WILLIAMSBURG — Voters will tackle changes to the town’s marijuana bylaw, as well as the operation of the town’s libraries, at Monday’s annual Town Meeting.
The meeting will take place at the Anne T. Dunphy School gym starting at 6 p.m. However, participants are encouraged to come as early as 5:15 p.m. to ensure a prompt start time. The doors of the gymnasium will be held open during the meeting, and attendees are being encouraged to mask.
The Town Meeting warrant will feature 19 articles, including approval of a fiscal 2023 budget of about $8.6 million, an approximately 2% increase from last year. The budget includes a 5% pay increase for non-school employees as an acknowledgement of the increased cost of living.
Town Meeting will also consider a revision of the marijuana bylaw, to align it with state law. The Planning Board-backed measure would require that marijuana cultivation take place indoors and reduce the setback distance a facility must be from schools to 300 feet from the currently rule of 500 feet. The way that distance is measured would also change.
Town Meeting will also consider an article that would eliminate the minimum hours requirement for the Haydenville Library. Town Administrator Nick Caccamo said that the library hours requirement is currently not being met, and that the library doesn’t really see traffic.
While the Meekins Library minimum hours would also be eliminated, minimum hours are already required for it as a library that receives state funding.
Additionally, the requirement that both libraries be maintained in perpetuity would be eliminated.
There is also a proposal on the warrant to change the date of the annual Town Meeting from the first Monday in June to the first Saturday in June.
“That is something our Town Clerk requested,” Caccamo said.
Caccamo also said that this could make Town Meeting more accommodating to people working weekday jobs, and could increase participation numbers.
Bera Dunau can be reached at bdunau@gazettenet.com.