Longmeadow votes to prohibit marijuana establishments at Special Town Meeting

Nov. 9, 2017 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

Reminder Publications submitted photo

LONGMEADOW –  Roughly 100 people turned out for the Longmeadow Special Town Meeting on Nov. 7 in the Longmeadow High School gymnasium, where the town voted on 19 Warrant Articles, with 18 of the 19 warrants passing with majority or unanimous affirmative votes.

Article One

Article One was in place to see if the town would vote to raise and appropriate “$126,900 or a greater or lesser sum from the FY [Fiscal Year] 2018 Community Preservation Fund Revenues for: CPA [Community Preservation Act] Fund Balance Reserve for Open Space $42,300, CPA Fund Balance Reserve for Community Housing $42,300, and CPA Fund Balance Reserve for Historic Preservation $42,300,” the warrant article reads. 

The town passed the motion with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Two

Article Two asked the town to vote to transfer the sum of $108,163.40 or a greater lesser fund from the Water Retained Earnings account, to pay the bills of the prior year. This was a result from the “unusually dry FY 2017,” The town purchased more than their allotted amount of water from Springfield, thus exceeding their budgetary estimates by $500,000.

The town passed the motion with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Three

Article Three was in regard to a sum of $30,000 to be allocated to providing supplemental funding for the FY 2018 budget for Law Department and legal expenses..  Within the first quarter of FY 2018 nearly $30,000 of the budgeted $50,000 for legal expenses was spent.  The Finance Committee recommended this action.

The motion passed with a majority affirmative vote.

Article Four

Warrant Article Four asks the town to vote to appropriate the sum of $29,373 for the purposes of providing supplemental funding to the FY 2018 budget due to interest on short-term debt in regard to the DPW tennis facility purchase.  This article was recommended by the Finance Committee.

Article Four was passed by a majority affirmative vote.

Article Five

Article Five was in place to see if the town would vote to transfer $62,092 from the DPW Reserve for Damages account, from the Capital Stabilization fund a sum of $56,458, Sewer Retained Earnings the sum of $28,225 and from Water Retained Earnings a total of $28,225, for the purpose of purchasing a dump truck with a plow for the DPW.

Last March, a 2007 DPW International dump truck with a plow was totaled in an accident.  The town received $62,092 from the insurance settlement.  The total appropriation of $175,000 allows the DPW to purchase a heavy-duty dump truck as a replacement for the one that was totaled.   

Originally, the Finance Committee did not recommend this article.  According to a Finance Committee representative, the Finance Committee didn’t support this article because it didn’t run through Capital Planning, however with additional information from the Town Manager and DPW the Finance Committee has reconsidered. The representative also noted that originally, the Finance Committee opposed the article zero out of six, however now they vote unanimously in favor.

Article Five passed with a majority two-thirds vote.

Article Six

Article Six was in regard to the transfer of $265,000 from available funds in the Treasury to the Operating Stabilization Fund.  This was due to the policy of the Select Board, as all free cash amounts over $500,000 once the FY budget is balanced should be transferred into the towns Operational Stabilization Fund.  The Finance Committee recommended this article.

The town passed this article with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Seven

Warrant Article Seven was to see if the town would vote to transfer from the Ambulance Fund $130,000 as well as $130,000 from available funds in the Treasury for the purchase and equipping of a new ambulance that would be set to replace the 2005 Medic-1 Amublance.  These funds would be paid back to the General Fund by FY 2020. The current 2005 Medic-1 ambulance has 126,243 miles with 9,228 hours, as of Sept. 15.  The Ambulance Fund would repay the General Fund with any balance in excess of $50,000 at Fiscal Year end. 

Originally, the Finance Committee did not recommend this article, as they believed that since ambulances generate revenue, they thought that rather than borrow funds, they could use the revenue generated to purchase the new vehicle.  However, after discussion with other town officials, the Finance Committee realized that by ordering and purchasing the new ambulance now, it would avoid putting the town in danger of being under-serviced, and evade any potential safety issues.

The town passed this article with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article Eight

Article Eight asks the town to vote to transfer from available funds in the Treasury in the sum of $35,000 for purchasing and equipping a new Police vehicle.  The purchase of an additional replacement is due to high mileage and the cost of repairs. At first, the Finance Committee did not recommend this article. A representative stated that when they made that recommendation they did not have sufficient information.  Now, with more information, they realize that the current vehicles in use have been “stretched beyond their mileage” and there is a need for a new vehicle.

