ATHOL — At its June 3, 2025 meeting, the Athol Select Board unanimously voted to extend its agreement to operate Royalston’s wastewater treatment plant, discussed the future of 236 Main Street, and finalized preparations for the upcoming annual town meeting.
Under the agreement, Athol will continue to manage Royalston’s wastewater facility for an additional three years. The revised contract includes a 7% baseline increase in the annual operations fee paid by Royalston in the upcoming fiscal year, followed by 5% increases in each of the next two years.
“Essentially the agreement carries forth what’s been working successfully for the last—actually, it’s been four years,” Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said. “It’s been four years because we had a trial run. We got a trial run before the three-year agreement.”
Suhoski emphasized that Royalston’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) discharge compliance has been consistent, stating, “They’ve been in compliance now for four years with Mass DEP on the discharge permit,” adding that the plant discharges into the Millers River.
As part of their review of Article 7—the proposed fiscal year 2026 operating budget—for the upcoming Annual Town Meeting, the board discussed adjustments to the budget’s funding sources. Suhoski explained that the proposal includes a transfer of $125,000 in surplus overlay reserves—funds set aside annually by the Board of Assessors to cover taxpayer exemptions, abatements, or disputes. “We’re mandated to set aside overlay reserves every year,” Suhoski said. Later adding, “After the period of appeal for the abatements expires, if it hasn’t been spent on those payments, it can be released back to the taxpayers—in this case, to the operating budget.” No formal vote was taken during the meeting, but the adjustment will appear in the Town Meeting motion for Article 7.
The Select Board also addressed Article 40, concerning the disposal of the former downtown theater property—known as both 469 and 467 Main Street—at the upcoming town meeting.
Suhoski noted the property appears under both addresses, but the assessor’s records have it listed as 467 Main Street. He asked Town Counsel John Barrett to confirm that the language in Article 40 properly conveys authority from the tax title custodian to the town treasurer and Select Board to dispose of the property.
Suhoski said the article is intended to give the board the authority to move forward with next steps if it is approved at Town Meeting. Those next steps could include referring the site to the Commonwealth’s Economic Development Industrial Corporations (EDIC) for redevelopment or applying for a demolition grant, which would enable the Select Board to sell the land after the building is demolished.
Town Counsel John Barrett recommended clarifying the article’s language to specify that the property may be disposed of “by sale, gift, or otherwise,” noting that a transfer to EDIC would likely qualify as a gift. He added that broad language would ensure the Select Board has the legal authority to pursue various outcomes — including transferring the property for redevelopment, applying for demolition grants, or selling it directly to a private investor.
Chair Rebecca Bialecki outlined potential paths: “The hopeful plan is that we have an investor who wants to come in and completely renovate that building and make it a useful property again with housing and storefront on the first floor, like we do our other Main Street properties. Plan B, however, if that doesn’t come through, is to demolish it because of the physical shape it’s in.”
Suhoski noted that the town has a demolition estimate nearing $1 million and has already spent $87,000 to secure the site, pump water out of it, and remove old fuel storage tanks. He said the town intends to reapply for a demolition grant after a previous application was unsuccessful.
Barrett then added that the article’s broad language would give the Select Board the legal authority to take various actions regarding the property, including demolition. He explained that, under state law, the property would fall under the town’s control and specifically under the jurisdiction of the Select Board. As the superintendents of public buildings not otherwise assigned—such as schools or libraries—the board would have the authority to decide whether the building should be torn down or used in another way.
During Select Board reports, member Mitch Grosky provided an update on the Open Space and Recreation Committee, focusing on the planned Rabbit Run Trail. He said the first section of the trail, running from Bidwell Barn to the southern end of Thrower Road, would be constructed from crushed gravel and sloped to allow proper drainage. “It’ll be for bikes, walking, jogging, people pushing baby strollers—anything but not motorized vehicles,” Grosky said.
The Select Board reminded residents of the importance of attending the Annual Town Meeting scheduled for Monday, June 9, 2025, emphasizing citizen participation.
Board member Grosky called the town meeting “a really great example of democracy in action,” encouraging residents to show up, ask questions, have your voice heard.
