SOUTH HADLEY — Food truck time limits, school bus stop-arm cameras and an overhaul of the town’s agricultural zoning rules are among the items before a special Town Meeting on Monday.
Town Meeting members will gather in the South Hadley High School auditorium at 6 p.m. Most of the items on the warrant seek to amend or approve several general and zoning bylaws for business development and public safety.
The comprehensive changes to the agricultural zoning bylaws are the meatiest items on the warrant. The Planning Board began its review of the bylaw in 2024 in an effort to align it with general bylaws and public health regulations. The changes outline all residential, commercial and business agricultural uses in each zone and corresponding regulations.
The amendment introduces “Farm Related Business” as its own designation. These include farm stands, agritourism, farming-based education and agricultural entertainment like hayrides. In response to public comment, the Planning Board does require site plan review for all businesses besides farm stands.
Under the bylaw, residents would still be allowed to raise up to 12 hens at a home coop, but not roosters. Horses would be allowed on a minimum parcel of 2 acres. Any non-equine farm animals would be limited to agricultural districts.
Besides the agricultural bylaw, there are three zoning-related items for discussion. One would change 129 College St. to a business zone. This would maintain the professional offices in the 5,508-square-foot, two-story building under a new owner without special permit approval. According to the Planning Board report, the building has housed offices in some capacity since 1977, and two business parcels sit across the street.
The proposal was met with public opposition from residents who did not want the building to be developed into something “out as out of character for the neighborhood,” the report said. The Planning Board voted 3-2 to make no recommendation to Town Meeting.
Another article on Monday’s warrant might completely nullify the previous controversy. The Planning Board is seeking to allow special permits to transfer to the next property owner with board approval. Currently, a new property owner must reapply for a special permit, even if the property operated under one previously. According to the Planning Board report, this is legally “unreasonable” and could be overturned in court.
The Attorney General’s Office rejected one provision of the sign bylaw adopted by Town Meeting in May. Under state law, fines for zoning bylaws are limited to $300, but South Hadley proposed fines up to $500 on the third violation. At the special Town Meeting, members will be asked to approve a maximum fine of $300.
Financial articles
After Assistant Town Administrator Chuck Romboletti left town employment in September, Town Administrator Lisa Wong suggested giving the remaining salary to the Police Department in an effort to turn around officer morale that has declined due to the loss of several officers as a result of budget cuts and leaves.
The $70,000 transfer would allow the department to apply for two grants that partially fund a school resource officer and specialized position to handle domestic violence and sexual assault cases. The money would only be used if the town receives a grant.
To fill another vacancy in Town Hall, Town Meeting will vote whether to use $10,000 from the existing budget to hire a municipal accounting firm for the upcoming tax season. Former Town Accountant William Sutton left in October and the town will not likely find a replacement before tax bills go out in January. The firm would take care of the books in the meantime.
General bylaw changes
Town Meeting will consider adopting a state law to permit video recording on school buses for traffic enforcement. The technology captures video of any cars passing buses when the stop sign is extended. Artificial intelligence analyzes the video for a license plate, and an officer would decide whether to issue a citation.
The Police Department has already begun researching vendors, cost and efficacy of stop-arm cameras on the seven yellow school buses in South Hadley. Police Chief Jennifer Gundersen said each bus in South Hadley has at least one traffic violation a day, which equates to at least 1,080 violations.
As part of South Hadley’s economic development efforts, members will discuss whether to allow food trucks on private and public property for 30 days at a time in one location, rather than current rules that allow for 14 days. The proposal has been supported by some Select Board members and residents who want more business in town. However, other Select Board members worried food trucks on public ways would take business from local restaurants.
Citizen petitions, other warrants
After a citizen petition to allow non-Town Meeting members to speak at Town Meeting failed, the official procedure to speak at Town Meeting is on the warrant. If approved, the town moderator would set the procedure and criteria for non-Town Meeting members to speak.
There are two citizen petitions before Town Meeting. One seeks to allocate an additional $148,835 from state aid to the school budget. The state budget for fiscal 2027 allocated more money to South Hadley than estimated during the municipal budget season. If the town does not designate the money for a purpose, it will roll over into free cash.
The other petition would add a procedure to recall elected officials into the town bylaws. Grounds for recall would include malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in office, conviction of a felony, incapacity to serve, abuse of authority or failure to disclose conflicts of interest.
