Solar array is key warrant article
Date: 10/25/2010
Oct. 26, 2010By Chris Maza
Reminder Assistant Editor
LONGMEADOW -- The warrant for the Special Town Meeting scheduled for Oct. 26 has been released with a major zoning bylaw change and several important town budget matters for the next fiscal year on the agenda.
The Special Town Meeting will take place in the gymnasium of Longmeadow High School at 7 p.m.
Article 11 of the warrant is the proposed bylaw change that would allow the development of large-scale solar arrays on agricultural land as long as that land is not in the floodplain and is not conservation land. The bylaw change would clear the way for one such structure to be built on the old town landfill.
The Planning Board voted to recommend the bylaw change, which includes language that would require the array be ground-mounted and that a building permit be obtained before development. It would also require a complete site and design review by the Planning Board and that the town not be responsible for the construction or demolition of the array.
Should the amendment be approved, the town would no longer be in violation of a new statute enacted by the Deval Patrick administration, which states that towns cannot unreasonably restrict where renewable energy facilities may be located.
Currently, these facilities are not allowed in areas zoned for agriculture.
The town will also be one step closer to achieving the "Green Community" status, which is accompanied by financial considerations in the form of grants.
Among the articles on the warrant pertaining to budget issues is a proposed amendment to the FY 2011 General Fund Budget. The changes would add $9,000 to the general government budget and an extra $85,028 to the public safety budget, while removing $110,950 from the budget for debt service, employee benefits and liability insurance. In total, the FY11 budget appropriation would drop $16,922 from $51,572,864 to $51,555,942.
The proposed change, which was recommended by the Finance Committee, is an effort to boost the number of police officers from 18 to 20.
Article 5 proposes to replace broken or obsolete communications and technology hardware and software for schools and municipal purposes by transferring $200,000 from the capital stabilization fund.
Town employees would be directly affected by Article 6, which recommends establishing a "Employee Benefits Stabilization Fund." That fund's primary purpose would be to help town employees in the event of significant jumps in the cost of benefits, such as health care.
Community Preservation Act (CPA) fund allocation is also on the agenda. Article 4 proposes to appropriate $108,705 to various CPA reserves. Should the article be approved, the fund balance reserves for open space, community housing and historic preservation would receiving $36,235 each.
