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Date: 5/16/2022
MONSON – Controversy arose among elected officials during discussion on the final warrant article at the Monson Annual/Special Town Meeting on May 9 at Granite Valley School.
Mary Hull, clerk of the Select Board, was asked to remove herself from the meeting, following a derogatory comment she made to Jennifer Wolowicz, town administrator.
Hull called Wolowicz a “piece of s***,” after Hull presented her citizens petition, Article 37.
Article 37 was a request to allow the use of host agreement funds to purchase property at 17 Palmer Rd., to be used as a community center with a focus on recovery. Hull wanted to place $70,000 in a fund to cover needed staffing salaries, along with placing $40,000 in a fund to cover furniture, computers and any other items necessary with the establishment of a community center; bringing the total funding amount needed for this center to $399,000. Hull explained that these existing funds are from impact fees collected from Holistic Industries – a cannabis shop in town – and they need to be spent before receiving the next 3 percent of funding. She noted that host agreement funds are supposed to be used on recovery programs.
Hull went on to say that bringing this citizen petition to the town should not have happened in the first place. “The Board of Selectmen – it says that they can make decisions on these host agreements,” she said.
Hull added, “It’s shameful” how people’s comments were being cut off throughout the entire meeting. As Hull stepped away from the microphone, she addressed Wolowicz and left the auditorium shouting, “This town’s in trouble. People should pay attention.”
Mary Watson, town clerk, asked a question regarding Hull’s citizen’s petition. Due to the town’s disapproval of Holistic, Watson asked, “How are we going to fund this money if Holistic is never here to give us these host agreement funds? What’s going to happen to the building? What’s going to happen to the staff that we’re going to have there? And also, is the building up to code ... ?”
Hull re-entered the auditorium and made her way to the microphone, but before she could answer Watson’s question, Town Moderator Peter Matrow stopped her.
Matrow said it was brought to his attention that Hull made a derogatory comment to a town official, which is a violation of the Select Board’s policy and the policy of the Annual/Special Town Meeting. He asked Hull to remove herself immediately. “It will not be tolerated [name calling] and that was extremely disappointing,” said Matrow. He asked that she be held until the meeting was complete.
When it came time to vote on Article 37, the motion failed.
Following the meeting, Wolowicz told Reminder Publishing that she was uncertain as to why Hull made this comment to her. Additionally, Wolowicz said she had been working with Hull to obtain a lease for a different property in town, however, Hull selected the building at 17 Palmer Rd. as the potential location of the community center.
Wolowicz said she believes Matrow took the appropriate action by removing Hull from the meeting. She said that several residents have expressed disappointment regarding Hull’s behavior.
Reminder Publishing contacted Hull for comment but did not receive a response before press time.
Articles 24 and 25
Article 24, the allowance for the borrowing and/or appropriation of $300,000 for the acquisition by negotiated purchase of a parcel of land of approximately 40.977 +/-acres owned by the Jean M. Booker family trust, was amended by Glenn Colburn, on behalf of the Community Preservation Committee. “We are purchasing two lots rather than one lot,” said Colburn. Originally the Booker family wanted the town to purchase these two lots, however there were some dumping issues and encroachment to take care of. Now that these issues have been addressed, Colburn made a motion to amend the original article and purchase both parcels of land, bringing the total acquisition to $415,000, for 63.48 acres on Hovey Road. The motion passed as amended.
Article 25, a companion article to Article 24, was approved by the town to appropriate the sum of $124,500 to purchase 63.48 +/-acres of land owned by the Booker Family. This amount represents the town’s required contribution to supplement the Local Acquisition for Natural Diversity Grant provided by the state under Article 97. Now that the article has been approved, the parcel is to remain permanent conservation land to be used for recreation and open space.
Article 30
Article 30, an amendment and regulation of Adult Use Marijuana Establishments through the Monson Zoning Bylaw, was approved by the town.
Craig Sweitzer, chair of the Planning Board, explained that this bylaw allows for retail sale of cannabis in central, general commercial and industrial zones. It also allows for all other legal cannabis uses in industrial and general commercial zones, by approval or special permit.
He said a statewide referendum vote took place about seven years ago, allowing for adult use of recreational cannabis. This passed on the state level, in addition to several Monson residents voting in favor. “If [the] majority of voters in your community voted in favor of this cannabis legalization bylaw, the community cannot zone cannabis out of existence,” said Sweitzer.
He added that this bylaw places more regulations on cannabis than a package or tobacco store. For instance, cannabis use cannot be directly abutting residential use or within 300 feet of schools, no more than two facilities are allowed in the town, and so on.
Jessica Allen, Monson resident, expressed her concerns with this bylaw, such as increased traffic that a retail facility would create along with parking issues. She went on to say that Holistic Industries, located at 96 Palmer Rd., already has existing issues such as mold in the building, which the Board of Health does not have access to.
Benjamin Coyle, town counsel, noted that this bylaw simply provides more structure as to where marijuana facilities may go in town.
This article required a two-thirds vote to pass. With a total of 112 people in attendance, a standing vote revealed that 84 residents were in favor of the article, 28 residents were not. The motion passed.
