BERNARDSTON — Marijuana sales will be permitted in Bernardston except for in the central village, Town Meeting decided on Wednesday.
An article to ban sales of recreational marijuana failed in a vote of 104 to 71, not quite the necessary two thirds. In May, residents had voted to ban recreational marijuana sales in Bernardston, but the decision needed to be ratified at Town Meeting.
Since the ban was not approved, residents voted to impose a 3 percent sales tax on marijuana, and to only allow marijuana retailers in two districts on either side of the central village, but not within it.
An open-container bylaw was amended so that it will apply to marijuana as well as to alcohol, effectively banning people from smoking marijuana in public places. This ban does not apply to users of medical marijuana.
All parts of the proposed budget were approved. The total budget for the coming year will be $5,190,962, a 1.6 percent increase over this year’s budget of $5,106,675.
Bernardston also approved its portion of a supplemental appropriation to correct the deficit incurred by the Pioneer Valley Regional School District’s school lunch program. Bernardston is the last of the four towns in the district to approve the supplemental appropriation, which makes the payment official.
Residents voted against allowing the Selectboard to lease a front-end loader for the Highway Department.
Three articles were not addressed before press time: to adopt a “strong chief” system for the Fire Department, and two amendments to the zoning bylaw that Planning Board Chairwoman Chris Wysk described as updates to make the bylaws current.
All other articles were approved:
$50,000 for the vehicle stabilization fund
$15,191.36 for the Recreation Commission expense account
$1,200 for the Cemetery Commission
$15,000 for the renovate/construct town buildings account
$100 for the flag replacement account
$5,000 for the town audit
$4,750 for the Board of Assessors revaluation
$5,000 for the other post-employment benefits liability trust fund
$5,000 for the Fire Station Expansion Committee to join the Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District
$3,000 for the mosquito control account
$5,000 for the Employee retirement/separation account
$50,000 from the overlay surplus to reduce the tax rate
$40,000 for a new police cruiser
$8,000 for a hydrology study
$50,000 to replace culverts
Council on Aging donations, $10,000
Board of Health, $15,000
Zoning Board of Appeals, $1,000
Planning Board, $2,000
Dog Licenses, $3,000
Public Safety, $15,000
Transfer station recycling, $37,000
Cushman Library, $5,000
Agricultural Commission, $5,000
Newsletter, $2,000