SHELBURNE — Town meeting voters in Memorial Hall Tuesday OK’d a $4.1 million town budget, approved numerous zoning changes, school district agreement changes, a study for Memorial Hall renovations and land acquisitions for roadway improvements on Bardwells Ferry Road.
Shelburne and Colrain were the first towns to vote on Mohawk Trail Regional School District agreement changes that would enable Rowe to become a Mohawk Grade 7 through 12 member town, and would allow Heath to remain a full-district member town as it transitions its elementary students to the Hawlemont Regional School District.
“I think now is the time to move forward on this and to let the town of Rowe know again that we are here,” said Selectboard Chairman Joseph Judd, who will conclude his run of 21 years at the end of this term.
The superintendent and school board chairwoman both encouraged the residents to support the school budget — approved at about $2.3 million, a 3.4 percent increase from the year prior — and to support the movements on Heath and Rowe.
“It is the only time in the history of western Massachusetts that a town has agreed to close a school without litigation,” said School Committee Chairwoman Martha Thurber in regards to the closing of Heath’s school, which currently houses 25 students.
Specifically for the Mohawk Trail Regional School District, Shelburne’s $2.26 million assessment is about 4.7 percent larger than this year’s $2.15 million.
The town’s overall $4.1 million budget proposal for next year is a 2.7 percent increase over this year’s $4 million adjusted budget.
The most contentious moment of the night came when The Shelburne Free Public Library trustees asked residents if the town should donate its Fidelia Fiske Collection to Mount Holyoke College.
Fiske, who was educated by Mount Holyoke founder Mary Lyons, became the first woman missionary to serve in Persia. After 15 years in Persia (now Iran), she returned to Shelburne, where she died in 1864. The library has a collection of Fiske’s letters and memorabilia from 19th-century Persia.
The motion was amended in a 48-28 vote to change the wording from not giving the collection as a “gift” but rather give it on “loan” to the college.
Selectboard member and trained historian Robert Manners suggested to “loan (the collection) to allow the world to share in our heritage rather than gift them away.”
Residents on both sides of the argument expressed their concerns to make sure the collection of 19th-century letters are kept in optimal condition. While some wanted to make sure the college would hold the collection in proper care, others were concerned with no longer having the physical access, or potential future physical access, to these letters.
The motion, with the amendment, passed although the library will now have to go back to the college to determine if it is still feasible to send the collection there, but now on loan.
As the evening approached midnight, the remaining residents in attendance rigorously debated a few zoning law issues, which included questions of whether to seek a “Green Communities Designation,” how to rework parking in the village center, debate over building more industrial facilities in town, decisions on what to do about future pipeline proposals and definitions of what it means to be an Airbnb in Shelburne. All zoning law articles were approved.
Planning Board and Zoning Board members discussed what it means to be an Airbnb in relation to a bed-and-breakfast. The distinction was reiterated Tuesday night that an Airbnb, similar to a tourist home, cannot serve any food — not even cookies and tea.
“I guess the question is ‘Should we regulate Airbnbs?’” Zoning Board Clerk John Taylor asked residents after much debate. The town plans on having continued dialogue on how Airbnb is working in Shelburne and are open to amending the zoning laws next year if there are further problems.
Voters unanimously approved a temporary moratorium on any “recreational marijuana establishments” through June 2018, “or until such time as Shelburne adopts zoning bylaw amendments” to regulate such establishments.
A senior at Mohawk Trail Regional High School addressed residents at the end of the town’s meeting about an article he got on the warrant: allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in town elections.
The article that Maximilian Carr, 18, presented to Shelburne was passed by the town. Now the Selectboard will have to petition the state to allow for this to potentially happen. Shelburne residents would likely have an opportunity to vote on it in an election.
“If we do this earlier, it will develop the habit of voting earlier instead of the age of 18 when you are in transition,” Carr said.
A similar article is on the warrant in Ashfield. Similar proposals have gone through in places like Takoma Park, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C.
The town voted in favor of a five-year Taxation Incremental Finance plan on new investment in bringing the iconic former Sweetheart restaurant building back to use as a restaurant, banquet hall and brew pub. The tax break, from 2020 through 2024, would be about $38,437.
Other approved expenditures include: $71,334 for the Mohawk Trail Regional School District’s capital budget; $10,000 for a feasibility study for proposed renovations to the Memorial Hall theater; $25,000 from the stabilization account for purchase and installation of energy-efficient replacement windows on the first floor of Arm’s Library’s Pratt Memorial building; and $15,000 in a Senior Center Capital Fund Account, as the town’s contribution for expanding senior center facilities that serve Buckland, Ashfield and Shelburne.
Voters agreed to set up departmental revolving funds for departmental expenses. The Police Department’s would be $3,000, to come from firearms licensing, permit fees and state fees. Other departments with revolving accounts would be: town clerk, $2,500; Board of Health, $3,000; Zoning Board of Appeals $1,000. Other departments seeking between $1,500 to $500 in revolving sums are: Recreation Committee, Open Space Committee, Agricultural Commission and Conservation Commission.
Other approved purchases are: $12,000 for a paper compactor at the Transfer Station; $90,000 for full reconstruction of the Cowell Gymnasium tennis courts. The money will come from transfers, with the town to be reimbursed $50,000 for the project through a state grant.
The town Highway Department is seeking the following equipment, using money from the town’s stabilization account or its Chapter 90 highway money: $8,000 for a over-the-sickle bar mower, $63,000 for a one-ton truck with dump body and snow plow; $55,000 for a ¾-ton pickup with snow plow; $200,000 for a new dump truck; $15,000 for a snow plow and wing plow.
Another article asked residents to approve land acquisitions along Bardwells Ferry Road for temporary and permanent easements for a $2 million replacement of a bridge over Dragon Brook, paid for through a Transportation Improvement Program grant. The town will now be able to acquire the easements with about $50,000 in Chapter 90 highway money to defray expenses.
The acquired land includes six permanent easements, totaling 3,927 square feet and five temporary easements, about 1,738 square feet, for Bardwells Ferry Road construction, utility pole location and relocation, tree-trimming, roadway widening and riprap access. The project is expected to start late 2017 or early 2018.
You can reach Joshua Solomon at:
jsolomon@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 264