present the finding of the completed study to the voters of the District at a public meeting; and,
(2) to study the cost of demolition of the School Property and the restoration of the site to a natural state; and,
(3) to hold a Special District Meeting to allow voters to determine the District course of action related to the School Property.
(By request of a Citizen Petition)
(The Prudential Committee does not recommend this Article)
Article withdrawn
