Town Clerk’s office closed Thursday

SHELBURNE — Town Clerk Joseph Judd’s office will be closed Thursday. He resumes normal business hours Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Memorial Hall.

Colrain board mulls pot agreement

COLRAIN — After getting Town Counsel Katie Klein’s review of a community host agreement that was proposed by a marijuana cultivation company, the Selectboard decided to submit their questions back to the town’s lawyer before signing the agreement for Atlantic Canna to lease land for two greenhouses to be used for growing cannabis for a wholesale market.

One concern was whether the board could sign a host agreement for a shorter period of two years, instead of five years, so that the Selectboard could tweak the conditions, or not renew the agreement, if problems arose. Another concern was how to determine possible “impact costs” — such as the need for more police patrols, or truck traffic problems, or water use issues. Jackson McLeod of Atlantic Canna said the town could put the maximum allowable impact cost of 3 percent (of marijuana revenues) in an escrow account and then return any unused portion to Atlantic Canna later.

The board decided to bring their questions to Klein and continue negotiating the community host agreement within the next month or so.

Atlantic Canna is hoping to have a signed agreement with the town by fall, as the company applies for a provisional state license, which could take several months. The company hopes to start growing marijuana by next year.

Colrain gets $150K culvert grant

COLRAIN — With a $150,000 state grant from the Culvert Replacement Municipal Assistance program, Colrain will construct a 12-foot open-bottom culvert on a tributary to the North River. The new culvert will replace an existing undersized culvert to provide passage for fish and wildlife, and improving Colrain’s infrastructure by reducing the risk of culvert failure.

This grant is provided by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Ecological Restoration and is intended to strengthen community preparedness for large storms, protect fisheries and river habitats, and promote smart investments in climate-ready infrastructure.