Barre Select Board to vote next week on cannabis host community agreement

BARRE -- May 6, 2019, Barre Select Board advances cannabis host agreement with Castle Rock Industries, deferring formal vote one week. The board held its second public hearing May 6 on the host community agreement covering an outdoor cultivation facility proposed for a 125-acre parcel on Walnut Hill Road, with Chair Dr. Maureen Marshall and Vice Chair Mark Regienus both indicating informal support and three abutters speaking in favor; the formal vote was postponed after Marshall noted the agenda had not explicitly noticed the possibility of action. The board also worked through a draft three-party occupancy agreement with the Barre Library Association, raising questions about a capital-versus-maintenance spending threshold of roughly $5,000, recording clause language, and the need for an attached floor plan defining town maintenance obligations. Marshall argued for capping the Quabbin Regional School District assessment increase at 1.4 percent ahead of the June 18 Annual Town Meeting, noting Barre's 40 percent share of the regional budget. The board approved an on-call firefighter wage authorization for Jared Markowski at $15.66 per hour and a labor council contract increase to $750 per month.