CONWAY — Monday’s Annual Town Meeting is sure to include its fair share of public discourse, since the topics on the warrant include marijuana, natural gas pipelines, and designating the town a “safe community.”
The meeting is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. in the Conway Grammar School.
Also on the warrant that residents will vote on is Conway’s $5.85 million budget, a $265,000 increase, or 4.5 percent, from last year’s operating budget. About 77 percent of this year’s proposed increase of $264,744 is in costs directly related to education.
While town spending always generates discussion, the safe community bylaw article may spark the most impassioned talk, given, in part, recent history with this article.
The purpose of the proposed bylaw, one of the final articles on the warrant, as written is, “The citizens of Conway would like you to know that no matter where you’re from, if you are a resident, or visitor, or are just passing through town, you are welcome here.” It further calls for Conway police to not act as immigration officers.
At the Oct. 30 special town meeting last year, the safe community article was tabled, leading to residents expressing their displeasure with the way the article was handled and how meeting procedures were followed. The safe community question was placed on the warrant through a citizen’s petition but failed to get a positive recommendation from the Selectboard.
Selectboard Chairman John O’Rourke spoke against the matter in October and recently expressed his strong dissent for a proposed bylaw to make Conway a “safe community” in a “My Turn” published in Wednesday’s Greenfield Recorder.
“I am a United States Marine. I served as an infantry officer in Fleet Marine Force (FMF) ground combat units that were ready at a moment’s notice to deploy anywhere in the world to protect the national interests of the United States. Consequently, I take national and local security very seriously and, considering the high level of criminal and terrorist threats to our country, strongly support the strict enforcement of immigration laws at every level of government,” O’Rourke wrote.
“I would like to see all the enthusiasm, efforts and money being spent to shield illegal aliens from the law in sanctuary communities being spent to help our veterans, the men and women who have stepped up to defend our country, our laws and our citizens, especially those severely wounded, those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the estimated 50,000 that are homeless, and the families of those who have died for us,” he concluded.
Another article that could produce some discussion is one over recreational marijuana. An article calls for a 3 percent local sales tax on recreational marijuana, which is the maximum the state allows for towns to levy. This is only relevant if a pot shop was to open in town. Another article calls for an extension of the current moratorium on recreational marijuana, which if approved, will be in effect through June 30, 2019.
Residents will be asked to let the town spend $330,000 for preparing the bridge on North Poland Road.
An article asks for residents to create a lengthy zoning bylaw on large scale industrial and commercial facilities, which comes out of the Northeast Energy Direct natural gas pipeline proposal that caused much furor in the region.
Also, a resolution asks for Conway to support working toward a town run on 100 percent renewable energy. The February 2016 tornado is used as an example of towns in the state that are feeling the effects of climate change. It asks for the town to consider renewable energy efforts whenever it can.
You can reach Joshua Solomon at:
jsolomon@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext.264