One of the more interesting events in some small New England towns is the Town Meeting. This is an event that usually takes place in a local school auditorium annually or when special funding is requested for an item. All residents of the town may attend the meeting, but only registered voters may vote. In the town of Plainville, Massachusetts, a town of 8,264 people, generally two or three hundred people attend the town meeting. In the case of Plainville, town meetings may be carried over to another night if all the items on the warrant are not covered on the first night.
Last night was the second part of the annual town meeting in Plainville, Massachusetts. The Attleboro Sun Chronicle reported on the second part of the meeting.
The article states:
"A fear of Big Brother government encroachment on individual freedom dominated debate at town meeting Monday as an energy conservation measure was rejected and an abandoned building bylaw was challenged."
The energy conservation measure that was voted on last night was actually a reconsideration of an article that had been voted down during the first part of the meeting. The program, called the Stretch Code, would have resulted in the town receiving government grants in order to make buildings in the town more energy efficient. It would have also put energy requirements on new construction and any remodeling projects done by homeowners. The residents of the town simply did not want more government regulation.
The abandoned building bylaw did pass, although it was challenged.
The article reports:
"An argument against government regulation was also made in a failed attempt to defeat an abandoned building bylaw. Voters approved it on a voice vote.
"The bylaw requires owners of vacant buildings to maintain them and register them with the town so they do not become public safety hazards.
"Some claimed that bylaw would allow "vengeful town officials" to crack down on a house if an elderly resident was in the hospital or away on a long vacation.
""I'm afraid of Big Brother. A lot could fall through the cracks," one woman said.
"But, town officials said the law would only kick in if the building was vacant for 45 days or more and if it fell into a state of disrepair."
The abandoned building law will help the town deal with Falk's Market, an abandoned building in the center of the town. The building is an eyesore and a hazard, and town residents are not pleased with the lack of legal recourse in getting the building either rebuilt or torn down. This law will change that.
Generally speaking, it was a productive town meeting. Town meetings are representative government in its most basic form. Attending a town meeting is a good way to learn how government works and how things get done within the context of town government.
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