SHELBURNE — The Selectboard discussed revising two leases on Monday.

The first change the Selectboard discussed involves raising the price on 4 acres of land that Hager’s Farm Market leases from the town. Currently, Hager’s pays $100 per acre annually to use the land.

Town Administrator Terry Narkewicz said renting below-average cropland usually costs about $920 an acre.

Selectboard member Margaret Payne pointed out that raising the price entails weighing the benefits of supporting a local business against creating financial benefit for the town.

“Hager’s has become a staple when you think of Shelburne,” commented board member Robert Manners.

Selectboard Chair Andrew Baker suggested raising the annual price to $200 per acre.

“That would still be $700 below average,” he said.

Baker also noted that the land Hager’s uses could be an ideal spot for municipally owned solar panels in the future. He said if the town signs a new three-year lease, that could give the Energy Committee three years to formulate solar plans.

Board members tabled the decision about the lease but said they plan to keep the price fair for the farm store.

The Selectboard also signed a new two-year lease for the Senior Center in the Masonic building on Main Street.

The biggest change of the new lease is that the cost went up from $8,100 to $9,000 annually. The town will also pay all the building’s utility costs, rather than 90% of the bill as was the case previously. The Masons, the organization that owns the building, only uses the kitchen once a month, so the Selectboard noted that this increase in utility costs was fair to the town.

“They have been so generous,” Payne said. “I feel it has been so low that this is reasonable for them.”

Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.

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