Darrell Cass questions the wording in parts of Article 20 on the Town Warrant pertaining to photovoltaic systems (solar arrays) during last night’s Southwick Town Meeting staged in the high school auditorium. (Photo by Frederick Gore)
SOUTHWICK – Town Meeting voters approved a general budget of nearly $12 million, a school budget of about $9 million, and a solar bylaw last night.
About 125 of the town’s 6,398 registered voters exercised their right to vote yesterday at Southwick-Tolland-Granville Regional High School.
The budgets passed with a few questions from the audience.
The budget included $2,050,889 for general operations, $2,693,118 for public safety, $1,556,120 for public works, $2,656 for other environmental, $275,338 for human services, $470,698 for culture and recreation, and $1,874,241 for debt, interest and insurance.
Just one member of the audience, School Committee member Darrell Cass, questioned the solar bylaw.
“This law is for four-five kilowatts,” said Cass. “That is such a tiny system. This law will allow you to put as much as you want on your roof, but the only feasible way to put solar in town is on the ground.”
Cass said most towns allow 60 kilowatts by right.
“We couldn’t put any solar panels – not one – here at the school for environmental sciences,” Cass said.
Planning Board Vice Chairperson Roz Terry said the bylaw the board proposed on the warrant was reviewed both by town counsel and the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
Last year at Town Meeting a citizen petition warrant proposed by Cass was defeated and Terry promised on the floor to come up with a proposal for this meeting.
“We created a subcommittee and I had numerous emails and phone calls with the PVPC, solar company, and other communities that have adopted a bylaw,” said Terry, noting that Southwick’s bylaw was based heavily on one adopted in Ludlow.
Voters also overwhelmingly accepted a donation of a fully permitted animal control facility from Robert and Barbara Polverari.
Known as the Polverari-Southwick Animal Control Facility, it will be built behind the police department on town-owned land and will include nine exterior and interior kennels, a cat room, adoption area and more.
Voters approved several financial transfer articles, including $170,00 for a new dump truck and $100,000 to purchase and install above-ground storage tanks, among other articles.
