Granville Town Hall. (WNG File Photo)
GRANVILLE – Residents will have the opportunity to vote on 26 warrant articles at the annual town meeting Monday night at 7 p.m. at the former Granville Village School, 409 Main Road.
Article 8 is to see if the town will confirm that the former Granville Village School is under the care, custody, and control of the Select Board for general municipal uses. This will enable the Select Board to establish a revolving fund for the deposit of any proceeds that result in the rental or lease of the Granville Village School beginning in Fiscal Year 2020.
According to Town of Granville Administrator Matt Streeter, the revolving fund would allow the town to use the money collected from the rent or lease to put toward maintenance and bills, such oil, electricity and other utilities at the Granville Village School.
“This is a way that we can actually use these funds,” said Streeter.
Article 20 is to see if the town will authorize the Select Board to enter into a 10-year contract for recycling with a qualified bidder that will be selected by the Mass Department of Environmental Protection. The new contract with the selected bidder would begin on July 1, 2020.
Currently, Granville has a contract with the Springfield Materials Recycling Facility that will expire on June 30, 2020. Although Streeter said that the current contract with Springfield MRF provides no cost to the contract, the upcoming changes to recycling is expected to create a cost to towns with recycling contracts, rather than revenue. The most notable reason is China’s decision ban certain recyclables, which was put into effect in January of 2018.
There are two separate warrant articles that have to do with solar installation projects in Granville. Article 25 is to see if the town will amend the current zoning bylaw, which requires the Zoning Board of Appeals to be the special permit granting authority for any solar projects. If passed, the new zoning bylaw would make the Planning Board the special permit granting authority for solar projects. Currently, all solar projects that are more than five acres, need to receive a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Article 26 is the second warrant article involving solar projects in town. It’s to see if the town will be allowed to change the maximum number of acres for a solar installation from five to 25 acres. If passed, the applicant would have to receive a variance for a solar project from whichever board ends up being the special permit granting authority.
Streeter also believes Article 24 to be an important warrant article for Monday’s meeting, which is to see if the town will amend the current animal control bylaw and create a new one. The new bylaw allows for the annual appointment of the animal control officer.
Annual dog and kennel licenses will now have to be obtained from the office of the town clerk by Jan. 1 for a licensing period through Dec. 31.
The new animal control bylaw also prevents any dog, whether it’s licensed or not, to wander onto private property without permission. Owners of dogs will also be required to quickly remove and properly dispose of any feces that is on another person’s property or public property. There will also be a limit to how many dogs people can own in town as no person will be able to keep more than four dogs that are each over the age of six months.
There will be three separate offenses with any violations, with the first offense being a warning, followed by a $50 fine and then a $100 fine. If the article passes, Streeter is confident that the new animal control bylaw will help clear up some past problems the community has faced.
“It gives us a tool to help resolve some of these issues,” said Streeter.
The full warrant is available on the town website.
