Annual Nahant Town Meeting was very short and sweet

NAHANT-There was very little discussion at the annual Town Meeting on Saturday, which was one of the shortest and least controversial in recent memory according to Town Moderator David Conlin.?This is a world record,” Conlin said. “All afternoon there were only two votes against the recommendation of the Finance Committee.”The two votes against a Finance Committee recommendation were when a 77-2 ballot vote was taken on the $9.7 million budget.Many of articles on the warrant were routine and appear every year, including the continuation of town committees and the transfer of funds to cover a deficit in the snow/ice removal account.Town Meeting unanimously approved to join the new Essex Vocational Technical School district, a proposed vocational technical school that slated to go on the current Essex Agricultural School site off Route 62 in Danvers. The new school, expected to cost $132 million, would be a merger of the North Shore Technical High School, Essex Aggie and Peabody Vocational High School. The Town Meeting vote was required to join the district because the town would be required to assume some of the capital costs associated with building the new school.The borrowing articles passed with little or no discussion including $60,000 to purchase new self-contained breathing apparatus and radios for the fire department and $100, 000 for paving projects.Town Meeting authorized borrowing $134, 000 from the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority to replace and repair water mains in town, $50, 000 from the water and sewer enterprise fund to buy new pumps and equipment and $45, 000 to purchase a new water and sewer truck.Town Meeting unanimously approved using Community Preservation Act funds for numerous projects in town including money to study the public ways in town, complete the town wharf project, replace a roof at a Nahant Housing Authority property and to plant dune grass to help prevent beach erosion. Town Meeting also approved using $40,000 in CPA funds to plan for future library expansion.The town approved the Community Preservation Act in 2004. It tacks a 3 percent surcharge of the real estate tax levy on to property taxes. The money generated by the surcharge goes into a town Community Preservation Fund and the CPA allows money in the fund to be spent for historic preservation, open space and affordable housing.Town Meeting opened with several awards being presented to Nahant residents. Jennifer McCarthy, who is on the Recreation Commission and Fourth of July Committee, was actually outside selling T-shirts to raise funds for the Fourth of July fireworks when Conlin announced she was the Citizen of the Year.?I’m shocked,” she said as she walked in to receive her award.The American Legion presented its law enforcement commendation to Lt. Thomas Hutton for his actions last summer when there was a gang incident in which shots were fired at Nahant Beach. Thomas Gallery accepted the award in Hutton’s behalf.