HARTFORD — Voters at Town Meeting made several monumental decisions, including passing a hotly debated “welcoming” ordinance related to immigration and approving a $3.3 million bond for a new municipal pool, according to preliminary results Tuesday evening.
In a contested Selectboard race, political newcomer Alicia Barrow defeated longtime Selectboard member Dick Grassi for a three-year position, 1,419-1,350, according to an unofficial tally.
In a five-way race for two seats, voters backed incumbent Kim Souza and Upper Valley Aquatic Center director Joe Major.
The welcoming ordinance, which passed on a 1,842-1,177 vote, according to the unofficial tally, has been one of the more controversial issues that voters have debated relentlessly since last summer. It bars Hartford police from sharing a person’s citizenship status with federal authorities and prohibits officers from pulling over or arresting people based on their suspected immigration status. A similar measure passed Tuesday in Norwich, and is under consideration in Lebanon and Hanover.
Read more: Town Meeting 2020
Advocates have said it could help protect and support undocumented members of the community. But opponents argued that it could violate a federal law that stipulates local governments cannot prohibit police from sharing a person’s immigration status.
In January, the Selectboard voted not to include a “savings clause,” which would have exempted Hartford police from part of the ordinance, allowing them to share information on a person’s immigration status with federal authorities.
“There are no words. We are more than ecstatic,” said AsmaElhuni, a Hartford resident and activist who helped push for the passage of the ordinance, though she added that it’s only the first step, noting the measures in other towns.
Another supporter, Dalia Rodriguez teared up upon hearing the news, saying that she has seen the fear her undocumented parents lived with. This vote is a show of support, she said.
“I’m actually feeling like part of the community,” she said.
Though Selectboard Chair Simon Dennis said he thought more people came to vote than in previous elections, and that the demographic was younger than it has been in the past.
“It reflects a trend in recent years toward seeing a new, more progressive face of the electorate,” Dennis said. “A new wave.”
Another talked-about issue during Town Meeting season was the $3.3 million bond proposal, which passed, 1,715-1387, and will pay for a pool at the site of the former Sherman Manning Pools.
The design was chosen from two possible proposals, and has centered on practicality over beauty. The pool will offer four 75-foot lap lanes, water features for children to play with, and “zero depth” entry, which officials have said makes it more accessible to people with mobility issues. The town hopes to start construction on the pool next year and open it by 2022.
While many residents have been supportive of a pool, some have been wary of the $3.3 million price tag. At a meeting in January, resident Lannie Collins questioned why the pool’s bathhouse alone would cost nearly $250,000 to build.
In the Selectboard race, voters had to choose from a group of seven candidates who came from vastly different backgrounds.
Grassi had served on the board — on and off — for 30 years and said at least some of his focus if re-elected would be on infrastructure issues in Hartford, like road projects on Sykes Mountain Avenue. But his upset saw Barrow, a sales and leasing consultant and longtime Hartford resident take over. Barrow who has five children who have gone through the Hartford school system, said she wants to bring more unity to the five communities that make up Hartford.
Calling the news of her win “overwhelming,” Barrow said she thinks voters could relate to her.
“For people who are on or below the poverty line, to have someone in the same demographic represent them, it’s special.”
The remainder of the Selectboard candidates were running for two seats; Souza’s term was up this year and Selectboard member Jameson Davis decided not to seek re-election.
In the five-way race, Souza had 1,741 votes and Major 1,417 to claim the seats, far outpacing former Selectboard member Sandy Mariotti, Collins, and former Public Works Department administrative assistant Joan Ponzoni.
Voters also approved an ordinance to require Hartford’s infrastructure to become carbon neutral by 2027.
Anna Merriman can be reached at amerriman@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.