Articles 35 and 36
The town did not pass Articles 35 and 36, both citizens’ petitions. Article 35 was a request to increase the number of members to be elected to the Select Board. This article was submitted by Monson resident Roxanne Gunther.
After consulting with town counsel, Matrow ruled the motion out of order. Coyle explained that according to the Attorney General’s Office, if the makeup of a Select Board is to change, it must be done in accordance with Chapter 43B Section 13, and that Town Meeting is not the appropriate place to do so.
Article 36 was a request to amend the General Bylaws by allowing for recording devices, both audio and video, to be allowed at the Monson Annual and Special Town Meetings. This includes using cell phones or any other device to record the meetings. This article was submitted by Robert Kaddy.
Kaddy said it is everyone’s first amendment right to record annual or special town meetings if they so choose. Ken Parkes, Finance Committee member, said the meetings are already being recorded, both audio and video, and can be accessed by anyone if requested. However, he believes that by recording on a cellphone, the audio can be edited and used to “dox” individuals.
Remaining articles
Articles 1 through 8, the consent agenda, were voted on and passed under one motion.
Article 9 was a request to increase the salary and compensation of the Town Clerk to $70,000; Select Board Chair, $2,019; two Select Board members at $1,866 each - $3,732 total; Board of Assessors Chair, $1,758; Board of Assessors member, $1,701; Water/Sewer Commission Chair, $1,049; Water/Sewer Commission members, two at $971 to $1,942 total; and Highway Surveyor, $95,970. The motion passed unanimously.
Article 10 was passed to fund the town expenses for the coming fiscal year. This will go from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023.
Voters approved Article 11, which pertains to money entering the Stabilization Account.
Article 12, the establishment of the Memorial Hall Stabilization Fund, was passed by the town for the purpose of future expenditures required and related to the Memorial Hall building.
Similarly, Article 13 was passed to establish the Fire Station Stabilization Fund for the purpose of future expenditures required and related to the Fire Station.
Articles 14 through 21, which were approved by the town, focused on raising, appropriating and transferring a sum of money from available funds to the Capital Stabilization Account, the Memorial Hall Stabilization Account and the Fire Station Stabilization Account; to pay the town’s assigned share of the Operating and Maintenance and Capital Budget of the Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School District; pay bills of a previous fiscal year; to operate the Enterprise Trash/Recycling Program for fiscal year 2023 (FY23); and to operate the Water and Sewer Enterprise Funds for FY23.
The town approved Article 22, which allows the sum of up to $6,000 to be used on the investment and installation of a “Friendship Swing” at Flynt Park.
Article 23 received unanimous approval, for the sum of up to $14,650 for the historic preservation and storage of necessary town records. The funding will provide appropriate materials and a storage location within the town offices.
Article 26, which was approved by the town, allows for the sum of up to $10,000 for professional services in developing a Community Preservation Plan.
Voters approved Article 27, to transfer $113,000 from free cash and the capital operational budget for the purposes of funding capital purchases. A two-thirds vote was required and was received, passing Article 28 – amending the Monson zoning bylaw by changing all references in the current bylaw from “Board of Selectmen” to “Select Board.”
The town approved Article 29, pertaining to Massachusetts General Law c. 64N Section 3, allowing for the town to impose a 3 percent local sales tax charge on Adult Use Marijuana and marijuana product sales in Monson.
Article 31 was approved to divide revenues from rental of municipal buildings and to spend these funds without further appropriation for building-related maintenance.
The town approved Article 32, the transfer of $44,000 from the cemeteries Reserve for Receipts for Appropriation account.
Article 33 was also approved, authorizing the Highway Surveyor to increase driveway permit fees from $60 to $100.
Article 34, which was approved by the town, will raise or transfer a sum of money to make needed grading repairs to the Margaret Street Landfill. Wolowicz recognized Jamie Farnum, finance director/town administrator, for her work on the budget. “She did a great job working with Fincom [Finance Committee] and we are prepared for FY23,” added Wolowicz.
Special Town Meeting
Matrow explained that Special Town Meeting is for business that needs to be taken care of for FY22, the current fiscal year.
Article 1, which was approved by the town, involved the transfer and appropriation of available funds to the Green Communities 2020 grant account.
Articles 2 and 3 both passed, as requests to transfer and appropriate available funds to the Maintenance Building account and to cover the deficit from the snow and ice account.
Similarly, Article 4 pertained to the Bills of Prior Years Account. This article required a 9/10 vote and passed unanimously.
Article 5, which sought to rescind the borrowing authorization in the amount of $144,000 to construct a regional dog pound, was approved by voters.
Article 6 referred to the purchasing of 125 Palmer Rd., for the sum of $200,000. The motion passed.
Lastly Articles 7 through 15 were passed by the town, to transfer and appropriate a sum of money to the legal expense account, the technology expense accounts to cover increased technology costs; from trash enterprise retained earnings to the trash operating budget; the Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Account; the Finance Clerk salary; the Veteran’s Service Account; from the Water Enterprise retained earnings to the Water Operating Account; for improvements needed to the fire station; and lastly to the pool repair account.