April Town Meeting starts tonight at 7:30PM and is currently scheduled to run for approximately three additional days, with Thursday 5/1 being used for both the Killam and ReCal Special Town Meeting articles. We’ve updated our Town Meeting member list here: https://www.readingrecap.com/town-meeting to reflect the latest election results of newly appointed and re-appointed members.
Below is a quick guide you can check out that lists all the warrant items in order and here is the complete warrant book compressed from the town that was used to create the articles below: April 2025 Warrant
Article 1
The following Town Officers were elected on April 8, 2025:
- A Moderator for one year;
- Two members of the Board of Selectmen for three years;
- Two members of the Board of Library Trustees for three years;
- Two members of the Municipal Light Board for three years;
- Two members of the School Committee for three years;
Sixty-five Town Meeting Members shall be elected to represent each of the following
precincts:
- Precinct 1 Eight members for three years;
- Precinct 2 Eight members for three years;
- Precinct 3 Eight members for three years;
- Precinct 3 One member for one year;
- Precinct 4 Eight members for three years;
- Precinct 5 Eight members for three years;
- Precinct 6 Eight members for three years;
- Precinct 7 Eight members for three years; and
- Precinct 8 Eight members for three years
Article 2
To hear and act on the reports of the Select Board, School Committee, Library Trustees, Municipal Light Board, Finance Committee, Bylaw Committee, Town Manager, Town Accountant and any other Town Official, Board or Committee.
Article 3
To choose all other necessary Town Officers and Boards or Committees and determine what instructions shall be given to Town Officers and Boards or Committees, and to see what sum the Town will vote to appropriate by borrowing or transfer from available funds, or otherwise, for the purpose of funding Town Officers and Boards or Committees to carry out the instructions given to them, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 4
To see if the Town will vote to amend the FY 2025-35 Capital Improvements Program as provided for in Section 7-7 of the Reading Home Rule Charter and as previously amended, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 5
To see if the Town will vote to amend the Town’s Operating Budget for the Fiscal Year commencing July 1, 2024, as adopted under Article 12 of the Annual Town Meeting of April 25, 2024 and amended under Article 4 of the Subsequent Town Meeting of November 12, 2024; and to see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow or transfer from available funds, or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money to be added to the amounts appropriated under said Article, as amended, for the operation of the Town and its government, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 6
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, borrow or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money to pay bills remaining unpaid from prior fiscal years for goods and services actually rendered to the Town, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 7
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, borrow or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money for the purpose of funding the irrevocable trust for “Other Post-Employment Benefits Liabilities”, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 8
To see if the Town will vote to (1) establish the limit on the total amount that may be expended from each revolving fund established by Article 6 of the Town of Reading General Bylaw pursuant to Section 53E½ of Chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025; (2) amend Section 6.5.2 of the General Bylaw, establishing the Inspection Revolving Fund, as shown below, with the deletions being struck through and additions being in bold;
- 6.5.2 Inspection Revolving Fund – Funds held in the Inspection Revolving Fund shall be used for legal costs, oversight and inspection, plan review, property appraisals and appeals, public services general management, pedestrian safety improvements, records archiving, and other costs related to building, plumbing, wiring, gas, and other permits required for large construction projects and shall be expended by the Town Manager. Receipts credited to this fund shall include building, plumbing, wiring, gas and other permit fees for Johnson Woods, Eaton Lakeview (23-25 Lakeview Avenue and 128 Eaton Street), 258 Main Street, 6-16 Chute Street (Green Tomato),
25 Haven Street (Rite Aid), 413 Main Street (McDonald’s). 431 Main Street (Chase Bank), 346-348 Main Street, and 459 Main Street (128 Tire) developments.
And (3) establish a new Elder and Human Services Revolving Fund pursuant to Section 53E½ of Chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws, effective July 1, 2025, by taking the following actions:
- (a) adding a new Section 6.5.8 to the General Bylaws to read as follows: 6.5.8 Elder and Human Services Revolving Fund and Funds held in the Elder and Human Services Revolving Fund shall be used for Elder and Human Services programming, including the acquisition of materials and equipment for such programming, and shall be expended by the Elder and Human Services Administrator. Receipts credited to this fund shall include user and rental fees from the Elder and Human Services programming.
