By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — With summer barely in the rear-view mirror, the town’s voters are being asked to pivot and focus their attention on the upcoming October Town Meeting on Monday, October 6.
For starters, if you are not yet a registered North Reading voter you have until this Friday, Sept. 26 to do so. You must be a registered voter to participate in the voting process at the town’s open Town Meetings, which are generally held twice a year — in June and October — unless there is a need to call for a Special Town Meeting during the interim.
The legal notice on the bottom of page 1 of today’s Transcript includes a QR code for those who wish to register to vote online via the office of the Secretary of State.
For those who wish to do so in person, the Town Clerk’s office at Town Hall will be open until 5 p.m. on Friday to accommodate the voter registration process.
INFORMATIONAL HEARING ON WARRANT ARTICLES
On Monday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m., the Select Board will also hold its informational hearing on the 20 warrant articles on the Oct. 6 warrant starting at 7:30 p.m. This meeting will be held both in person in Room 14 at Town Hall, 235 North St., or virtually (the link is on the Select Board’s agenda that will be posted to the calendar page on the town website by tonight).
This meeting is designed by the board to encourage residents to pose questions they have with regard to any of the warrant articles. A printed copy of the warrant was mailed to all residential addresses last week. A copy of the warrant is also posted on the town website (northreadingma.gov).
There are several articles seeking financial appropriations or transfers to take care of town business, including transfers to the Stabilization Fund, Capital Improvement Stabilization Fund, and Solid Waste Stabilization Fund, Participating Funding Arrangement Fund (for town employee health care plans), amendments to the FY26 Operating Budget and Capital Budget, funding for town building repairs and for the maintenance and treatment of Martins Pond.
Voters will also be asked to establish a Veterans Services Revolving Fund and also to establish a dollar amount for such a fund; appropriate money to continue with the planning, design, permitting and/or construction of modular replacements for the aged-out units at both the Hood and Little Schools; appropriate funds for substance abuse treatment, mitigation and prevention (from opioid settlement); appropriate funds to continue with facilities planning; and to appropriate funds to “evaluate and/or procure leased space for Elder Services/Senior Center” following the loss of some grant funding earmarked for such rentals and to accept a new state law on the conversion of wine and malt beverage licenses to all alcoholic beverage licenses.
Voters will also be asked to allow the Select Board to acquire “interest in land for a sidewalk at 239 North St. as well as amend the town’s Zoning bylaw on the Floodplain District.