STOCKBRIDGE — Residents of Stockbridge are preparing for their annual town meeting, scheduled for Saturday, June 12, at 10 a.m., where they will discuss and vote on 55 warrant articles. The plan is to host the meeting outdoors on the grounds of the Stockbridge Town Hall, though forecasted rain could move the proceedings inside to the gym of the Town Offices. This will also be the first time that Stockbridge uses an electronic secret balloting system instead of the usual voting cards that residents hold high.
The full warrant can be found here.
Despite a tiny increase of $156,555 in the town’s overall budget, from $10,556,614 last year to $10,713,169 this year, representing less than a 1.5 percent increase, there is still expected to be some pushback from citizens on some of the warrant articles.
Article 23 on the town meeting warrant calls for an additional $40,000 to be authorized for the Planning Board. Some citizens are concerned about why the funds are necessary as well as about a perceived lack of transparency from the board. Others argue that the funds should be authorized so the Planning Board can continue to engage with planners to deal with growing sprawl and what some contend to be “deficiencies” in the town’s zoning regulations.
Some of the other noteworthy articles on the Stockbridge Town Meeting warrant are as follows:
Article 38 would authorize $600,000 to restore the Chime Tower, while article 39 would authorize the $145,000 purchase of a Highway Department truck with a plow and sander.
Article 42 seeks to petition the Massachusetts Legislature to authorize the return of a historic document, currently in the town’s possession, back to the Mohican Nation.
Article 45 would establish an affordable housing trust in Stockbridge.
Article 47 calls for the creation of a Stockbridge Bowl Stewardship Commission. The organization would report to the Stockbridge Selectboard, acting as an advisory group on environmental issues while also sharing and presenting data to the public. The commission’s makeup would consist of voting members appointed from the Selectboard, the Board of Health, the Water Department, the Conservation Commission, the Stockbridge Bowl Association, the Water and Sewer Commission, and the Stockbridge Sportsmen’s Club. There would also be two non-voting members — the Stockbridge Harbormaster and the Director of the Tri-Town Health Department.
Article 49 asks residents to approve a new set of wildlife feeding bylaws, aimed at preventing black bears from being attracted to the area. These new rules would ban the intentional feeding and attracting of wildlife, though it makes exceptions for hunting and gardening practices such as bird feeding.
Article 51, which seeks to amend the general bylaws to address short-term rentals such as Airbnbs, is also on the docket. The amendments would require that the properties be registered with the town and not owned by a corporation, unless it’s an LLC.
Article 54 asks Stockbridge residents to amend the town’s zoning bylaws, changing the requirements for businesses operating within the business zoning district. If approved, the requirement for establishments to have off-street parking spaces would be struck down, while restaurants operating outside of the business zone would be required to provide one parking space for every three seats.
