Your Top 5 in Town News
An easy to digest digest of Town News, served monthly.
1 - 2021 Town Election and
Annual Town Meeting
The Select Board has called for the Annual Town Election and Annual Town Meeting. Given the seemingly, never-ending public health precautions surrounding public gatherings, there are a few adjustments to the Town's traditional approach.
Town Election
Will be held on Saturday, May 8th from 8am to 6pm in the Town Hall Auditorium for in-person voting. Mail-in voting will be available for those not wanting to vote in-person. The Vote by Mail application is available online and is due back to the Town Clerk by May 4th.
Running for an Elected Office - to prevent the in-person gathering of the traditional Caucus (an election that cannot be held online), the town secured a court order to use nomination papers to select candidates to appear on the election ballot. The signature requirement was reduced to 10 from the typical 50. If you would like to run for an elected office, visit WestonMA.gov/TownElection to learn more. The deadline to submit is March 20th.
Annual Town Meeting
Will be held on Saturday, May 15th, with second day/rain dates of Sunday, May 16th and Saturday, May 22nd. The proceedings will be held outdoors on Proctor Field at the Weston High School.
Petitioned Articles - the Select Board opened the Town Meeting warrant to Citizens' Petitions until March 23rd the process to petition for an article to be included in the warrant is available on the Town's website.
FY22 Operating Budget Discussion - The Select Board has indicated that it will be hosting a public discussion of the proposed operating budget at its March 23rd meeting. Additional details to follow. Meanwhile, all meetings of the School Committee, Finance Committee, and Select Board are online, open to the public, and are recorded by Weston Media Center for later viewing. Links to the meetings are available with the posted agendas on the Town's website. The Finance Committee has been holding its annual review of the budget with various Town departments.
Community Preservation Committee Public Hearing - The CPC is holding its biannual public hearing regarding Town projects seeking Community Preservation Act funding at Town Meeting. The meeting will be held online on March 22nd at 7pm. Proposals received include:
- 1 Community Housing application for housing on Birch Lane by the Weston Affordable Housing Foundation Inc.
- 3 Recreation Purposes applications for the Ash Street sidewalk, Burchard Park rehabilitation, and Memorial Pool rehabilitation
- 1 Open Space application for tree preservation on the Case Estates
2 - Recyclopedia
Answering the age-old question, "Can this be recycled?" Weston has partnered with Recycle Smart to provide a cool online tool that lets you know if an item can be reused, recycled or tossed. The answer is most likely that it can be donated or recycled but you can find this out quickly and easily by using the Recyclopedia tool. Look for it on the WestonMA.gov/RSW web page.
And, if you think you know all about recycling, why not test your knowledge with this quick online quiz. You might be surprised by the results.
Why is this so important that we put it in a newsletter? Weston is a Green Community. We're also an MVP community. The Town is working hard to confront climate change, improve our environment, protect our natural assets, and enhance our community's resilience. We want and need you to be a part of this!
The slightest change in daily habits can help reduce household greenhouse gas emissions and increase your resilience in the face of climate change. Learn how you can save money, reduce water consumption, reuse natural resources, and so much more in the Climate Action Toolkit for Homeowners.
3 - State Projects in Weston: Eversource and MBTA
Eversource recently met with the Select Board to discuss its utility pole and infrastructure upgrades it is planning to conduct along the Weston length of 117/North Avenue. The project goal is to gain system improvements for customers along this power grid. It is anticipated to begin mid-March and is expected to be completed in 12 to 15 weeks.
All of the utility poles in this section will be replaced and reconductored for system improvements. Tree pruning is expected to begin as early as the week of March 8th. Eversource will be in contact with impacted customers as the project advances.
The MBTA is anticipated to begin its Intervale Road Bridge Replacement Project. This will involve some traffic detours and some night work. Project details and timeline is available on the MBTA's project website.
4 - Introducing the Dog Log
Weston dog owners and commercial dog walkers know and respect the rules regarding dogs in public spaces, which are detailed in Weston's Dog By-law. This by-law represents the shared wisdom of the community. It is a social compact that enables all users to safely and confidently share our common land, and protects our treasured open space.
To help ensure that we are maintaining a good balance of enjoyment and safety on our conservation lands, please feel free to share your dog experiences on Weston’s Dog Log, available online at WestonMA.gov/DogLog.
Submissions are monitored by our Animal Control Officer and the Conservation Commission. The purpose of the Dog Log is simply to record user experiences on the trails – good, bad or neutral.
5 - Be a Part of a Strong Weston Tradition
Volunteers are, and always have been, an integral part of Weston Town Government. It is volunteers, elected or appointed, who make policy, serve on committees, give of their time and talents, and who help make this the special place that Weston is to all of us.
Follow the links below to find information on the committees and the application instructions. Note the deadlines to respond:
Visit WestonMA.gov/Volunteer to learn more about the appointment process, as well as non-appointed volunteer opportunities.
BONUS NEWS!
Be on the lookout for the following:
Household Hazardous Waste Collection will be April 3rd at the Public Works Facility on Rt. 20, from 9am to 1pm.
The Merriam Street Brush Dump opens for 4 consecutive Saturdays starting April 10th. Transfer Station and Recycle Only permit holders can drop off yard waste from 7am to 3pm and help themselves to rich composted soil and woodchips.
Bulk Waste at the Transfer Station - starting May 2021, certain bulky items will have a fee attached to them if they are to be disposed. Did you know that many bulky items can be donated or reused? As you clean out attics, basements, and garages this spring, visit Westonma.gov/bulkwaste to find nearby donation centers or other methods of disposal. What is one man's trash is another's treasure.
Pay As You Throw - speaking of the Transfer Station, the Working Group studying the Pay As You Throw solid waste disposal program is expected to bring its recommendation to the Select Board in April. Subscribe to receive email/text notification of posted meeting agendas at Westonma.gov/StayInformed
Enviro-month - spring is coming and soon! We can get outside and get going on all of those projects we dreamed about all winter long as we celebrate the earth and our environment. Plant a few trees or pollinating plants, clean up the neighborhood, or clear out invasive plants. Also, the town-wide cleanup and Arbor Day is next month. Stay tuned for tips from Weston Forest and Trail, Land's Sake, Sustainable Weston Action Group, Weston Plant Pollinator Alliance, the Tree Advisory Group, and others on how to prep garden beds, how to get started with home composting, clearing out invasive plants, new landscaping practices, being water wise, and so much more!
Check Your Subscriptions - visit Westonma.gov/StayInformed to ensure you are receiving all the latest in Weston news and events! Even if you think you're subscribed, sometimes gremlins get into email systems and those nasty little critters may have unhitched you (actually, it's more like email clients and firewalls that get updated server security but that's not as interesting)
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