Gov. Charlie Baker on June 26 signed a $5.25 billion interim budget for fiscal 2021 that will allow the state to pay its bills beginning on July 1 in the absence of a final appropriations bill.

The interim state budget law will fund municipal and school aid payments based on fiscal 2020 Cherry Sheet estimates for the month of July, unless a final state budget is approved. The Division of Local Services issued a bulletin that outlines local aid rules under the interim budget (Bul-2020-09, linked below).

The interim budget law includes language to carry forward unspent fiscal 2020 state capital balances that are set to expire at the end of fiscal year.

Normally, the House and Senate would have completed action on their respective versions of a spending plan by now and would be working out differences in hopes of getting a final bill to the governor by the start of the new fiscal year on July 1. The state budget will be substantially delayed this year, however, because of continuing revenue uncertainty due the coronavirus recession and the wait for possible federal action to help state and local governments weather the storm, as happened during the last recession

The link should allow you to watch annual Town Meeting of Phillipston, MA from June 29, 2020.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-dOhFRU12M

On a Monday, June 29, 2020:

PHILLIPSTON — The process took a little longer than usual this year, but the town now has a budget, after Town Meeting was delayed from its original May 6 date.

Town voters — 57 of the town’s 1,252 registered voters — attended Town Meeting on Monday, June 29, in the Phillipston Elementary School Gymnasium.

“There was some minor adjustment to wording on articles,” Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Flynn said.

And financial officials kept their pencils sharp, even recessing to tweak numbers as modifications were made. “The meeting went well. Our Finance Committee did a wonderful job,” Town Clerk Karin Foley said.

Many were small changes, Flynn said. But the biggest was a change to the Narragansett Regional School District budget, which was originally slated to be a $1.6 million item. That resulted in a long discussion on the school budget, Flynn said.

The final figure was $1 million even, he said, reflecting a reduced assessment from the district.

The one million dollar figure is less than the Town's minimum required contribution and will most likely lead to a district wide meeting. If that happens, Templeton voters need to show up and have a real say in their school assessment, as Templeton Town Meeting already approve their school assessment.

This year, Independence day (4th of July) falls on a Saturday, should town offices be open or closed on Monday, July 6, 2020?

from Secretary of Commonwealth:

(1) Liquor Stores must be closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas Days. (1A) Liquor stores may not open prior to 12:00 noon Memorial Day. (2) Many companies operate all day on these holidays, pending obtaining a local permit. (3) All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday.

For a PDF version: Massachusetts Legal Holidays (PDF)

Above is a list of all legal holidays observed in Massachusetts. State, county, and municipal offices are closed on the days listed above. Federal offices are only closed on holidays which the federal government recognizes (i.e. New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). The term “federal holiday” is not applicable to individual states and the private sector since each state has jurisdiction over its holidays.

In Massachusetts certain holidays are subject to laws which restrict the type of work that may be performed as well as the kind of business and commercial activities that may remain open. Only those holidays followed by asterisks (*) have certain restrictions. On holidays not followed by asterisks, business and commercial activities may operate as usual.

Something perhaps relevant to Board of Selectmen Meeting - Templeton
https://mass.gov/doc/abcc-advisory-regarding-lla-approval-of-outdoor-seating/download

By GREG VINE

For the Athol Daily News

Published: 6/23/2020 11:37:35 AM

Modified: 6/23/2020 11:37:34 AM

PHILLIPSTON — Local cannabis entrepreneur Damon Schmidt said he is abandoning plans for a combination cultivation and retail facility at the corner of Baldwin Hill Road and State Road/Route 2A. Instead, he plans on opening a retail establishment only.

Schmidt revealed the change in plans Thursday night during a sparsely attended community outreach meeting, held via video conference, which is required by state law.

Schmidt said a surveyor determined a retaining wall would need to be constructed to accommodate a greenhouse if the facility was to meet requirements set by the town’s zoning bylaws.

Regulations say the rear of any cannabis business can be no more than 400 feet from curbside. Schmidt had hope to obtain a special permit extending the distance to 800 feet.

“We really wanted to try to do it,” said Schmidt. “It would be perfect if we could go back 800 feet and be on top of the hill where no one could see it. Another way to do it would be to bring it down closer to the road, but to do that I’d probably need to build a 40- to 50-foot retaining wall. So, we kind of just threw up our hands. It’s just dead in the water now.”

Schmidt did say he has three other cultivation facilities in the works — one each in Royalston, Templeton and Hubbardston.

Schmidt went on to explain that the purpose of the community outreach meeting was to allow him to pass his application along to the state Cannabis Control Commission.

