Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Food Pantry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Select Board weighs future of China Food Pantry as staff rule out leased Old School House
Summary
Food pantry staff told the Select Board that renting the Old School House likely won’t work due to limited parking and fast traffic; they prefer donated land or a building and estimate needing roughly a 40x40 facility to open grant opportunities.
Chair Brent Chesley convened discussion of the China Food Pantry during the Select Board meeting on May 4, where Public Works Director Shawn Reed reported that pantry staff toured the Old School House but raised concerns about inadequate parking and traffic safety that would limit its usability.
Pantry representatives told the board that ongoing donations would not sustain rental costs and that a donated parcel or building would be preferable because it would open eligibility for grant funding. The group estimated a needed building footprint of about 40 by 40 feet to meet operations and storage needs. Shawn Reed said he would obtain cost estimates for removing windows, siding and skirting at the red barn on the corner lot as a separate maintenance item.
The discussion also covered the Rent.Fun kiosk program. Martha Wentworth said Rent.Fun provides insurance and that the town should retain an up-to-date certificate annually; she said she had requested the kiosk be opened starting Memorial Day weekend and noted the company confirmed $3,000 in writing for a second kiosk for smaller rental items.
The board scheduled a site visit to the Weeks Mills School House on May 18 to assess that facility for future possibilities. No formal vote or appropriation for a new pantry facility was made during the meeting.
The Select Board closed the public hearing on the municipal budget later in the evening after several residents urged restoring an in-person town meeting format for warrant articles. The public hearing record shows Joann Austin, Dick Morse, Jen Smith and Elizabeth Curtis spoke in favor of returning to in-person town meeting; the board closed the hearing at 7:04 p.m.
