Select Board approves host community agreement policy and application process for HCA applicants

The Select Board voted March 17 to approve a Host Community Agreement (HCA) policy and an accompanying application process intended to standardize how the town evaluates and negotiates agreements with potential marijuana facility applicants.

Nut graf: Staff presented a draft policy and a condensed process summary; the policy uses criteria and a scoring-style review to guide board decisions and preserves the Select Board’s authority to choose whether to enter an HCA with an applicant.

Nate and staff briefed the board on the policy’s intent to require an application review fee (the draft follows comparable fees used elsewhere) and to include social-equity and other statutory criteria in evaluation. One Select Board member expressed concern that scoring could be subjective; staff replied that the goal was to set minimum thresholds and a clear review pathway so applicants arrive prepared for board consideration.

The Select Board adopted the HCA policy and directed staff to use the process in handling any future HCA applications. The action does not itself approve any particular HCA or license application; it sets the town’s internal review and fee policy for applicants seeking a local host-community agreement.