The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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DEVAL L. PATRICK GOVERNOR TIMOTHY P. MURRAY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Executive Department State House  ·  Boston 02133 (617) 725-4000

March 27, 2008.

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives:

Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 8, Paragraph 1, Clause (2) of the Amendments to the Constitution, as amended by Article LXXXIX, I am filing for your consideration the attached legislation entitled, “An Act Validating The Acts And Proceedings Of The 2007 Spring Annual Town Meeting And 2007 Fall Annual Town Meeting Of The Town Of Natick.” 

   Senators Brown and Spilka, Representatives Linsky and Peisch, and the Natick Board of Selectmen have asked that this legislation be filed to validate all acts and proceedings taken by the town of Natick at its spring and fall annual town meetings, and all subsequent actions taken in reliance on these town meetings.  Absent this legislation, the town faces the risk of legal challenges to its governance and many actions taken pursuant to the town meetings.  Moreover, the town is anxious to proceed with certain fiscal matters that have been halted upon discovery of the warrant posting defect, such as issuing bonds to purchase new trash trucks and awarding contracts for school repair projects. 

I urge your early and favorable consideration of this bill.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                       DEVAL L. PATRICK,

                                                                                       Governor.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand and Eight.

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An Act validating the acts and proceedings of the 2007 spring annual town meeting and 2007 fall annual town meeting to the town of natick.

        Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.  Notwithstanding section 10 of chapter 39 of the General Laws or any other general or special law or town charter provision or town by-law to the contrary, all acts and proceedings taken by the town of Natick at its 2007 spring annual town meeting, originally scheduled to commence on April 10, 2007, and its 2007 fall annual town meeting commenced on October 16, 2007, and all actions taken pursuant thereto, are hereby ratified, validated and confirmed to the same extent as if the warrants for those town meetings had been posted and published in full compliance with law and town charter and town by-law.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon its passage.