Residents needed for St. Gerard’s Reuse Committee

The Canton Select Board is looking for volunteers who are interested in serving on a St. Gerard’s Property Reuse Advisory Committee, which will consist of 10 residents and a chairperson. The committee will be tasked with engaging the public to determine suitable uses for the town-owned property, which includes the former church building, rectory, and open space.

Select Board Vice Chair Lisa Lopez, who presented the idea to the board last week, said ideally the committee would include a cross section of Canton residents with different interests, perspectives and life experiences. No member of the Select Board will serve on the committee.

The group will be asked to identify three to five potential uses for the property that have broad community support and prepare a written report for the Select Board, who will have the ultimate authority to decide which uses to implement.

Lopez suggested that the committee conduct public tours of the site to better understand its limitations and opportunities; hold public town hall meetings to share ideas and ask for public support; create a page on the town website that reports on progress and captures public input; and conduct field visits in other communities to learn about spaces that Canton could emulate in whole or in part.

Those interested in serving should complete an application on the town website under Volunteer Opportunities, or they can visit the Select Board office to fill out a paper application. The deadline to apply is August 19. The board plans to announce the committee appointments at its August 30 meeting.

CFD douses apartment fire above Rosetta’s

Damage was kept to a minimum as Canton firefighters managed to quickly and efficiently extinguish a small apartment fire inside a unit above Rosetta’s Restaurant in downtown Canton last Friday. The call came in around 1 p.m. and first responders observed smoke coming from the second floor upon arrival. Firefighters entered the building with a fire hose and an extinguisher and were able to quickly douse the one-room fire. No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Town renews Verizon cable license

The town of Canton, through the Select Board, its attorneys, and Cable Television Committee, has agreed on a five-year cable renewal license with Verizon New England. The new contract requires Verizon to provide $275,000 in capital funding for the first two years of the license, and Verizon will continue to make quarterly payments to the town equal to 4.5 percent of its gross revenues and applicable fees. Verizon will also continue to provide a location that is “reasonably convenient” to Canton residents and provide equipment pickup options for its Canton subscribers. “The contract provides a stable, guaranteed income for cable operations and continued support for public access programming,” said Town Administrator Charlie Aspinwall.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Aug 4 2022. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.