ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen approved new Police Chief Scott Kelley's contract and his first day on the job will be Tuesday, Jan. 19

 

The three-year contract was approved after a brief executive session at the tail end of Wednesday's meeting.

 

"He is good to go," Town Administrator Jay Green said. "He has a sergeants' meeting scheduled for that week and is raring to go." 

 

Interim Police Chief Troy Bacon had declined to move into the permanent position leaving the Selectmen to undergo another search for a permanent chief. In early December, the  board voted to appoint Kelley, who is chief of police at South Carolina's Spartanburg Community College.

 

Kelley's starting annual salary will be $88,317.

 

In other business, the selectmen approved a payment in lieu of taxes agreement for the construction of a 5.6-megawatt solar field on Duke's Gravel Pit on Grove Street.

 

"Thank you for coming into our town to help us out," Selectman Joseph Nowak said. "That money will sure come in handy."

 

Green said this project goes back some years with Sun Rays Energy, which sold the project to Engie North America in 2019

 

He said the project has gone through the Planning Board and the developers are in pursuit of a building permit.

 

Per the agreement, the town will receive $64,464 annually for 20 years.

 

Engineer Matt Singer said the array would take up the bulk of the gravel pit and anticipated that further use of the pit would be minimal. 

 

"Any future activity would be limited just because of the available land," he said.

 

He said the array will work as a solar garden, and residents will have the ability to subscribe to it.

 

"We will be looking to get residential subscribers ... to subscribe directly to the energy from this project," he said. "They will receive credits in a way not dissimilar if they had solar on their roof."

 

The PILOT agreement has to be approved by town meeting.

 

The Selectmen referred to an open meeting law complaint to town counsel. Selectman John Duval asked that counsel share his response during their next meeting.