DEERFIELD — The Selectboard voted to set the town’s single tax rate at $14.97 per $1,000 valuation for fiscal year 2023, representing a 20-cent decrease from fiscal year 2022’s rate of $15.17.
Selectboard Chair Trevor McDaniel said the town is growing at a strong rate and the continued growth of businesses allows residents to experience a lower tax rate.
“We feel we’re very lucky to have the commercial and industrial businesses in town,” McDaniel said at Wednesday’s Selectboard meeting.
WHATELY — The state is providing a 100% match to Whately’s fiscal year 2022 Community Preservation Act revenue collections, making it one of only 11 municipalities to receive a full match.
In total, the match will give the town $180,000 in state and local CPA revenues for the current fiscal year.
Since the Community Preservation Act was adopted in 2009, Whately has raised $2 million in CPA funds — 49% of which has come from state matches. The town has used the money on projects like Town Hall renovations, upgrades at the veterans memorial and an expansion of the hockey rink, among others.
The project funding cycle starts on Dec. 13, at 2:30 p.m., when project applications are due at the Town Offices. Emailed submissions to townclerk@whately.org are acceptable as long as the time on the email meets the deadline.
To qualify for CPA funding, projects must be for historic preservation, open space, community housing or recreation. Application forms and project eligibility details can be found on the Community Preservation Committee’s page at whately.org.
SOUTH DEERFIELD — Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture’s (CISA) annual gift bags are now available to help people check off their holiday shopping lists.
Locally grown and produced products are packed into a gift bag featuring artwork by local artist Arielle Jessop. The gift bags will be available at locations around the Pioneer Valley and at CISA’s office at 1 Sugarloaf St. in South Deerfield beginning on Saturday, Dec. 10.
The $75 bag contains goat milk hand lotion from Sage Meadow Farm; ginger syrup from Old Friends Farm; maple popcorn from Pioneer Valley Popcorn; chocolate from Richardson’s Candy Kitchen; coffee from Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co.; maple syrup from Maple Corner Farm; and a set of CISA note cards.
The $125 bag contains dried shiitake mushrooms from Prospect Meadow Farm; fire cider from Sweet Birch Herbals; jam from Mother’s Inc.; popping corn from Pioneer Valley Popcorn; maple syrup from Shattuck’s Sugarhouse; a wool sponge or wool dishcloth from Bloom Woolen; coffee from Dean’s Beans Organic Coffee Co.; salsa from Kitchen Garden Farm; chocolate from Richardson’s Candy Kitchen; spiced pear shrub from Bug Hill Farm; honey from Warm Colors Apiary; barbecue sauce from Jay’s Wicked; and CISA note cards.
Bags can be purchased online at bit.ly/3HfDboc. CISA will deliver bags to customers within 25 miles of South Deerfield if they order five or more in a single purchase.
DEERFIELD — The town is holding a public meeting to review its 2023 Open Space and Recreation Plan draft on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 6:30 p.m.
Residents are encouraged to provide feedback on the draft, which contains several new initiatives to help the town consider prioritizing climate resiliency. It also builds on Deerfield’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Plan. The draft plan can be viewed at bit.ly/3BluC7L.
Advance registration for the meeting is required and can be done at bit.ly/deerfieldosrp. A public comment period on the draft is open until Tuesday, Dec. 20, and residents can submit feedback to Allison Gage at the Franklin Regional Council of Governments by emailing agage@frcog.org.
Village Neighbors offers help with shoveling
SHUTESBURY — Village Neighbors, a nonprofit providing services to people ages 60 and up in Leverett, Shutesbury, Wendell and New Salem, offers assistance to members who need snow shoveled.
If you need a hand with shoveling this winter, send an email to servicerequests@villageneighbors.org to receive a list of local people for hire. Village Neighbors can offer one-time help in case of an emergency, but it is recommended that you contact a professional before the first snowfall of the season and get your name on their service list.