Adams Special Town Meeting Set Monday
ADAMS, Mass. — A special town meeting on Monday will decide nine articles mostly centered around marijuana and aligning the town's bylaws with new state regulations.
Article 1 will ask town meeting to amend the town's general bylaws by inserting a new chapter that is in step with the Municipal Modernization Act.
The article makes no real changes but codifies which town employees have specific spending authorities for a variety of revolving funds and revenue sources.
In the past, town meeting would have to make these appointments annually and this article will streamline this process by building it into a bylaw.
• Article 2 builds off Article 1 and sets limitations on expenditures from the revolving funds.
• Article 3 is another Municipal Modernization Act-related change that would amend bylaws and shorten the amount of time that the treasurer/tax collector could act on delinquent taxes.
• Article 4 is also tied into the Municipal Modernization Act but has to do with snow and ice removal. Instead of only enforcing snow removal on sidewalks within the fire district, this bylaw would extend this rule to the entire town.
• Article 5 sets up the zoning bylaws for licensed marijuana establishments in town. Marijuana establishments are defined as retail, cultivation, testing, manufacturing and other related operations.
The bylaw would allow any of these establishments by right in the industrial district but limit retailers to the B-2 district with a special permit and subject to site plan approval.
Also, any licensed marijuana retailer within the B-2 district must be located 250 feet from any palace where minors regularly congregate.
• Article 6 will ask town meeting to make a bylaw change that would allow receipts from the parking meters to be put into a segregated revenue fund to only be used for the purchase or lease of additional parking lots, the care and maintenance of the parking lots and other related items.
This is something the town already does but this will codify the practice and put the town in line with the Municipal Modernization Act.
• Article 7 will allow the selectmen to set a speed limit of 25 mph n any thickly settled or business district in town that is not a state highway. This will allow the town to set speed limits in certain areas without going through a lengthy speed survey and soliciting state Department of Transportation approval.
• Article 8 will ask town meeting will grant an easement that will allow a force sewer main and accessory sewer lines on Gould Road for a property on the road. The town carries no liability and it will not cost the town.
This article has been on past town meeting warrants, but incomplete paperwork forced town meeting to table it.
• Article 9 is to transact any other business before closing the meeting.
Special town Meeting is Monday, March 5, at 7 p.m. in the Hoosac Valley Elementary School Auditorium.
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