West Stockbridge — The small audience at the Tuesday, June 5 Select Board meeting was treated to a recap by State Rep. William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D, Lenox) of the state’s progress on issues central to the town’s residents, including affordable housing, rural community recognition, investment in broadband, shared municipal services, and the state budget. Rep. Pignatelli’s visit to the Select Board meeting comes on the heels of the town’s update to its 1959 master plan, a project that Select Board Chair Kathleen Keresey said is in its final stages.
Last month, Gov. Maura Healey appointed State Sen. Anne Gobi to serve as Director of Rural Affairs in the Executive Office of Economic Development. The new position is designed to promote economic development within rural communities, and Pignatelli said that Gobi recognizes the unique challenges of towns with small tax bases.
In January, Healey created a Housing Working Group charged with drafting a new leadership position. On May 15, that job, the state’s first Housing Secretary in more than 30 years, was filled by former Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus. Augustus’s position falls within the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities created March 1 and realigns the state’s housing management structure, with the position directed to producing more affordable homes.
Pignatelli said local real-estate values have escalated post-pandemic, pushing out service workers, hospitality employees, and tradesmen from living in the area in which they work. And that issue is exacerbated by the Berkshires’ transportation woes. “Without vibrant public transportation, housing affordability is a key component,” Pignatelli said.
Although former Gov. Charlie Baker created a first-time homebuyer program, that project only applied to gateway cities, with Pittsfield being the sole qualifier in the Berkshires, he said. Pignatelli said he would like to see affordable housing dispersed throughout the county so one town wouldn’t have to absorb hundreds of units and advocated incentivizing developers to build that type of housing. Those projects could serve as first homes for young buyers to build wealth, and local leaders should develop their own housing plans that could be ready if state funding becomes available, he said. “It could be a game changer,” Pignatelli said. He pointed to local state towns sharing police departments, ambulance squads, and even public works departments as a possibly more financially expedient way to provide services to residents.
For Pignatelli, “staying up with the next generation of technology” is key, especially for remote workers. Continued investment in technology could “change the landscape of the Berkshires,” making it more attractive for young families to move to the area, he said.
The Massachusetts Senate wrapped up its budget discussions last week, and the final bill should be on Healey’s desk by July 1, Pignatelli said. “Massachusetts is in good shape financially,” he said. “I think we’ve been fiscally responsible for making good investments.”
In other business: with Select Board member Andrew Potter absent, members Andrew Krouss and Keresey:
- Unanimously approved a one-day liquor license for TurnPark’s June 10 festival.
- Unanimously approved a joint pole location on Austerlitz Road to Massachusetts Electric Company/NATIONAL GRID and Verizon New England for poles, wires, and fixtures.
- Unanimously approved June 26 as a possible special town meeting date to approve a change in financial expenditures.
- Heard from resident Joanne Yurman regarding traffic safety concerns on Baker Street.