The town passed Article Eight with a majority affirmative vote.

Article Nine

Article Nine was in place to see if the town would vote to transfer $20,000 from Water Retained Earnings for the purpose of replenishing the Water Reserve Account within the FY 2018 budget.  The Finance Committee recommended this article.

The town passed this article with a majority affirmative vote.

Article 10

Warrant Article Ten was to decide what to do with the funds generated from a potential cell phone tower that would be erected.  The funds would be allocated to upkeep and maintenance of any facility under the control of the DPW.

The Warrant Article explains that by accepting this, it would designate for the lease/rental income received by the town from the release/rental space for a potential cell tower located adjacent to the Blinn Tennis Courts.  This would be used “specifically for the maintenance of Town properties and facilities, inclusive of School and Parks and Recreation grounds.”

This article created much discussion, with nearly ten town members either expressing their concern regarding potential radiation from a new cell tower in town, or their support of the article.

Town Manager Stephen Crane noted that there are already two cell-towers in town, and should another go in by Blinn Tennis Courts, it would help boost reception in the downtown areas. Additionally, he said the cell-tower would resemble a flagpole, following a residents comment that the cell-tower could “resemble the Eiffel Tower.”

The town passed Article Ten with a majority affirmative vote.

Article 11

Article 11 was in place to see if the town would vote to transfer $16,500 from available funds in the Treasury for the purpose of providing supplemental funding to the FY 2018 budget for Planning and Community Development expenses.  The Finance Committee recommended this article.

The town voted to pass this article with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article 12

Article 12 was in regard to transferring $20,000 from the Treasury to upgrade the town’s valuation software and server.  The Finance Committee recommended this article.

The town passed this article by a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article 13

Article 13 was to see if the town would transfer funds in the amount of $65,000 from the Treasury to provide supplemental funding to the FY 2018 budget for interest on long-term debt.  The Finance Committee recommended this article.

The town passed this article by a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article 14

Warrant Article 14 was in regard to amending the towns Zoning Bylaws by adding a new Article IV, Section L,which refrences that all marijuana establishments, whether cultivators, testing facilities, product manufacturerers, retailers, on-site consumption, or any other marijuana-related businesses are prohibited within the town of Longmeadow. 

The town passed this article with a declaration two-thirds affirmative majority vote.

Article 15

Similar to Article 14, Article 15 was to see if the town would amend the General Bylaws by adding a new Article 2, Chapter 500, Section 2-515 in regard to marijuana establishments.

Also similar to Article 14, the town passed this article by a majority affirmative vote.

Article 16

Article 16 was in regard to the towns Zoning Bylaws and whether or not the town would amend the bylaws to insert two points into Section I of Article VI, regarding existing undersized lots as well as infill and lot size averaging.

This article raised discussion with over 10 people asking questions, expressing support or disinterest for the Zoning change.  The Planning Board commented that by changing the bylaws, the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) would have more guidelines.  

Following discussion, the motion went to a hand-count, as it was too close to call, with ultimately the motion failing due to a lack of a two-thirds majority.

Article 17

Warrant Article 17 was to see if the town would amend the Zoning Bylaws by amending Section C Side Yards of Article VI.  This was in regard to changing the specification for irregular sized lots, to allow owners of those lots to install a pool. The Planning Board unanimously recommended this article.

The town passed this article by a two-thirds majority affirmative declaration.

Article 18

Article 18 was to see if the town would vote to amend Zoning Bylaws in reference to window signs. “This bylaw was also developed by the bylaw working group to address window signs that are commonly used on storefronts but not defined in the current bylaws,” the warrant reads.  The Planning Board unanimously recommended this article, which led to the town passing the article with a unanimous affirmative vote.

Article 19

Finally, Article 19 was to see if the town would vote to transfer $755,800 from available funds in the Treasury for the purpose of designing and reconstructing three intersections, Longmeadow St. and Forest Glen, Longmeadow St. and Converse St. and Converse St. and Laurel St.  The Finance Committee recommended this article. 

The town passed this article by a majority affirmative vote.

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