Update 2:
We did it! It passed! Congrats to Sustainable Sudbury and everyone else who made it happen!
Update:
Update: We only got through the first 18 articles last night (May 2). At this rate we’ll need all three continuation dates (tonight (3rd), tomorrow (4th), and the 9th). Let’s hope we can keep a quorum going until Article 58!
“Except for the election of Town Officers, no meeting shall be legal unless a quorum is present, and a quorum shall consist of one hundred registered voters; once a quorum has been assembled, the continued existence of a quorum shall be presumed until a count of the voters present, which shall be taken upon the call of seven or more registered voters, establishes that a quorum is not present.“
The Committee considers town politics non-partisan and rarely gets involved (although of course individual members get involved as it suits them). However, at our April 13th meeting we voted to endorse a citizen-led motion, Article 58, for action on the climate crisis at a town level. Hiring a Sustainability Director costs money, but it pays off: Natick hired one and ended up saving a lot more than the project cost. And it helps to save the planet. Here is more information from the petitioner, Alex Vei:
“Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are very grateful to the Sudbury Democratic Town Committee for their recent endorsement of the Climate Emergency Declaration (Article 58) on the warrant for Sudbury’s 2022 Annual Town Meeting. As many of you know, Town Meeting starts tomorrow evening Monday May 2nd 7:30 PM at the L-S Regional High School.
I invite you (and any voters you can bring) to attend and vote YES on 58, the Climate Emergency Declaration. With your help, we can win this vote and help Sudbury take important actions to urgently respond to the risks posed by climate change.
Not only would Article 58 publicly acknowledge that Climate Action Now must be a priority for our town, it would take steps towards a comprehensive plan and enhanced staffing for sustainability and climate in Sudbury. For more information about Article 58 and the reasons for supporting it, please see: https://www.sustainablesudbury.org/climate-emergency/
As for logistics…I understand not everyone has the time or ability to attend the entire Town Meeting. Notably, Article 58 will be the final article and it may not come up during the first night. Currently planned continuation dates include Tuesday 5/3 and Wednesday 5/4.
To help, we are planning to use e-mail periodically during the Town Meeting to keep people informed of progress through the agenda and be present at the right times. If you’d like to get these e-mail updates, you are most welcome to sign up using: https://tinyurl.com/SudburyCELetter.
Thank you for your consideration of supporting Climate Action Now in Sudbury by voting YES on 58!
Best Wishes,
Alex Vai
On Behalf of the Sudbury Climate Emergency Working Group