The example used in the advisory report of having to borrow five years ago at a cost of a thousand does not give us the circumstances or the amount. But even without that information, if you consider that $1,000 cost was spread across 2,000 taxpayers, it doesn't compare to the amount of interest, as bad as the rate is, that has gone back to the taxpayer over the last five years, because we have not taken their funds three months early, twice a year, every year since. And quarterlys do not guarantee no borrowing. Unlike a business or your household, a constant even flow of funds is not so important because thanks to our skilled treasurers past and present, our debt and other significant payments due are structured to co coincide with the semianual peaks and valleys. If the chunk is there when the it is needed, we are good.
Since the first half of quarterly is based on the prior year's taxes, the amount collected by the November 1st due date is likely to be less than what could be expected on the semiannual system, and that in itself could produce unintended consequences. In addition to the logistical issues created in the collector's office, quarterlys have some logistical issues for Sherburn's lifestyle as well. The first and second bill are mailed together at the end of June. We know as soon as school lets out in Sherburn, it vacates. Tax bills do not get forwarded. If they can't be delivered, they're returned at the tax office for reming and not always in a timely manner. The law says you have to pay that bill on time, whether or not you ever get it. Third and fourth quarter bills are mailed at the end of December over the holiday and vacation period.
Every year, I ask our taxpayers to pay when the bill comes to help the town's cash flow and avoid the need to borrow. As with so many other things, including paying the second highest average tax bill in Massachusetts, they have continually stepped up and we have been able to bank significant funds in the first weeks after the ma the mailing, excuse me. Asking our taxpayers to pay a few weeks before it is due is very different from demanding that they pay three months early when it isn't necessary. It is not unlike a subtle bump up in their taxes because you're moving the interest potential from the taxpayer to the town. Also, the taxpayer who already has trouble scraping up the payment together for the later due dates under semiannual will now under quarterly start acrewing interest three months earlier. Our taxpayers have always done what is asked when there is a need.
No real need has been demonstrated and no real study of the impact on the tax office or anything else has been done. We again hear about the do report in their recommendations based on a template for the whole state. Some of which we have chosen to embrace and some we have rejected as not a good fit for Sherburn. Much of which has been litigated right here on this town meeting floor. In one small town report, the do actually acknowledged that going to quarterlys for smaller towns might not prove to be as economical. The consultants report also referred to in the advisory report was again a regurgitation of the do report. Sherburn is not every other town. We are small compared to our neighbors. Even though our budget is big, we are fortunate that we can keep our collection operations simple and relatively inexpensive. Unless you plan to stop paying your taxes in a timely fashion, putting this in place at this time is neither right nor reasonable and the old everybody else does it is not a justification.
Advisory suggests that we cannot depend on the goodwill of the taxpayers, but I think history shows that we can. Please vote no on the advisory motion. Thank you. Yes in the rear. uh Peter Lifford and Dopping Brook Road. I I think the minority report I find the minority report compelling. Uh and I even hear the proponent saying that we really have no need to do this at this time. Um and I'm going to speak from experience about the idea of getting one tax bill with two vouchers sitting in it. I I pay taxes on some property in Norphick and that's the way they do it. And you know, the most unfortunate thing happened this last time I I got the bill and I took the first voucher and I paid it. You know, the second voucher went missing and I was in a rears and that was not a comfortable situation and it's not one that I think anyone here would want to find themselves in just because the second voucher got lost on the desk or in a pile of papers.
Uh we're doing very well with twice a year tax payments. Uh we're in tune with that. We're used to it and I don't think there's any reason to go to quarterly and I think there are good reasons not to. Thank you. Uh is there someone stepping up in the back? Okay. George Shay, 19 Deerfield Road, Shurn, Massachusetts. I first observed that the proponents for the uh uh amendment uh to the collection process has indicated that there is not a problem and it's my understanding that we have not had to borrow any money uh based on the current system for at least five years. So, I would suggest for people like myself who have most of my money tied up in the stock market and I live off of that, for me to go in and take dividends or sell stock to go on a quarterly basis would deprive me of three months of growth.
