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Date: 10/30/2023
SOUTHAMPTON — At its Oct. 24 meeting, the Southampton Select Board set a date for the special Town Meeting this fall and opened a short window for warrant items to be submitted.
A Special Town Meeting will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. in the cafetorium at Norris Elementary School.
Although the window for setting the warrant will be “tight,” according to Town Administrator Ed Gibson, it will be doable. The period to submit warrant items opened immediately and will end on Monday, Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. All items will then be voted on at the board’s Nov. 7 meeting and then sent to Town Counsel for review.
The board intends to hold a brief meeting on Nov. 16 to approve and sign the official warrant so that it can be posted in time for the Nov. 21 deadline. All warrants must be posted at least two weeks ahead of a Town Meeting.
Board members also officially accepted the intent to resign from Gibson, effective Dec. 31, 2023.
Although this news was expected, the official letter left some members feeling bittersweet.
“I don’t think we’re ready to lose you,” said member Joy Piper.
Chair Christine Fowles agreed, noting that it had been a challenging five years or so that they’d all managed to maneuver.
The town is currently in the process of hiring a new town administrator, a process that is being overseen by Community Paradigm Associates. Fowles offered a brief update on the current status of the search, noting that she had recently checked in with the company. According to the company, three or four people have expressed interest in the position and it will begin reviewing applications on Nov. 10. The company feels that the process is moving along just fine.
Piper agreed to temporarily serve on the Conservation Commission as a voting member until Dec. 31 after the board accepted two resignations from the commission. Senior members Art Lawrence and Marla Hanc have resigned, and another member will soon go on maternity leave, potentially leaving the commission without a quorum. This could affect many of the town’s projects and the board didn’t feel that would be a wise choice.
Canal Bowling Lanes also received approval for ARPA funds for lost revenue that will be used to improve and/or replace its septic system. The business will be required to submit receipts for the work that is done.