Board Trims Scope of Capital Spending After Town Meeting Confusion

In response to confusion during the May 5 Town Meeting, the Norwell Select Board voted unanimously to move forward with only the capital expenditures explicitly recommended by town's Capital Budget Committee, totaling $673,500. The remaining items authorized under Article 3 will be held for possible future action.

The board’s decision follows community concern over the clarity of the vote, particularly regarding whether residents understood they were approving the full $1.3 million request or only the recommended portion.

What Happened At Town Meeting

When the article addressing capital budget appropriations came up, Select Board Chair Jason Brown moved to approve $1.4 million in capital projects. Capital Budget Committee Chair Susan Powell followed with a nearly five-minute presentation outlining the committee’s recommended budget of $673,500, along with long-term debt planning.

Under town meeting procedures, voters needed to place a “hold” on individual line items to adopt the Capital Budget Committee’s lower recommendations. But that procedural step was never explained during the discussion, and no one, including Capital Budget Committee members present, moved to hold any items.

When Town Moderator Matthew Greene called the vote, the motion on the floor remained Brown’s original $1.4 million figure.

Confusion erupted immediately after the vote, as several residents stood to question what amount had just been approved.

“We spent a lot of time on this, and I don’t think that the vote here understood that in order to have an opportunity to vote on what we recommended to the Advisory Board needed to be held,” said Don Mauch, Vice Chair of the Capital Budget Committee, after the article passed. “We recommended only $673,500 of [the total] amount. That was the Capital Budget Committee’s recommendation, and I don’t think people understood that they had to hold when you call for the hold, respectively.”

Despite the concerns, Greene stood firm that the vote would stand.

The Select Board's Reaction

“We elect to proceed with the expenditure that all voters, officials, boards, and committees overwhelmingly supported in the amount of $673,500 and hold the additional expenditures authorized above $673,500 for possible further action,” the board said in a statement issued at the meeting.

The decision affirms the process carried out by Town Moderator Matt Greene, whose procedural handling of Article 3 was backed by the board. However, Select Board members acknowledged that a high volume of residents entering and exiting the meeting space may have contributed to misunderstandings about the vote.

Board member Bruce Graham, who worked with Town Counsel to draft the resolution, said the issue prompted immediate follow-up after the meeting. One of the disputed items — a school paving project — was already off the table, regardless of the vote outcome.

“I didn't sleep well after town meeting because of the issues,” Graham said. “The next morning I got up and I got on the phone.”

The move to isolate the clearly supported expenditures offers a compromise between procedural finality and resident sentiment. During public comment, some residents expressed concerns that the broader authorization may not have reflected voter intent.

“The perception vast majority is that it was so understood that we were voting on the recommendation,” said resident Catherine Toupence, speaking via Zoom. “At the end of the day, I'm speaking up because we're asking to do what's right here and ensure that the voice is heard.”

The remaining capital items could come before voters again at a future special town meeting.

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