Belchertown Select Board Approves Solar Lease Plan, $8,900 Opioid Grant

BELCHERTOWN -- May 18, 2026, Belchertown Select Board unanimously backs rooftop solar lease framework and $8,900 opioid grant at May 18 meeting. The board heard a presentation from Energy and Sustainability Committee Chair John Piekara and Vice Chair Chris Bambacus outlining a plan to lease roof space on municipal buildings to solar developers under the state's SMART 3.0 program, with projected annual lease revenue exceeding $100,000 across three phases of buildings including Chestnut Hill, the Fire Department, the Senior Center, and others. A federal tax credit deadline of July 4 adds urgency to procurement decisions, with Town Manager Steven Williams working with legal counsel on a formal RFP. The board also approved $8,900 in opioid settlement funds for Honest Beginnings' Federal Street sober living home after the Opioid Settlement Fund Committee resolved earlier conflict-of-interest concerns with revised bids. Member Jennifer D. Turner pressed the board to prioritize a government study committee following an Annual Town Meeting that drew fewer than 200 residents, citing a 2021 Department of Local Services recommendation that the study has been deferred every year since. The board also discussed a pending April 2028 expiration of affordability restrictions at the Lord Jeff Apartments, with members calling for direct outreach to owner Mount Holyoke Management and coordination with state and federal legislators to advocate for federal program reauthorization.