Photo: Town-wide vote Sept. 25.
The Belmont Board of Selectmen wasted no time putting the proposed marijuana “opt-out” bylaw before the people, voting Monday, May 7 to hold a town-wide election on Tuesday, Sept. 25. Polls will be opened from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters will be asked to either accept or reject legislation allowing the town to opt-out of permitting pot-related industries authorized under state law with the exception of retail operations. In addition, voters will also cast a ballot OKing two pot shops in Belmont.
“The voters will have the same language that Town Meeting passed [last Wednesday] with the one permitted use,” said Selectmen Chair Adam Dash. “There is no new language.”
The selectmen also set the date for a fall Special Town Meeting, to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 13 and 14. The town meeting is being moved from its traditional Monday start due to the observation of Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 12.
The agenda for the “Special” will likely include new zoning restrictions on “time, place and manner” of retail marijuana operations in Belmont and the approval of a large debt exclusion for the construction of a new Belmont High School. But the exclusion will only be presented to Town Meeting if it’s first passed by town voters at the general election on Nov. 6.
This write-up is a little misleading.
Voters, as I understand it, will authorize Belmont to allow licensing of up to two stores. It doesn’t mean there are any prospective purveyors of marijuana waiting to do business here and that voters are actually making that happen. We could well have no one apply for such a license.