SUTTON -- In just about one hour, residents took care of business at Annual Town Meeting on May 9.

Unlike last year, when COVID-19 restrictions had residents sitting outdoors to determine warrant articles, Town Meeting took place in the middle-high school auditorium.

Town Meeting acknowledged Schools Superintendent Theodore Friend, who is retiring at the end of the school year.

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TM sailed through the first 15 articles, including the operating budget, capital plan, special education out-of-district costs and OPEB payments.

For Article 16 regarding renovations to Van Dyke Fields on Hough Road, a resident asked whether the plans include the Senior Center and the town's wastewater treatment plant. After some discussion between town officials and town counsel, the article was amended to clarify that the proposed funds would be used for the park alone. The amended was passed, followed by the article itself.

In passing Article 7, residents approved about $1.2 million in expenditures for items within the town's capital plan, including new portable radios and vehicle replacement for the Police Department; repave the parking lots at the elementary school and Early Learning Center; pervious paving for Tricentennial Park; and a traffic study for Burbank and Sibley roads.

Article 1 (town reports) -- pass

Article 2 (Cemetery Commissioners) -- pass

Article 3 (Board of Health) -- pass

Article 4 (Sewer Department) -- pass

Article 5 (Transfer Station) -- pass

Article 6 (operating budget totaling about $36 million) -- pass by 2/3

Article 7 (capital plan totaling about $1.2 million) -- pass

Article 8 (underfunded budgets, including snow and ice) -- pass

Article 10 (prior year invoices) -- pass by 4/5

Article 11 ($700,000 for special education out-of-district costs) -- pass

Article 12 (special education tuition stabilization) -- pass

Article 13 ($395,000 for OPEB) -- pass

Article 14 ($100,000 for health insurance stabilization fund) -- pass

Article 15 (discontinue Caplette Road) -- pass

Article 16 ($150,000 for renovations to Van Dyke Fields; amended to clarify that renovations would be confined to part of the parcel being used for the park) -- pass

Article 17 ($260,000 for renovations to Veterans Park) -- pass by 2/3

Article 18 ($19,200 toward an Agricultural Preservation Restriction for parcels of land on King and Uxbridge roads) -- pass

Article 19 (amend zoning bylaw regarding accessory apartments) -- pass

Next up for Sutton -- Annual Town Election on May 24. Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Precincts 1 and 3 will vote at the middle-high school gymnasium; Precinct 2 will vote at the Manchaug Fire Station.