Marion residents will have six articles to vote on at the Oct. 24 Special Town Meeting, including authorizing the Selectmen to negotiate a payment in lieu of taxes agreement with solar company Clean Energy Collective, accepting the gift of land from the Benjamin Cushing VFW post and on devoting money to complete the construction design for the Town House renovation. The Selectmen voted to approve the agenda on Friday, Sept. 9.

PILOT Agreement

Clean Energy Collective, the developer of a solar project on Tucker Lane, requested the town enter into a PILOT agreement. The payment in lieu of taxes agreement is common among solar projects in Massachusetts. The agreement is a way for the company to stabilize taxes over the term of the solar agreement. The payment would be calculated by the Board of Assessors based on the value of the property, and the assessors would come up with a payment that would be comparable to paying taxes over that period of time.

VFW Property

The Benjamin D. Cushing VFW Post 2425 recently requested that its building and grounds be donated to the Town of Marion. The building has long served as a polling center for the town, and members suggest it be used as a community center or as a senior center. It was also suggested at a Selectmen meeting that it could be used as a temporary town house while renovations take place.

Town House Renovations

Residents will get the chance to vote to appropriate a total of $475,976 that will be used to fully complete the construction design of a renovated Town House, including bidding services. At a Selectmen meeting in May, the board endorsed a concept that would see the Town House receive an $11.9 million renovation. The last major renovation on the building was more than 40 years ago, and the hazardous building materials and poor air circulation have created unsatisfactory working conditions for employees.