If the town meeting is not able to pass a budget by the end of the fiscal year on June 30, the town of Great Barrington, like hundreds of other small municipalities in the state with a town-meeting form of government, has a problem.
"A high mail-in response will show the state legislature -- and the rest of the country -- that mail-in voting can increase voter turnout." -- Great Barrington Selectman Ed Abrahams
The operating total does not include the town's contribution toward the annual budget of the Berkshire Hills Regional School District, the school committee of which has yet to adopt its own budget, though its deliberations started Thursday night.
When selectboard Chair Steve Bannon opened the floor to comments from the audience, most seemed to agree that, in addition to placing restrictions on the stores, the larger question remains about what kind of image the tourism-minded town wants to project.
Fulcrum attorney Kate McCormick indicated that there were delays in the studies required of the applicant on sound, noise and odor and the peer reviews of those studies by the town.
Town manager Mark Pruhenski acknowledged that the costs for the emergency repair of the Division Street bridge, which are currently unknown, would be in addition to whatever it costs to perform a permanent repair or replacement.
At Monday's Great Barrington Selectboard meeting at the Claire Teague Senior Center, concerns ranged from traffic, speeding, and the impact the closure of the Division Street and Cottage Street bridges are having on businesses and residents alike.
On several occasions during the hearing, Great Barrington Selectboard Chairman Steve Bannon rapped his gavel and warned hecklers that they would be removed from the room if they persisted.
“We can’t make a judgment on the social or economic merits of this project. That’s the job of the Selectboard. But the application does meet the requirements of our zoning bylaws.”
-- Great Barrington Planning Board Vice Chair Malcolm Fick
Fulcrum has signed a purchase-and-sales agreement to buy 5.78 undeveloped acres from the Nolan family at 22 Van Deusenville Road to construct and operate a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility.
"I have no idea how this election will turn out. I put signs up this weekend. I asked some people to put up signs and they said no. They liked everybody."
-- Great Barrington Selectboard Chair Steve Bannon
A common complaint among employees of the district and their families was that district officials did not adequately consult with faculty and staff about what was needed in terms of design and the accommodation of innovative curriculum, for example.
2018 has provided enough Great Barrington news to keep journalists busy and observers of town politics highly amused, signaling that the community dubbed "best small town in America" by Smithsonian Magazine continues to be a place in transition.