COTUIT FIRE DISTRICT ANNUAL ELECTION AND DISTRICT MEETING JUNE 4 AND 5, 2026

COTUIT FIRE DISTRICT ANNUAL ELECTION AND DISTRICT MEETING JUNE 4 AND 5, 2026 TO THE CLERK OF THE COTUIT FIRE DISTRICT, GREETINGS: You are hereby required and directed to notify and warn the inhabitants of the Town of Barnstable residing within the territory comprising the Cotuit Fire District qualified to vote in District elections and affairs to meet at Freedom Hall, Main Street, Cotuit, MA 02635 on Thursday, June 4, 2026, between the hours of four o'clock and eight o'clock PM, then and there to vote for the following officers: One member of the Prudential Committee, for three years One member of the Board of Fire Commissioners, for three years One member of the Board of Water Commissioners, for three years Warning shall also be given to said inhabitants to meet on Friday, June 5, 2026, at The Cotuit Federated Church, Hamilton Room, 40 School Street Cotuit, MA 02635 at seven thirty o'clock PM, when action will be taken on the following articles: (All articles which are not followed by the words "by request of . . ." are inserted by the Prudential Committee.) Article 1: To see if the District will vote to accept the reports of the officers and committees of the District for fiscal year 2025. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 2: To see if the District will vote to set the annual salaries of the elected officials as follows: Prudential Committee Members, Members of the Board of Fire Commissioners and Members of the Board of Water Commissioners: $1,250.00 each; and Moderator: $250.00. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 3: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate or transfer and appropriate the sum of $45,000.00 to establish the reserve fund as provided under Section 5C, Chapter 40 of the General Laws. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 4: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate: $ 165,754.00 labor and salaries of the District's Finance Department; and $ 350,238.00 for the remaining expenses of the Prudential Committee, for a total appropriation of $515,992.00 (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 5: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate: $2,687,994.00 for the labor and salaries of the District's Fire Department; and $430,239.00 for the remaining expenses of the Fire Department for a total appropriation of $3,118,233.00. (By the request of the Board of Fire Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 6: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate: $525,933.00 for labor and salaries of the District's Water Department; and $467,759.00 for the remaining expenses of the Water Department, for a total appropriation of $993,692.00 (By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 7: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $ 500,000.00 for repair and replacement of select water mains. (By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 8: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $111,000.00 for the replacement of select generators. (By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 9: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $57,200.00 for software and equipment to enhance the Department's Cybersecurity. (By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 10: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $80,000.00 for cleaning or rehabilitation of select water wells. (By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 11: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $20,000.00 for cleaning or rehabilitation of the Lime tank. (By the request of the Board of Water Commissioners) (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 12: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate: $6,400.00 for the labor and salaries for Freedom Hall maintenance; and $22,489.00 for the remaining expenses of Freedom Hall, for a total appropriation of $28,889.00. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 13: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $10,700.00 to maintain the streetlights of the District. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 14: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $28,411.00 to support the maintenance of the Cotuit Library. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 15: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate $669,632.00 for payment of principal and interest. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 16: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate and/or borrow and appropriate the sum of $1,173,300.00 for the purpose of paying employee current and post-employment benefits. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 17: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $35,000.00 for the Stabilization Fund as provided under Section 5B, Chapter 40, of the General Laws. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 18: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $46,440.00 for the Water Department Stabilization Fund as provided under Article IX, Section 5 of the District By-Laws. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 19: To see if the District will vote to amend Article II, Section 1 of the By-Laws of the Cotuit Fire District by replacing the words "at 7:30 PM" with the words "at 6:00 PM," thereby changing the start time of the Annual District Meeting. (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 20: To see if the District will vote to amend Article II, Section 4 of the By-Laws of the Cotuit Fire District by adding the following sentence to the end of said section: "The article narrative and voting results of each warrant article shall be published on the District website within 30 days of the close of the Annual District Meeting." (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 21: To see if the District will vote to amend the By-Laws of the Cotuit Fire District by adding a new section establishing a procedure for the recall of elected officials, as recommended by the By-Laws Committee. Article I, Recall: initiation and procedure Elected officials shall be subject to recall upon submission of a petition stating the reason or reasons for requesting such recall with the certified signatures of at least 100 registered voters of the District. The petition shall be submitted to the Clerk and Prudential Committee. Within 14 days of receipt of the petition, the Clerk shall advertise a special recall election. Such election shall be held not sooner than 45 days and no later than 60 days after the Clerk has validated the petition. If the recall vote passes, the vacancy provisions of Article I, Section 5, shall apply (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 22: To see if the District will vote to amend Article I, Sections 1 and 3 of the By-Laws of the Cotuit Fire District to provide for the appointment of a Records Access Officer by the Prudential Committee, in order to respond to requests for District records and oversee the secure archiving of District records, in accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 66. Article I, Section 1 Delete the words: "and an appointed Treasurer." Replace with: "and Treasurer and an appointed Records Access Officer." Article I, Section 3 Add the following sentence to the end of the section: "The Prudential Committee shall appoint a Records Access Officer in accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 66." (The Prudential Committee recommends this Article) Article 23: To see if the District will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer and appropriate the sum of $14,000.00 to support the maintenance of the Historical Society of Santuit and Cotuit (HSSC). (The Prudential Committee DOES NOT RECOMMEND this Article) Given under our hands this twenty-eighth day of April 2026. Mark W. Lynch, Chair Seth Burdick John Havel PRUDENTIAL COMMITTEE A True Copy, attest: ______________________ Ryan Ouellette, Clerk Cotuit Fire District May 29 2026 LNEO0526919