NEW SALEM — Voters at Monday’s Annual Town Meeting will consider authorizing the Selectboard to sell or bestow the 1794 Meetinghouse to a private entity, adopting zoning bylaws governing short-term rentals and approving various financial requests.
Annual Town Meeting is slated to start at 5 p.m. behind Town Hall, 15 South Main St.
An article brought forward by citizen’s petition asks if the town will vote to transfer to the Selectboard ownership and control of the 1794 Meetinghouse and its land at 26 South Main St., and to authorize the board to accept proposals to sell or bestow the property “to an entity or organization that will hold and manage the property so as to preserve its historic values.”
Selectboard Chair Randy Gordon explained the town owns the 1794 Meetinghouse, but this makes it more difficult to get grants, and repairs for the performing arts center are roughly twice as expensive as they would be if the property was owned by a private organization.
The nonprofit Board of the 1794 Meetinghouse has announced its intent to buy the facility on its website.
“This is a big decision for the town, and it’s important that you have the opportunity to consider the options and speak your concerns,” the board writes on the website. “We know the building needs work. We have found we cannot apply for grants until the legal status and the authority over work are clarified.”
Additionally, two articles on the warrant have to do with short-term rentals. One asks citizens if they agree to accept the provisions of a proposed zoning bylaw to define and regulate the use of residential housing as short-term rentals in town.
Adoption of the other would result in a 6 percent excise tax on the transfer of occupancy of any room in a short-term rental in New Salem. This excise tax would take effect on the first day of the calendar quarter starting at least 30 days after the vote at Annual Town Meeting.
Gordon said these articles are a response to short-term rental operation in town that is “running, essentially, as a bed-and-breakfast.”
Increasing use of short-term rental services like Airbnb, Vrbo and Homestay has caused headaches for town and regional governments because short-term rental properties place the responsibility of following zoning and municipal requirements onto residents using the services. This often results in illegal short-term rentals that violate codes. Various taxes are also often avoided by short-term rentals.
Six more articles on the Annual Town Meeting warrant pertain to making payments on equipment, construction projects or broadband.
The six articles ask voters to raise and appropriate a cumulative $310,283. Individually, residents will be asked to give their blessing to $15,961 for the fiscal year 2022 Ralph C. Mahar Regional School construction/reconstruction project payment and to $11,900 for the library construction project loan payment.
Also on the table are $50,050 for the fiscal year 2022 loan payment on a fire truck, $163,314 to pay broadband debt, and $41,160 for the loan payment on door and window replacement at Swift River School. Voters already approved debt exclusions for these. A sixth article asks if voters to raise and appropriate $27,898 for the highway barn loan payment.
Gordon explained the town has borrowed money for multi-year projects.
“Those are all standard things,” he said.
The warrant also includes an article regarding a proposed $3.18 million budget, which includes $1.84 million for education.
The full Annual Town Meeting warrant can be found at bit.ly/2TVFCWy.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or
413-772-0261, ext. 262.