Town Meeting last week approved spending for capital projects.
AMHERST - The annual Town Meeting is inching along as it moves into the home stretch.
As the meeting enters its seventh session Monday night, attention will turn to zoning - including a request from officials for the town to adopt the stretch energy code.
Adopting the code is required for any community to earn so-calledgreen community status. So far, 53 communities including Springfield, Easthampton, Greenfield and Northampton, have the Green designation, which enables them to receive grants for energy efficiency projects.
The code requires that all new construction in town be 20 percent more efficient than the current state building code.
Adopting the code is the fifth component of the green designation requirements. The other four have either been met or are in the process of being met, according to the Finance Committee report.
The committee unanimously recommends Town Meeting approve the adoption.
The meeting last week, meanwhile, approved the town’s capital budget request, including approving $4 million to renovate and upgrade the Centennial Water Treatment Plant located in Pelham. Money for the debt will come from the town’s Water Fund beginning in fiscal 2013, the year after the town finishes paying off the Atkins Treatment Plant debt.
Also, voters appropriated $720, 604 for the purchase of three police cruiser replacements, radio and transmission equipment, computer upgrades and replacements among other equipment spending with $70,000 coming from ambulance reserves and $55,852 from grants.
The meeting also approved spending $505,500 for building repair or improvements with $466,500 coming from taxes and $39,000 from overlay surplus.
The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m., in the Amherst Regional Middle School.