During the December 13, 2021 Town Council meeting, following two failed motions, the Town Council voted 5 to 2 in favor of setting the referendum vote on the Citizen Petition to Send Town Center Affordable Housing Amendments to Referendum to November 8, 2022.  Councilor Penny Jordan first moved to set the date to November, but her motion was amended by Councilor Timothy Reiniger who proposed a March 8 date.  Reiniger, a freshly appointed councilor, said that he was, “Concerned about the tenor of discussion in the media about the community. It is not in the best interest of the community to drag this out for along time.”  On this motion Reiniger and fellow new councilor Susan Gillis, voted in favor while the remaining five councilors voted against the motion.

Jordan envisioned that through the eventual results of the Housing Diversity Study there is an opportunity, “To initiate work around housing diversity; to really identify and engage the citizens at key points throughout this process so that we can gain the greatest amount of input from the greatest amount of citizens through facilitated public forums.  To then incorporate the feedback and input into the housing diversity to study, along with next steps that would be laid out as a result of the input from the greatest amount of citizens.  Then, the council could take action on that plan that was set through that process.  We have identified that the study is due to be completed ideally by May 15. I would not want a referendum vote prior to really engaging in this process.  I think it would take us through September and maybe October [of 2022] to achieve the plan I have laid out; that is an aggressive plan and that is why I say November 8 is the ideal date for that vote.”

Councilor Gretchen Noonan, in response to Reiniger’s concerns, said that while she generally does not worry about what the press may say, “It is somewhat our responsibility to the town to preserve the reputation of the town.  I think to do that is to do this the right way and to me that’s by not rushing it.  Any scheduled election should be fair game.”  

Noonan voiced concern that the council would risk, “boxing ourselves into a corner” regarding information stemming from the study and potential ordinance changes after a referendum.  Town Manager Matthew Sturgis shared that, “The Town Council has the right to amend the ordinances again to the same or different language.  You are not precluded from doing that. Knowing, however, that per Town Charter citizens have the right to come forward with a second petition if so desired.”  With that knowledge Noonan said that she was, “comfortable with a June election” and went on to amend the original motion by proposing a vote for June 14.  Noonan and Gillis voted in favor of the amendment, while the remaining five councilors voted against.  

Councilor Caitlin Jordan addressed that although she had originally preferred a June date, she had come to change her mind after recently learning that the percentage of voters voting in June elections was extremely low in comparison to elections held in November.  Jordan said, “We really need to get the biggest take on what the town thinks, then we really need to do this in November.”

With the original motion still on the table, Chair Jeremy Gabrielson called a vote on setting the referendum to November 8.  The motion passed with councilors Gabrielson, Penny Jordan, Caitlin Jordan, Nicole Boucher, and Noonan voting in favor; Reiniger and Gillis opposed.