[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of the Town of Orange as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 12-2-1996 STM by Art. 5, approved 2-18-1997 (Bylaw 58)]
The Town of Orange accepts the provisions of MGL c.40, § 57, to enable the Town to deny any application for, or revoke or suspend any local license or permit, including renewals and transfers issued by any board, officer or department for any person, corporation or business enterprise, who has neglected or refused to pay any local taxes, fee, assessments, betterments or any other municipal charges or with respect to any activity, event or other matter which is the subject of such license or permit and which activity, event or matter is carried out or exercised or is to be carried out or exercised on or about real estate whose owner has neglected or refused to pay any local taxes, fees, assessments, betterments or any other municipal charges.
The Tax Collector or other municipal official responsible for records of all municipal taxes, assessments, betterments and other municipal charges, hereinafter referred to as the “Tax Collector,” shall annually furnish to each department, board, commission or division, hereinafter referred to as the “licensing authority,” that issues licenses or permits, including renewals and transfers, a list of any person, corporation, or business enterprise, hereinafter referred to as the “party,” that has neglected or refused to pay any local taxes, fees, assessments betterments or other municipal charges for not less than a twelve-month period, and that such party has not filed in good faith a pending application for an abatement of such tax or a pending petition before the appellate tax board.
The licensing authority may deny, revoke or suspend any license or permit, including renewals and transfers, of any party whose name appears on said list furnished to the licensing authority from the Tax Collector or with respect to any activity, event or other matter which is the subject of such license or permit and which activity, event or matter is carried out or exercised or is to be carried out or exercised on or about real estate owned by any party whose name appears on said list furnished to the licensing authority from the Tax Collector; provided, however, that written notice is given to the party and the Tax Collector as required by applicable provisions of law, and the party is given a hearing, to be held not earlier than 14 days after said notice. Said list shall be prima facie evidence for denial, revocation or suspension of said license or permit to any party. The Tax Collector shall have the right to intervene in any hearing conducted with respect to such license denial, revocation or suspension. Any findings made by the licensing authority with respect to such license denial, revocation or suspension shall be made only for the purposes of such proceeding and shall not be relevant to or introduces in any other proceeding at law, except for any appeal from such license denial, revocation or suspension. Any license or permit denied, suspended or revoked under this section shall not be reissued or renewed until the license authority receives a certificate issued by the Tax Collector that the party is in good standing with respect to any and all local taxes, fees, assessments, betterments or other municipal charges payable to the municipality as the date of issuance of said certificate.
Any party shall be given an opportunity to enter into a payment agreement with the Tax Collector, thereby allowing the licensing authority to issue a certificate indicating said limitations to the license or permit and the validity of said license shall be conditioned upon the satisfactory compliance with said agreement. Failure to comply with said agreement shall be grounds for the suspension or revocation of said license or permit; provided, however, that the holder be given notice and a hearing as required by applicable provisions of law.
The Board of Selectmen may waive such denial, suspension or revocation if it finds there is no direct or indirect business interest by the property owner, its officers or stockholders, if any, or members of his immediate family, as defined in MGL c.268A, § 1, in the business or activity conducted in or on said property.
This article shall not apply to the following licenses and permits:
A. 
Open burning (MGL c.48, § 13).
B. 
Bicycle permits (MGL c.85, § 11A).
C. 
Sales of articles for charitable purposes (MGL c.101, § 33).
D. 
Children work permits (MGL c.149, §§ 86, 87).
[Amended 5-2-2005 ATM, Art. 11, approved 8-4-2005]
E. 
Licenses for clubs, associations dispensing food or beverages (MGL c.140, § 21E).
F. 
Dog licenses (MGL c.140, § 137).
G. 
Fishing, hunting, trapping licenses (MGL c.131, § 12).
H. 
Marriage licenses (MGL c.207, § 28).
I. 
Theatrical events, public exhibition permits (MGL c.140, § 181).
[Adopted 5-1-2000 ATM by Art. 39, approved 7-17-2000 (Bylaw 64)]
It is the intent of the Town to offer tax abatements to encourage the continued environmental cleanup and redevelopment of sites zoned for industrial and commercial use from or at which there has been a release of oil or hazardous material.
Property which may be the subject of tax abatement agreements pursuant to this article must:
A. 
Be a site or a portion of a site from or at which there has been a release of oil or hazardous material;
B. 
Be owned by an eligible person (as that term is defined in MGL c.21E, § 2) who did not own the property or portion thereof at the time the oil or other hazardous material(s) was released and said owner did not cause or contribute to its release;
C. 
Be zoned for commercial or industrial use.
A. 
The Board of Assessors is hereby authorized to negotiate agreements from the abatement of real estate taxes (hereinafter, "abatement agreements") with owners of eligible properties.
B. 
Abatement agreements may allow for reductions in outstanding taxes, interest and/or penalties.
C. 
Abatement agreements shall include, but not be limited to:
(1) 
The amount of outstanding real estate taxes;
(2) 
The percent of interest to accrue if determined applicable by the Town Collector, Town Treasurer and the property owner;
(3) 
The description of quantifiable monthly payments;
(4) 
The inception date of monthly payments;
(5) 
The date of the final payment;
(6) 
The late penalties to be imposed; and
(7) 
Any and all other contractual terms as arranged between the Board of Assessors and the property owner.
D. 
Any agreement shall also include a detailed statement, and evidence supporting the same, that there exists adequate financing to accomplish the clean-up of the oil or other hazardous material(s) contaminating the property or portion thereof and that the reduction in outstanding taxes, interest and/or penalty is reasonably necessary in order to complete the clean-up of said contamination. Any proposed agreement not complying with the above requirement shall not be approved by the Board of Selectmen.
E. 
All abatement agreements shall be signed by the Chairman of the Board of Selectmen and the property owner, whose signatures shall be notarized, and attested to by Town Clerk.
F. 
A copy of any agreement shall be provided to the following:
(1) 
Property owner;
(2) 
Board of Selectmen;
(3) 
Town Clerk;
(4) 
Board of Assessors;
(5) 
Massachusetts Commissioner of Revenue;
(6) 
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection;
(7) 
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Regional Office (which includes the Commonwealth of Massachusetts).