Fairfax fireworks location?

[dearon]

I do believe I saw where edakrupp was willing to take the lead on this!  Nice to have some new blood willing to lend a hand! 

[mirjo]

My bad, it was EdaKrupp, not Cat leading the way. I didn't double check! Thanks for the info Carolyn it's possible things could be very different here in Fairfax next July 4th.

[edakrupp]

Thank you M.Branagan for the correct avenues for the movement forward for this item. I will call the town clerk and find out how many signature, place the petitions around town, get the signatures and bring them to the select board. I will be going there tonight so when they open up public questions/input I will make my inquires then and inform them of what I plan to do, that way I will have both avenues covered. Hopefully they will agree to put it on the ballot with out the signatures. I hate to seem like I am going over peoples head, but the people have spoken.

[Henry]

Whether you are for or against something, voting by ballot at the polls is the best representation of the town voter's wishes.  I have tried a number of times to get financial items put on the ballot, but so far have failed.  I have never done it this way, but am behind it 100%.

At a normal town meeting between 75 and 125 voters make the decisions for a total of probably 2,500 voters in town - The town meeting we have is good for discussions of issues, but not for final decisions.  I expressed this opinion back in March 1955 at our Fairfax Town Meeting when I had to take the day off without pay to attend.  I had turned 21 the previous November and decided I was going to make a change for the better.

After I made the statement, a long time resident by the name of Mrs. Weir got up and put me in my place for making such a statement, whereas my height shrunk from 6 feet to about 6 inches tall.  I will never forget that day.

[edakrupp]

I have written up petitions and posted them at Minors, Country pantry, Foot Hills bakery, J&L Hardware, and soon Swansons, Nan's and the hair dressers. I will also be going on foot around to places to introduce myslef and present the petition personally. If anyone knows of a place or a function that there will be a large attendance, I would appreciate it if you tear off a blank sheet, xerox it and pass it around. Or you can contact me and I will be happy to mail it out to you. The listor at this point in time said our population is 3,057 and 5% of that gives us 153. Easy peasy.  After i get the signatures I'll file it away and presnt it to the Town off in January so it wont get mis placed in the interm.

[trussell]

Elizabeth,

If you want to email me the petition, I will put a copy out on our table at the Art In Bloom Festival (July 24 @ Swanson's).

Thanks,
Trevor

russelltrevor@hotmail.com

[edakrupp]

I will be happy to do that. Thank you. There may be a glitch however.

I just got back from the Select Board Meeting and announced what I was doing, and a member thought that Carol Branagan may be mistaken. There may need to be a preliminary acceptance of the movement at The Town Meeting prior to the Australian ballot vote. This usually takes place on the Sunday or Saturday prior to voting day in March (Town Meeting). I'll keep everyone up dated and will also contact Deb Markowitz office to confirm the  necessary routes need to be taken to get a public request on an Australian ballot.

 For those of you who may be wondering, an Australian ballot is just a fancy way of saying a traditional paper and pen ballot that is slipped into the box for elections as we know them.

[trussell]

I believe that anyone can get anything on the ballot as long as it's signed by the correct percentage of registered voters.  From what I remember (when I was pushing for a full-time Constable position to be created) the only stipulation is that the petition be submitted by a certain date, which I believe is sometime in January.  Thanks for taking the lead on this!

[Henry]

I believe the petition gets it on the warning as an article for Town Meeting, however, to actually get it on the ballot to be voted on at the polls, that is the tricky part.  I believe that in Town Meeting, you vote there to put it on the ballot for the following year.  I am sure Deb Markowitz can clarify the thing.  I am sure that Donna Meunier can set us straight if she happens to read this lengthy thread.

[Wormerod]

Elizabeth,

Here is information from the Secretary of State's website that mentions the process of consideration of an article by Australian ballot.

"In order for an article to be placed on an Australian ballot, the electorate in your town must have already voted to decide either the election of officers by Australian ballot, all budget or money articles by Australian ballot, or all public questions, or a specific public question by Australian ballot. You cannot request that an article be considered by Australian ballot for the first time in a petition requesting that article to be placed on the warning. There must have been a prior vote by the electorate approving the use of Australian ballots for that category of articles, or you must first petition for a vote to decide the question by Australian ballot at one meeting, and then petition for the actual article that you want to have decided by Australian ballot at a subsequent meeting."

This information was taken from the following link:

http://www.vermont-elections.org/elections1/tmarticlepetition.html

Good luck with the petition

Bill

[edakrupp]

So petition to get the vote on the floor of Town Meeting Day, which is how the petition was written, then vote on it on the floor at Town Meeting by yea or nays, then put it on the Australian Ballot for the next day, Voting day, correct? If so the petition stands as is and I will plow ahead.

Just in case, can anyone hold a legal public meeting on a specific topic to get the electroate in the town to vote on a common intrest item? Thus approving the use of the Australian Ballot to be the tool to finalize a vote? this way it doesn't have to go to town meeting?  Or.....

Is there anyway we can get the Select Board to use their elected power to agree that this is something that the town needs, benefits all and is much safer for the public than setting off back yard fireworks, in which could endanger the population by drunken mishaps and faulty fireworks?

[mxdave]

The other thing you will need to have is a dollar amount you want to get from the town to put on a show. If you are hiring a company such as Northstar Fireworks it will cost you allot more than $5000. to put on a show. You also need a place to shoot the Fireworks that the Select Board will feel is safe and accessible to the Fire Dept. and Ambulance crew in case of an emergency. My suggestion would be to reestablish the Fairfax Firework Committee and plan ahead for next year before you put anything on a ballot.
         Dave Yergeau

[edakrupp]

That's a great idea. Once the Board and town accepts 'Budgeted Town Fireworks', they can reestablish the group to help them facilitate the event.

[mxdave]

They won't reestablish the group, The fireworks committee was a group of people trying to do what you are doing now. Trust me you can not do this alone. If you want to head up a group ask for volunteers and reestablish a committee that is the best way to get started. I don't think you can get approval for a budget line item without knowing how much you will be looking for.

[slpott]

I would like to offer the idea of a booth at "Art in Bloom" Festival.  It is a wonderful community event and would be a great place to get started. It is also a fund raiser for the Fire and Rescue Departments. It being a community event, I would assume it would give you the opportunity to meet the people of our town and ask questions. It is July 25th from 9-4. Lots of great art, live music and wonderful food. I would also like to invite the whole town to come and take advantage of a lot of fun close to home. Please show your support. It is the only way to keep things going. So bring a lawn chair and plan on spending the day. It is very child friendly. See you soon, Shelly