GRANBY — In the first of a two-part annual Town Meeting on Monday night, Granby voters will be asked to act on what Select Board Chairman Mark Bail described as mainly “housekeeping items” for town government to meet its immediate obligations.
The operating budget, which has not been finalized, will be taken up when Town Meeting reconvenes June 16.
Voters at 7 p.m. Monday in the Granby Jr.-Sr. High School will consider several articles related to setting money aside to meet Granby’s obligations to retired employees by establishing an Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund. Voters will be asked to authorize the Select Board to put $150,000 into that fund and to appropriate $15,000 for consulting services on creating and administering it.
Voters will also be asked authorize several revolving funds enabling town departments to make expenditures without further appropriations in the based on anticipated revenue in the fiscal year beginning July 1. These include $92,709 for the building inspector, $40,000 for the Parks Oversight Ad-Hoc Committee, $50,000 for the Charter Day Committee, $50,000 for the Planning Board, $20,000 for after-school activities, $12,116 for canine control and $2,000 for the library commissioners.
A special Town Meeting, to be held immediately before the annual Town Meeting, will consider three articles to fund stabilization funds. They are $100,000 for general purposes, $100,000 for construction/renovation and $92,549 for capital needs.
Voters also will be asked to authorize the town to enter into a power purchase agreement with Kearsarge Granby 1 LLC. “They are putting in a solar field off of East Street,” said Bail. “We want to enter into an agreement with them to buy power at 20 percent under rates.”
The town election May 16 will decide contested races for Select Board and Planning Board.
Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at East Meadow School, 393 East State St.
Three candidates are vying to replace Select Board member Mary McDowell, who is not seeking reelection. They are Stephen Anthony Chojnacki of 28 Taylor St., Wayne Henry Tack Sr. of 344 Miller St. and Glenn Sexton of 53 Amherst St.
Seeking a five-year term on the Planning Board are Jay Joyce of 18 Jennifer Drive and R. Shawn Shephard of 186 West St.
Jennifer Curran of 13 Ken Lane is running unopposed for a three-year seat on the School Committee, and James Pietras of 280 East State St. is running unopposed to fill a one-year unexpired term on the same panel. Both now are on the board
Other candidates running unopposed are James Sowell, of 30-A Phins Hill Manor, Housing Authority, five years; Katherine Kelly-Regan, of 124 West St., town clerk, three years; Micheline Turgeon, of 144 New Ludlow Road, Board of Health, three years; William D. Porter III, of 10 Cedar Drive, Board of Assessors, three years.
Eric Goldscheider can be reached at eric.goldscheider@gmail.com.