BUCKLAND — At just under three minutes, the town of Buckland may have broken the record for its fastest Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, with voters approving two of the four warrant articles and passing over the other two.
The 11 voters in attendance, most of whom were elected and appointed town officials, authorized the town to reallocate $12,500 that voters had approved to match a Historical Commission grant, as well as raise and appropriate another $17,125, to pay tuition for a Buckland student attending Northampton’s Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School.
Voters also approved rescinding a 2024 Special Town Meeting vote that authorized the town to incur up to $150,000 in debt to cover emergency repairs to Avery Road. The town did not need to take out any loans for the project, as it had enough funds left over from a paving project on Depot Street and at the freight yard.
Voters skipped Articles 2 and 3, which sought additional funds to support the installation of solar at the Wastewater Treatment Facility and approval to pay a bill for the previous fiscal year. Town Administrator Pam Guyette said further review of the town’s accounts found that the town already has enough money set aside to cover the solar installation. She added that the town is unable to vote on paying the bill from last year, as the diesel fuel company the town works with has informed the town that a bill was missed, but the company has not yet told the town how much is owed in total.
“Thanks, everyone, I’ll see you in May,” Town Moderator Phoebe Walker joked to voters after the meeting adjourned at 6:33 p.m.
