From now until shortly before the start of Annual Town Meeting on May 4, the Wayland Post will publish batches of warrant article summaries. For more information, see the page numbers given in the Select Board packet at tinyurl.com/FebArticlePacket.
Article CC: Town Meeting and Election The Select Board proposed to amend town bylaw Chapter 36-1 (Article CC) to ensure there are no issues when holding Wayland Town Meeting. According to the town bylaw, Town Meeting is to be held between April 1 and May 15 (Massachusetts allows town meetings to be held February through June). Article CC proposes to give the Select Board the flexibility to schedule Town Meeting any time from March 15 to June 1 due to “limited venues available to hold Annual Town Meeting in town, and many religious and other holidays and vacation time that happen within that time period.”
Select Board packet, page 47
Article SS: Visible House Numbers In order to be consistent with Enhanced 911 standards, the Town Clerk has suggested having uniform, distance-based house numbering so emergency personnel can quickly and safely locate properties in an emergency. The article notes that renumbering may be necessary in some instances. Among the requirements: numbers must be visible from the street, use Arabic numerals, have colors contrasting from the background, and have minimum heights for residential buildings (four inches) and commercial buildings (six inches).
Select Board packet, page 31
Article V: Cryptocurrency Machines Due to the risk of scams, the limited resources of the Wayland Police Department, and insufficient state and federal oversight, Article V asks to amend the town bylaw to prohibit cryptocurrency machines in town. The machines, also known as Bitcoin ATMs, BTMs, or virtual currency kiosks, allow users to buy or sell cryptocurrency, but they may also pose a risk of fraud and money laundering.
Select Board packet, page 44.
Article U: Print-Free Digital Legal Notices The town is looking into placing legally required legal notices on websites. Currently, legal notices, which alert residents of upcoming town events and proposals such as a public hearing or new zoning, appear in newspapers or are posted in a town building. This would authorize the town to submit a home rule petition to the legislature to expand the methods for satisfying rules for posting public notices in Wayland, a step that would allow more flexibility and possibly save money.
Select Board packet, page 42.
Article II: Peddling, Hawkers, Solicitation Article II looks to reword Chapter 149 of the town bylaw on peddling, hawkers and solicitation. Those looking to engage in such activities already must apply for a license. The article adds a new section that would allow the Wayland Police Department to provide residents a list of those registered to sell in town, and to register their property on a no-solicitors list.
Select Board packet, page 26.
Article BB: Authorization for Green Burials Article BB, Authorization of Green Burials, would allow the town to file a home rule petition that would allow a Wayland property owner to execute a green burial on private land only if granted permission from the Select Board. The Board of Health would have to approve the site, following a public hearing. A green burial is one where the body is returned to the earth to decompose naturally without chemicals or a casket.
Select Board packet, page 46.
