Community Corner

CTA Seeks Second Referendum Vote On New Morgan

The latest news on a new petition.

 

Things are happening on a daily basis on more than one petition put forth by the Clinton Taxpayers Association (CTA) regarding their goal of reducing the appropriation of $64.75 million for a new Morgan School.

As of yesterday, a new petition has been submitted to the town clerk's office.

Find out what's happening in Clintonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The new petition asks that the special town meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 26, 7pm at the be adjourned to a separate referendum vote within seven to 14 days of the meeting.

The first petition was for a special town meeting, same date, time and place, that would allow for a vote at that evening's meeting.

Find out what's happening in Clintonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Right now, town attorney John Bennet of Gould, Larson, Bennet, Wells & McDonnell, P.C. of Essex, is reviewing the latest petition's validity. Town clerk Karen Marsden is verifying the petition's 441 signatures.  Marsden believes that an answer from the town attorney could come as early as this Friday, June 22.

Look to Patch for an update as it becomes available.

To summarize:

If the latest petition is valid, the special town meeting scheduled for June 26 will still take place, but it will adjourn to a later date referendum vote.

If the latest petition fails to meet its criteria as determined by the town attorney and/or town clerk, the special town meeting for June 26 will still take place and there will be a vote at that meeting as to those who agree (vote yes) with the petition or those who disagree with it (vote no).

Who can vote at a town meeting:

Electors and registered voters who are residents can vote at a Clinton town meeting. An elector is a term for someone owning property (house, land, car) in Clinton assessed at $1,000 or more that is on the current grand list. Some electors reside outside of town and thus are not a registered voter in Clinton.

You are ineligible to vote in a Clinton town meeting if the property you have in town is in trust, in a LLC and/or is a boat.

Town clerk Karen Marsden advised all those interested in attending the special town meeting to bring their license or identification as they will be checked in either as a registered voter or a property owner on the current grand list.

It could be a very long process in a tight space, so parents are advised, if at all possible, to leave children with a babysitter.

The 6,000 printed ballots will be a piece of paper with a YES and a NO printed on it.   No names will be on the ballot.   A "YES" vote means you are agreeing with the petition.  A "NO" vote means you are against the petition.

At the town meeting, there can be no changes in the verbiage of the petition.

Here's how the new petition reads:

We the undersigned persons eligible and qualified to vote in a Town Meeting of the town of Clinton, request that the following item, on the call of the Town Meeting set for June 26, 2012 at 7:00 p.m., be voted upon in a referendum not less than seven nor more than fourteen days thereafter, on a day set by the town meeting or town selectman, during such hours as Connecticut law or town meeting vote may provide:

Shall the Town of Clinton reduce its appropriation of $64,750,000 for The New Morgan School, approved by referendum on April 11, 2012, for the cost of (a) the planning, design and construction of a new high school in the Town approximately 135,000 square feet in size, including, but not limited to, building construction, site development, paving, purchasing and installation of certain furnishings and equipment, the creation of athletic fields, installation of information technology and all alterations, repairs, and improvements in connection therewith; (b) the purchase and acquisition of real property, currently the site of Clinton Nurseries and certain adjacent properties, consisting of 36.6 acres, more or less, located at 71 Killingworth Turnpike, and being more particularly described on the Clinton Assessor Map as ID41/45/81, including all surveys, alterations, repairs, and improvements in connection therewith, and (c) any engineering, surveys, studies, architectural, testing and other fees and temporary and permanent financing costs related thereto (the "Project") to the sum of $5,000,000; and, to cancel any contracts and/or agreements entered into by the Town in furtherance of the April 11, 2012 as have not been fully completed by any party to such contract and/or agreement; and, that any portion of said reduced sum as has not been expended prior to this question for any purpose authorized by referendum on April 11, 2012 be used to pay any sums, as may be approved by the Board of Selectmen and/or Board of Finance, as the Town may be required to pay as a result of cancellation of such contracts and/or agreements.


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