Great Barrington approves selectmen benefits

GREAT BARRINGTON – As the town meeting moved this year to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, controversy over several articles followed to the new location.

The heart of much of the pre-meeting debate had centered on Article 2, a bill that was seeking to reinstate the stipends for members of the select board.

A Finance Committee majority of 3-2 agreed to recommend the elimination of those health care benefits and salaries for the board of selectmen.

“I urge you not to use this as a punitive item,” explained Selectwoman Alana Chernila before making a motion to add that funding, $7,500, back into the fiscal year 2014 budget.

After presentations by both the selectmen and the finance committee, voters approved adding the stipend back into the budget by a 244-98 vote by secret ballot.

After the salary issue, voters tackled several other financial issues, including the town budget. Voters approved a $10.3 million operating budget for FY ’14 and an additional $12.05 million allocation for the Berkshire Hills Regional School District.

There was an extensive discussion over an article that granted $385,000 for chemical remediation at both the Searles-Bryant Complex and the Castle Street Fire Station (which is being sold to lawyer Ed McCormick for $50,000) before the voters passed the item.

During that discussion, Selectman Stephen C. Bannon explained Mr. McCormick would also pay up to $80,000 towards the cleanup of the Castle Street Fire Station as part of a $3 million-plus improvement to the building.

Before the vote, Selectman Andrew D. Blechman made a last minute plea to the voters: “Please approve this – we need to sell this building.”

Article 6, a request of $1.1 million to purchase a replacement tower ladder truck, was approved by voters after a request for a different truck failed at the 2012 town meeting.

Voters also approved the purchase of two police cruisers, a dump truck and a sidewalk plow.

Voters also approved a warrant that calls for a property maintenance bylaw. This bylaw, which was Article 18, will now require property owners to keep their yards and exterior walls at a set minimum level of acceptableness.

Article 23 also passed, which was a measure to institute a ban on plastic bags in the town.  Stores continuing to use such bags will be subject to fines of up to $200 per day as of July 1.

Posted by Kameron Z. Spaulding on May 9, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry