GILL — Gill’s census and dog registration forms were mailed in early January.
Dog registration forms, along with a copy of the dog’s rabies vaccination and payment, can be dropped off in the drop box, mailed, or brought into the Town Hall with the census form. 2021 dog licenses are valid until March 31, 2022. Afterward, there is a $10 per license late fee.
“It is very important to keep the town census up to date to keep your voting status active,” Town Clerk Doreen Stevens wrote in an announcement. “Check the information on the form sent to you, make any changes or additions, sign and either drop off in the drop box by the back door or put in the mail. It is also important to note that even if there are no changes, you should sign the form and get it to the Town Hall.”
GILL — Gill currently has a vacancy on the Board of Health that is expected to be filled during the Annual Town Election on May 16. Those interested in running for the position or any other position on the ballot should contact Town Clerk Doreen Stevens at townclerk@gillmass.org to obtain nomination papers. The deadline to register to vote in the election is April 26.
TURNERS FALLS — The Selectboard has authorized a contract with the state for acceptance of a $7,500 Mass Cultural Council grant during a recent meeting, authorizing Selectboard Chair Rich Kuklewicz to sign on.
The contract, which expires June 30, enables the town to use the funding “to produce free events in our downtown parks, as well as other projects and initiatives in the Turners Falls Cultural District.”
TURNERS FALLS — Town Planner Walter Ramsey narrated a presentation to detail the town’s “Smart Growth Overlay District” mixed-income housing plan for the public during Monday’s Selectboard meeting.
As described at a Selectboard meeting on Dec. 13, 2021, parcels at the former Railroad Salvage site and on First Street would be developed into “Smart Growth Overlay Districts,” defined by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40R as “dense residential or mixed-use smart growth zoning districts, including … affordable housing units … in areas of concentrated development such as existing city and town centers, and in other highly suitable locations.” Ramsey explained in a presentation to the Selectboard at the December meeting that the Railroad Salvage site and First Street sites “have been determined by the Planning Board to be highly suitable for residential and mixed-use development.” The projects would be funded by an up-front state payment of $75,000 with an additional $3,000 per unit, as long as at least 20% of the residential units developed are classified as “affordable.”
No decision was made at Monday’s meeting. The town expects to break ground at the Railroad Salvage site in one to three years and the First Street site in four to six years.
TURNERS FALLS — Nomination papers for the annual Turners Falls Fire District election are now available to district residents from the District Office located at 226 Millers Falls Road until Monday, March 7. Offices include Prudential Committee for a three year term and Water Commissioner for a three year term.
Papers are due by Wednesday, March 9. The District Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Prospective candidates must obtain 30 signatures from registered voters of the Turners Falls Fire District.
The election will be held on Tuesday, April 26. The polls will be open from noon to 7:00 p.m. District residents wishing to register to vote may do so at RegistertoVoteMA.com or at the Town Clerk’s office located in Town Hall, 1 Avenue A, Turners Falls. For more information, call the District Office at 413-863-4542.
MONTAGUE — The Selectboard has FirstLight Hydro Generating Co.’s “Agreement in Principle to Develop a Relicensing Settlement Agreement” following a an earlie meeting that introduced a series of recreation improvement proposals.
Town Administrator Steve Ellis said the recreation proposals are a portion of the lengthy relicensing process through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which FirstLight has received considerable public scrutiny over. Town officials collectively expressed satisfaction with this recreation-oriented portion, framing the improvements as having the potential to better connect the community to the Connecticut River.
FirstLight’s agreement in principal includes improvement plans for Northfield, Gill, Erving and Montague. Montague’s plan includes Cabot Camp historic building preservation, a new riverfront access area and put-in at the northern end of Unity Park, Unity Park lot reconfiguration, completion of a Turners Falls bypass both upstream and downstream of Peskeomskut Island, safety improvements to abandoned water passages, construction of a viewing platform and picnic area below the Turners Falls Dam, replacement and maintenance of stairs at Cabot Woods, and construction of a portage trail around the Rock Dam. Continuing work includes improvements at the Poplar Street put-in, an overlook and benches at the Turners Falls Branch Canal, Cabot Woods maintenance and maintenance of existing portage.
MONTAGUE — The Selectboard approved Town Clerk Deb Bourbeau’s request to add the unexpired term of moderator to the town’s May 17 election ballot following the death of Chris Collins. Collins, who died Sunday at the age of 54 after battling years-long health issues, had served as town moderator since 2018 and was elected last year to serve another three-year term.
MONTAGUE — Christopher Sawyer-Lauçanno, an architectural consultant and author who taught architecture and writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for 25 years, was appointed to the Historical Commission by the Selectboard during its last meeting.
Sawyer-Lauçanno has been working in collaboration with historian Janel Nockleby and in conversation with the Historical Commission to advocate for proper historical preservation procedures regarding the Farren Care Center in recent weeks.
MONTAGUE — The Selectboard approved all 14 articles on the warrant set to come before the town during the March 3 Special Town Meeting.
All articles were approved and recommended unanimously except for Article Seven, which requests the town “vote to raise and appropriate, transfer from available funds, borrow, or otherwise provide the sum of $4,500, or any other amount, for the purpose of purchasing and installing additional security cameras and updating the surveillance system at Unity Park, 56 1st Street.” Clerk Matt Lord voted “nay,” voicing disapproval for the idea of increased public surveillance.
The Selectboard also approved an amendment to Article 11, increasing the amount of $15,463 for “providing tuition for a Montague resident attending Smith Vocational School” to $25,000 in order to accommodate transportation costs. The draft warrant can be viewed at montague-ma.gov/files/Selectboard_2022-02-14_Draft_Warrant.pdf.