WHATELY — Leading the April 24 annual Town Meeting warrant are a host of questions on recreational and medical marijuana zoning bylaws, which could smooth the path for local farmers to grow and sell pot.
Proposed town and school spending rounds out to about $5 million, a $177,000 or 3.6 percent increase from last year’s budget of $4.9 million.
The proposed school’s budget of $2.8 million, between Whately Elementary, Frontier Regional and Franklin County Technical School, went up about $42,000, or by 1.6 percent, from last year’s total of $2.7 million.
The town’s operating budget has a proposed increased of about 7 percent, from $2 million to $2.2 million. Under the spending plan, public safety costs increased by about $24,000 to $384,000, primarily because South County EMS costs jumped by about $19,000, up 22 percent to $106,000.
Residents will also have a chance to appropriate $168,000 from the Water Department Enterprise Fund to finance the running of the Water Department.
There are a handful of capital projects proposed for Whately residents to approve at the Town Meeting.
The town hopes to spend: $102,000 for the rehabilitation of the Town Hall; $45,000 to purchase a new police cruiser; $40,000 to purchase a four-wheel drive rescue and transport vehicle for the Fire Department; $45,000 to repair the sprinkler system at the Whately Elementary School; $25,000 for the replacement of the highway garage roof; $12,700 to purchase a new lawn mower with collection system for the Highway Department; $7,000 to purchase a new plow for the Ford F550 truck for the Highway Department.
The town will also ask to spend $6,000 to purchase and install a monitored fire detection system at the fire station; $8,000 to repair the heating and cooling system at the town offices; $3,500 to repair the town office roof; $1,800 to purchase and install a fence at the baseball field adjacent to the fire station; $5,000 to purchase and install new interior and exterior lights at the S. White Dickinson Memorial Library; $6,000 to purchase a new lawnmower for the Cemetery Commissioners; $4,000 in the shared cost to purchase a John Deere 1025R Sub-Compact Utility tractor for the Frontier Regional School District.
The town will ask to use $20,000 for the Whately 250th anniversary celebration.
There are two main bylaws the Planning Board hopes to get passed, needing a two-thirds vote, in regards to marijuana cultivation and sales. The Planning Board has said both are meant to keep to the integrity and character of town, while supporting local farmers and businesses.
The first bylaw regulates the location and development of marijuana-related industry. The second bylaw governs the specific zoning of the industry.
A lengthy conversation at this week’s public hearing, led by the Planning Board, explained the intent and thinking behind the potential bylaws. Generally public input was positive from the group of about 15 who showed up. Selectman Jonathan Edwards did voice a concern the regulations were too restrictive, but overall he was complementary of the board’s work on the draft bylaws.
The town will ask to establish a 3 percent local sales tax on marijuana sales, which will require a majority vote.
An additional bylaw, if passed, will allow for certain breweries to apply for a special permit so they can offer not only tastings but pours, which would allow them to sell their beer by the glass. The main brewery that has been brought up throughout this conversation is Hitchcock Brewing Company on Christian Lane, which wants to serve beers to help keep the business and farming economically sustainable.