I suppose you could flip that coin. or three months of loss if I uh take it out uh to pay your quarterly payments. So, I urge you and the people in this room to decline and vote against the recommendation to go to quarterly payments. Robert Robert Johnson, 272 Western Avenue. Um, how many extra hours uh would be necessary for the tax collector for collecting and depositing these uh quarterly statements? I think that's a question for the collector. Well, I I wonder if the advisory committee has thought about this. Do they have an answer? We've asked the collector and the we're asking to implement this in July of 2018 when a new software package is rolled out. So, we're hoping more and more of this becomes automated with new software. We have asked for that data, but you still need to receive the checks uh enter them, deposit them.
That's going to take time regardless of what hardware you have. And uh did the advisory committee figure out uh how much time that would be and uh the cost for for the department? We have we have not received that information from the collector now. We've asked for that information from the collector. We know there will be additional costs. We just don't know how much. That's a that's an assumption. Yes. In the rear, uh, Alex Stouse, 100 North Main Street. I would not be in favor of passing this. And my unique situation is that I depend on my harvest to pay my tax bill. If I have to start borrowing money in August to pay a tax bill, doesn't work for me. I would leave it as it is. Is there any other comment? If not, we'll proceed to the vote. This is a simple majority for passage.
All those in favor, please say I. I. Those opposed, nay. I think the motion fails. Article 14, the land acquisition committee. Madam moderator, Mr. Pollock, I move that the town vote to amend the mission and membership of the land acquisition committee voted on at the 1995 annual town meeting as printed in the warrant. Second. It's been moved and seconded.
Is there any discussion? Uh, I see a waving hand. Peter Luffin on Dumping Brook Road again. Um, I looked at the wording here and I just want to ask, it's not a rhetorical question. It's a specific question. Is the wording intentional that it says include representatives designated by and list several bodies? How many representatives are designated by each of those bodies? Because it seems to read that they could designate as many as they like. Is that my cor is that the correct reading? Um I will refer that question to the board of selectmen. Yeah, Peter, thank you for for that. I think the intention is that it's one member. We were correcting an issue in the 1995 vote that saw us with a land acquisition committee made up of people who had been on boards in 1995 and in many cases were no longer on those boards.
And so the change intended was to have uh one member designated by each of the boards listed here and that would allow the boards to appoint people who may or may not actually be on the board itself. Thank you very much. And I fully expect that was the intent. Unfortunately, that's not what's written here. And if I have to come down there and fill out a form to have one each added, then I will. But I believe it should be important that one each be added to the language. It's not clear. It's not implied. It's it's for each other. So, madam moderator, may we amend this uh motion or propose an amendment to this motion? Yes. Okay. I I would uh move that the motion be amended by adding uh in the first line where it says the LAC membership shall include representatives designated by and then it lists the boards.
Change that to the LAC membership shall include one representative designated by each of and then listing boards. Okay. Thank you. Is there a second? Is there a second to your amendment? Second. Okay. It's been moved and seconded that the text of the proposed LAC membership, the first sentence shall now read, "The LAC membership shall include one representative designated by each of the and then the appointing committees. Does everybody understand that?" Okay. This is a simple majority for passage of the amendment. All those in favor, please say I. I. Those opposed, nay. Okay, we'll move back to the amended main motion. Is there any other discussion? If not, this is also a majority for passage. Simple majority. All those in favor, please say I. Those opposed, nay. Motion passes unanimously. Article 15, the general plan. Madam moderator, Mr. Waldron. I move that the town vote to approve the planning board adoption of the guiding principles and goals of the Sherburn general plan which are on file in the offices of the town clerk and the planning board.
It is hereby acknowledged that in accordance with Massachusetts general law chapter 41 section 81D such plan may be officially adopted added to or changed from time to time by majority vote of the planning board and shall be public record. Second. It's been moved and seconded. And I understand u Marian has Marian Nitra has a presentation on behalf of the planning board. Marian Nitro, 25 Prospect Street, speaking for the planning board. As many of you know, the the board is in the process of producing a new general plan for the town. This is the first revision of the general plan since 2001. That's over 15 years ago. And we all know that the town faces a number of new uh challenges. You've heard some about some of them tonight. The writing of a new general plan is an opportunity to think together about our vision for the future of the town.
