During an early-morning Select Board meeting Wednesday, members unanimously rejected placing an article on the May 2 town meeting warrant that would have created a committee to study building a new senior center.
Chair Jennifer Constable and board members Greg Grey and John Reilly were present and ultimately made the unanimous decision not to include the citizens’ petition by Council on Aging Chair Jim Richman on the warrant due to “procedural irregularities” – citing both the use of the town seal on the petition and the placement of the signature lines on a different page than the wording of the proposed article.
Richman was present at the meeting and expressed concerns that if the petition didn’t appear on the warrant, it would be tantamount to “kicking the can down the road.” He cited a lack of parking and space to accommodate the senior center’s many activities as major shortcomings at the current site and noted that a number of surrounding communities have new senior centers.
Richman’s petition called for appropriating $20,000 for administrative support to study the issue. The Select Board discussed the unauthorized use of the town seal on the petition and submission of the petition with signatures that did not appear under the language of the proposed article.
It was also noted that various town entities are already working on finding ways to increase the town’s stock of affordable housing and issues related to the senior center and the town’s growing number of older residents, and that an action plan will result from the nearly completed needs assessment study of the needs of Hull’s older adults.
Richman apologized for using the town seal to make the petition “more eye-popping,” but said he did not intend to mislead anyone who signed the petition into thinking it was sponsored by the town. The board recognized that there was no ill intent behind the petition.
Town Manager Philip Lemnios said he had never seen the town seal included on earlier citizens’ petitions over many years and that allowing this one to move forward bearing that seal would set a precedent.
Constable said that having the signatures on a different page from the petition is concerning because there’s no way to determine whether those who signed it were aware of the language that was used or the amount of money involved.
Reilly offered to work with Richman and others who signed the petition to come up with a non-binding resolution for town meeting stating the needs, goals, and the importance of prioritizing a potential new senior center.
“We have top-notch facilities for our schools, and now we’re getting into our next generational investment” related to addressing issues associated with Town Hall, the senior center, and the police station, Reilly said.
Following the recent completion of the Best Educational Use of School Facilities study, the School Committee is expected to ultimately make a decision about whether to consolidate the schools. Doing so would potentially free-up Memorial Middle School for other town uses, such as a senior center.
Lemnios noted that one of this year’s warrant articles asks town meeting to appropriate $100,000 to determine how such a consolidation plan would work if that’s the chosen route, or in the event the School Committee decides not to consolidate the schools, there would be money in place to consider possible ways to resolve space and other issues associated with the senior center, police station, and Town Hall.
“This is a big decision for the School Committee. Their number one concern is the quality of life for students and the education system, as yours is for our seniors,” Lemnios said.
Lemnios noted that there will be a joint Select Board-COA meeting in the future to discuss the needs assessment, stating that that document contains information that would be “instructive in driving the design” for a potential new senior center once a suitable location has been identified at a future date.
Following the meeting, Richman told The Hull Times that he was “very disappointed” at the outcome. “This is not over by any means,” he said. “We need to do more homework and work with the town to make [the intent of the petition] happen,” noting that Hull’s population of older citizens continues to grow. “Everything hinges on possible school consolidation.”
During the meeting, the board also reviewed, approved, and signed the annual town meeting warrant for Monday, May 2, and the election warrant for Monday, May 16.
