Williamstown to Decide Bylaws, Budgets
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The town meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Williamstown Elementary School. Voters are reminded to park in the School Street lot and to arrive early to check in; doors open at 6:15.
The wetlands bylaw has been worked on Conservation Commission for several years. An attempt to place the bylaw before voters last year was abandoned after the Selectmen and others sharply criticized its formulation and language as well as the need for more buffer zones on private properties.
This year wasn't much better after the Selectmen voted 4-1 to oppose its recommendation.
The bylaw would extend protection to vernal pools, intermittent streams emptying into bogs and marshes, and isolated wetlands not covered by the state's Wetlands Protection Act. (See map below, or click here.)
Commission members say the land that would fall under the new bylaw amounts to about 600 acres, most of it in areas that can't be developed anyway. The bylaw would close a loophole in the state wetlands law, a loophole that most other state's have already closed, they said.
The Selectmen, however, are concerned that adding 600 to the 5,000 acres already covered by the state act would further inhibit housing and other development because it would create a 100-foot buffer zone around protected areas and require a commission review of any new construction or significant expansion within that buffer zone.
It will directly affect some 240 properties and led the Selectmen to wonder how many more it may affect.
Voters will also act on an open space bylaw that would encourage so-called "smart growth" through clustering of buildings and an amendment to zoning along Route 7 south that would allow for professional offices in the tourist zone. Both bylaws require two-thirds majorities to pass.
Also before voters will be a request for $60,000 from the Community Preservation Act Fund to restore a historic barn at the Rural Lands Foundation headquarters at Sheep Hill. The request raised concerns a Selectmen's meeting in March when several board members questioned the use of public funds for private uses.
The act gives municipalities the ability to enact a real estate surcharge up to 3 percent to use on open space, affordable housing and preservation.
A total of $800,000 from Community Preservation is also being asked for proposed construction of affordable housing in the former St. Raphael's Church on Cole Avenue.
While both Selectmen and Finance Committee unanimously recommended the spending on affordable housing, the backing for the Rural Lands barn wasn't as whole-hearted. The Finance Committee voted 6-1 to approve; the Selectmen 3-0 with two abstentions.
A resolution to lower the town's carbon emissions by 10 percent or more by 2010 will wrap up the meeting. The goal will be based the town's emissions in 2000 and citizens will be urged to improve their household energy efficiency, recycle more and buy locally produced food.
To find how, citizens can participate in the COOL Challenge and have their carbon footprint calculated by the Williamstown COOL (CO2 Lowering) Committee and at the Milne Public Library.
Voters also will be asked to approve:
- A $6 million general government budget, a 3.5 percent increase over this year. Of that amount, $5.8 million would be raised through taxation and the balance from sewer and water receipts and cemetery trust funds.
- A $5 million appropriation for the elementary school, also up 3.5 percent over this year. The total budget is $6.3 million, up 6.2 percent.
- A $4.5 million assessment for the Mount Greylock Regional School District, a 4.99 percent increase over this year.
- A $278,392 appropriation for the Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School District. This is a drop of nearly 18 percent from this year; the assessment is based on the number of students attending McCann Technical School.
- The appropriation of $520,659 for capital improvements, including the replacement of vehicles in the parks and highway departments. Some $85,000 of that would come from sewer and water receipts.
For the full warrant, click here.