What do we want Sherman to look like in 10, 20, 30 years? And what are the major goals that might get us there? The general plan also serves as a reference, a guide to boards and committees as we make decisions over time. Are these decision decisions taking us in the direction we want to go? Now, it's very important to understand that the general plan is nothing more than that. It's a plan. It's a collection of ideas. It doesn't change how decisions are made in the town. It doesn't change the laws or regulations of the town. It's a guide for the town's future. And we put forth this warrant article tonight just to ask your approval of the overarching goals of the plan. We're not delving into the details. It's impossible to do that in the town meeting format, but we want you to let us know if we're on the right overall track.
And we also want to update you on the general plan process. It began over two years ago in 2014. We had a townwide survey followed by the formation of three working groups who worked over the course of two years very hard I might say to uh generate drafts, detailed drafts of the plan. And these over last fall and winter were reviewed by various boards and committees in town. They were revised accordingly. And you'll remember early this year we took some of those sections uh to public forums to get public input and we got very good feedback. Now here we are tonight asking for your approval of the overall goals. We want to know if we're going in the right direction. Um the process continues though. It's important to know that the details are not all in place. There's a lot of discussion still happening and there will be more forums, there will be more discussions and we hope to complete the process before the end of the year.
Now, very early on in the process, it became clear that there are certain values that we value most highly and serve as guiding principles that guide the entire plan. And these, you can read them up on board. None of these are a surprise. Our excellent schools, our clean water, our healthy forests, the open spaces and farms. Basically, the character of the town is what we value the most and what we want to preserve no matter what. But even back in I should say back in 2001 at the last plan, these were exactly the same principles that people came up with and they're the same if you back in history decades before. We really haven't changed. This is why we live in Sherburn. But even back in 2001, there were changes that people recognized we needed. Financial sustainability was an issue back then. People wanted a greater diversity of housing options for older people and people getting started in town.
And they wanted a more attractive town center which that would work better as a meeting place. Now, those changes are still needed in town, but they're really exacerbated because, you know, we face much more difficult challenges today. For example, the pressures for a dense development are moving quickly into town, especially with the uh state affordable housing mandate and the financial pressures get worse and worse as we've just heard. So the big challenges that we face are how to address these issues, these challenges while still preserving our town character. And it's difficult. We know through our discussions that there are a lot of diverse opinions. Not everyone is going to agree on everything that's suggested, but the general plan tries to confront the issues. And you can see from your outline uh that we handed out that the major goals that we're asking your approval of tonight are grouped into sections.
And if you take a look at the sections, it's a very comprehensive plan. It's a big document. Um, and for each of the goals that you have on your handout, there are a series of recommendations to achieve those goals. Now, back in 2001, the plan also had very good goals and recommendations. But what's different this year is that we're adding a tremendous amount of detailed ideas. What are the alternative strategies that might get us to those goals? and what are the specific actions and steps that we might take to get there. And further, we're putting much more emphasis on the implementation of the plan so that it's really usable over time for each action. Who's going to be responsible and uh how long might it take? How much might it cost? And most importantly, we're building in a tracking and follow-up plan, so that we can see over time what works and what doesn't, what's acceptable and what's not, and adapt the plan, adjust it accordingly.
Of course, now the plan is electronic, will be electronic format so that uh it's much more adaptable and we hope it will be more useful. Now, the process is ongoing. It's not done. As drafts are fleshed out, and some of them already have been, they'll be posted on the town website, and as they're uh more complete, we'll be posting more drafts. You can view and download the sections that interest you. You can suggest changes and comments and send them to the planning board by mail or by email. And better yet, join in the discussion. you can attend a planning board meeting. They're all open. They're all uh posted on the town website and we hope you'll join us in this effort. So, we hope you'll approve our overarching goals at this point and uh vote yes on article 15. Thank you.
Is there any discussion about article 15? If not, we'll proceed to the vote. This is a simple majority for passage. All those in favor, please say I. I. Those opposed, nay. Motion passes unanimously. Article 16, marijuana bylaws. Miss moderator, Miss Wolf, advisory will be making three separate motions under article 16. I move that the town vote to A1, amend the general bylaws by adding a new chapter 29 as printed in the warrant. Second. It's been moved and seconded. I think we are beginning with the presentation. Mimi. Yes. Thank you, madame moderator, and thank you, board of selectmen, for sponsoring this article and for your majority yes vote. My name is Mimi Kreer. I have lived on Forest Street in Sherburn for 24 years. A yes vote tonight will tighten our zoning bylaws and enforce a moratorum on any marijuana establishments until July of 2018. I love the town of Sherburn.