Christina Rivera discusses with the East Longmeadow Town Council a non-binding ballot measure to approve recreational cannabis dispensaries.
Photo credit: ELCAT
EAST LONGMEADOW — A non-binding question on whether to allow recreational cannabis dispensaries in the town’s industrial zone will appear on the June 2, 2026, election ballot.
On Aug. 12, the Town Council met with resident Christina Rivera, who, along with her husband, Jeffery Brooks, is pursuing a zoning change that would allow them to open a recreational dispensary.
They originally came to the council in late 2024 to request a zoning bylaw change for the industrial zone along Shaker Road.
Because recreational dispensaries had been voted down in a previous referendum, the council was unsure of whether it could change the bylaw without voter input. The body sought an opinion from the town’s legal counsel, who said the council had the authority to decide on the issue using its standard bylaw amendment processes.
Nonetheless, at a May meeting, the councilors shared the opinion that the voters should weigh in on the matter in another referendum.
Town Clerk Jeannie Quaglietti explained that if Rivera and Brooks lead the effort to put a ballot question to voters, they would need 50 initial signatures from registered voters on a petition. Then, the first 10 signatories would each need to collect 50 other voter signatures. Rivera and Brooks gathered 52 signatures, but that petition was rejected because the bylaw language was not in the proper format.
Since then, the question was raised of whether the council could put a non-binding measure on the ballot, eliminating the need for signatures. Town Council President Connor O’Shea asked his colleagues how they wanted to proceed. The council could follow the standard bylaw change process, put a non-binding resolution on the June 2, 2026, ballot or leave it to Rivera and Brooks to collect signatures for another citizen’s petition ballot measure.
O’Shea said he would be willing to put forth a non-binding measure, opining that the council would likely follow the will of the voters even if it is not legally required. “I don’t want to make it more complicated for Christina, especially if it ended up being 500 signatures,” he said.
Councilor Ralph Page recalled, “Having gone out to get signatures, even getting 50 to get on the ballot can be daunting.”
Councilor Jonathan Torcia said, “There’s obviously an effort [by Rivera and Brooks] and people in the town already signed something to that effect.” He said 52 signatories are “a decent crowd,” and added that a non-binding resolution would give voters the chance to weigh in. He said the town would then have time to construct a thorough bylaw.
Town Manager Tom Christensen presented the councilors with a new firefighters’ union contract for ratification. He said the town has been in negotiations with Local 2326 since January. Eventually, he said the town’s negotiation team and the union met without their respective lawyers and were able to have a “productive conversation” about working together.
The two sides agreed to reduce the firefighters’ cost-of-living adjustment to 2%, in line with the rest of the town’s employees. In exchange, four lieutenant positions would be added to the Fire Department structure, which Christensen said is common for departments of that size. The lieutenant positions would mean a “bump” in the budget in the first year of the contract, but Christensen said it would “level out” in the second year.
The union ratified the contract in July and the town’s negotiation team unanimously recommended the council do the same. It was approved.