- (b) establishing the limit on the total amount that may be expended from the new Elder and Human Services Revolving Fund pursuant to Section 53E½ of Chapter 44 of the Massachusetts General Laws for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025.
Or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 9
To see if the Town will vote to accept G.L. c. 59, § 5, clause 221, which authorizes an annual increase in the amount of the exemption granted to certain veterans under G.L. c. 59, § 5, clauses 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22E, and 22F by the percentage increase in the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for the previous year as determined by the Commissioner of Revenue, to be effective for applicable exemptions granted
for any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2025; or to take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 10
To see if the Town will vote to accept G.L. c. 59, § 5, clause 22J, which authorizes an annual increase in the amount of the exemption granted under G.L. c. 59, § 5, clauses 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22E, and 22F by 100% of the personal exemption amount, subject to the conditions in Clause 22J, to be effective for applicable exemptions granted for any fiscal year beginning on or after July 1, 2025; or to take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 11
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, borrow or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money for the operation of the Town and its government for Fiscal Year 2026, beginning July 1, 2025, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 12
To see if the Town will vote to authorize the Select Board to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise, for general municipal purposes, a portion of 170 Ash Street, Reading (Assessor’s Parcel Map 17, Lot 85), totaling approximately 261 square feet, and shown as “PARCEL A” on a plan entitled “Approval Not Required Plan of Land, McDonald’s USA, LLC, 413 Main Street, Lot 64 & 85, Map 17, Town of Reading, Middlesex County, Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” by Control Point Associates, Inc, which plan is available at the Town Clerk’s office, on such terms and conditions as the Select Board deems proper, or take any other action related thereto.
Article 13
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money to pay the costs of infrastructure improvements to the High Street and Haven Street Infrastructure Project, including replacement of roadway, sidewalks, and related improvements, including the payment of any and all other costs incidental and related thereto, said sum to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager; and, for the purpose of meeting such appropriation, authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, to allocate said sum in accordance with G.L. c. 44, §7(1), or any other enabling authority, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 14
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, transfer from available funds or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money to pay the costs of designing and constructing new pickleball courts at O E. of Haverhill Street (Assessor’s Parcel Map 35, Lot 133) otherwise known as the Zanni Parcel located off Symonds Way, including replacement of roadway, sidewalks, and related parking and pedestrian improvements on the abutting parcel on
which the Burbank Ice Area is currently located (Assessors’ Parcel Map 41, Lot 56), and further, including the payment of any and all other costs incidental and related thereto, said sum to be expended under the direction of the Town Manager; and, for the purpose of meeting such appropriation, authorize the Town Treasurer, with the approval of the Select Board, to borrow said sum in accordance with G.L. c. 44, §7(1 ), or any other enabling authority, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 15
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate, borrow, transfer from available funds or otherwise provide a sum or sums of money to pay the costs of lead mitigation improvements to the Town’s water system, including the payment of any and all other costs incidental and related thereto, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 16
To see if the Town will vote to amend Section 10.1 of the Zoning Bylaw, the Floodplain Overlay District, including updates to incorporate revised FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (Fl RMs) in Section 10.1.2 of the Zoning Bylaw, to comply with FEMA’s Standards and Regulations, including permit requirements and related definitions, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 17
To see if the Town will vote pursuant to G.L. c. 40, § 15A to transfer a drainage easement located across a certain parcel of land identified on the Town of Reading Assessor’s Maps as Parcel 0.38.0-0000-0139.0, also known as Parcel B on a plan entitled “Compiled Plan of Land, Parcel “B” Reading, Massachusetts,” drawn by Dana F. Perkins, Inc., Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors, dated September 23, 1999 and recorded with the Middlesex South Registry of Deeds as Plan No. 1071 of 1999 in Book 30698, Page 578, to the Select Board for general municipal purposes, and to authorize the Select Board to partially release, relocate, or amend a Town-owned said drainage easement in a manner acceptable to the Town and in a form acceptable to Town Counsel, and to take such other and further actions or execute such other and further documents as may be necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Article 18
To see if the Town will vote, pursuant to Section 2-6 of the Reading Home Rule Charter, to declare the seats of certain Town Meeting Members to be vacant and remove certain described persons from their position as Town Meeting Members for failure to take the oath of office within 30 days following the notice of election or for failure to attend one-half or more of the Town Meeting sessions during the previous year, or take any other action with respect thereto.
Warrant Book
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