“Phillipston has already signed a host community agreement,” he said. “So, in order for us to turn our application in to the CCC for a retail store, we not only need a signed community host agreement, but we have to host an outreach meeting.” He said further that a proposed year-long moratorium on retail marijuana shops in Phillipston, if passed by voters at the upcoming annual town meeting, would have no impact on his plans.

“We held our first community outreach meeting (regarding a cultivation operation) in March of 2019,” said Schmidt. “Phillipston passed a recreational marijuana by law three to six months later.

“In September 2019, we wrote Phillipston a check for $900 and filled out their application for a retail marijuana store, a manufacturing facility, and a cultivation facility. A couple of weeks later, we gave them another $5,000, which they requested, to sign the HCA. So, we feel the moratorium has nothing to do with us. If the town does pass it, it has implications for other companies but not for us.”

Another issue addressed by Schmidt was that of traffic. His retail shop would be located near a busy exit to Route 2. He said he paid $20,000 for a study to see if his business would have a significant impact on traffic. The entrance to his business will be located on State Road.

During the peak traffic hour in the 4 to 5 p.m. timeframe, the study found 471 eastbound vehicles pass the site, while 269 are headed west. The volume increases slightly on weekends. It was estimated that between 44 and 60 cars per hour, during peak weekday traffic, would be entering and exiting the cannabis shop. On weekends, the figure jumps to around 70.

In addition, Schmidt outlined security measures that would be instituted to ensure no sales are made to anyone under 21 years of age, and to prevent thefts or break-ins. He also plans to distribute educational materials regarding the use and effects of marijuana.

Now that he will be able to submit his application to the CCC, Schmidt said he anticipates receiving his provisional license from the state by November or December of this year.

Oh, the memories of good ole yester-year:

By Jean-Paul Salamanca

Posted Nov 24, 2010 at 12:01 AM

TEMPLETON -- The Planning Board will explore whether changing the town’s administrative permit fees -- which developers say are high in comparison to other communities -- would be prudent as officials seek to bring a proposed shopping center to a site off Route 2A. According to James E. Rheault of Leominster-based engineering firm Whitman and Bingham and attorney Matthew J. Campobasso, representing Lowfield-Templeton LLC, their research found that the total administrative fees for building permits that would be incurred in constructing a 270,000-square-foot shopping mall at the intersection of routes 2, 2A and 202 in Templeton would total an estimated $247,000. In comparison to other neighboring communities, Templeton’s fees are higher, according to Mr. Campobasso. As a comparison, he listed similar commercial administrative permit fees for Athol at $58,000, Lunenburg at $70,000, Gardner at $500 and Orange at $75, among others. Templeton sets their permit fees for such projects based on the number of parking spaces. Previous estimates indicated the proposed shopping mall should have 912 parking spaces, if constructed. Although he declined to indicate if the price of the fees would be a “deal buster,” Mr. Campobasso asked if the planning board -- which set the fees in 2007 -- would be willing to negotiate in order for the project to get underway. Planning board Vice Chairman Robert Whalen, in the board’s defense, said that the permit fees were set during more prosperous economic times, although he stated he could be amenable to amending the fees to “level the field.” Board Chairman Gerry White said while the board would review the fees to determine if an adjustment could be made, he offered strong reservations about lowering the fees to levels as low as Orange. “The thing to keep in mind is that when you build these kinds of projects, there is a cost to the town for building them,” he said. “For example, Templeton hardly has any extra police detail for shoplifting calls. If this is built, it’s a guarantee that they will. That’s an extra cost for the town. We don’t want to be unfair or too large on those fees, of course. We’ll take a look at (the fees) but we don’t want to just give it away.” However, a public hearing needs to be held before the fees can be adjusted. While there is clear potential for economic benefits and increased commercial activity in town by lowering the fees, there is also the possibility of residents opposing lower permit fees for environmental or anti-development reasons. Acknowledging both possibilities, Mr. White said that residents would have an opportunity to air their concerns when the time comes. Selectman Robert Columbus urged the board to take revisal of the fees under consideration, noting that the town could use the potential tax revenue -- estimated to be between $165,000 to $180,000 annually -- for future “big ticket items.” “Templeton has never seen anything like this before, to my recollection,” he said. “I’d hate to see us left at the station by dragging our feet on it.” Developers are expected to turn in a letter with a project timeline sometime between next week and Dec. 14, when the board will discuss the matter further in the second of two meetings. The other meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at the town’s 690 Patriots Road offices. jpsalamanca@thegardnernews.com1