Max Snacks operator seeks petition to keep program in town building after school contract ends

Amy, who runs Max Snacks, told the Board of Selectmen on June 16 that the program — which provides community-based life-skills activities for individuals with disabilities — will lose its current school-based space when the school contract ends. She said misinformation about the program has circulated and called some reports “a defamation of character for myself and Max Snacks.”

First Selectman Bob Carlson told Amy the board lacks authority to unilaterally lease town property in this circumstance and explained two routes: ask the school to extend the existing contract, or collect a petition from 50 registered town voters to force a town meeting. Carlson described the statutory petition timetable: once signatures are verified by the town clerk, selectmen would have seven days to call a board meeting and the town meeting must be scheduled within the following 14 days.

Amy said she has already begun collecting signatures and had roughly 10 signatures ready to submit to the town clerk the following day. Board members discussed temporary alternatives (senior center rental, outdoor programming) and scheduling constraints: a primary is scheduled Aug. 3–11 and early voting begins Oct. 21, which limits windows for town meetings and referendums.

Why it matters: Max Snacks serves people who rely on routine and familiar settings; losing a familiar space could disrupt services for program participants. Amy said she prefers to lease space from the town if the petition or school extension do not resolve the issue.

Next steps: If Amy delivers a verified petition in time, the selectmen would call a town meeting under the statutory timetable; otherwise the earliest practical town meeting would likely be in the fall.