Avon Select Board studies marijuana host community agreement rules at workshop

AVON — September 14, 2021 — Avon Select Board hears legal briefing on marijuana host community agreements as a dispensary eyes the town. Attorney Kate Fedoroff of Mead Taliman Acosta walked board members through the framework governing HCAs under Massachusetts law, explaining that any community impact fee is capped at 3 percent of the operator's gross revenue and runs for no longer than five years from the date the business opens. Fedoroff said the fee must be tied to unique costs the dispensary imposes on the town — including police, fire, and Board of Health demands — and that any donations written into the agreement count against the 3 percent cap. She confirmed that recreational marijuana delivery is barred in Avon under current town bylaws, but that medical delivery could be separately restricted within an HCA. The board took no votes, instead directing staff to obtain a recording of the applicant's public outreach session, collect outstanding written comments from the Board of Health, and request financial pro forma documents from the applicant before advancing toward a draft agreement.