The Great Barrington Selectboard and Finance Committee met Monday night (September 22) in joint session to approve a transfer of money from the reserve fund to pay Highway Department overtime for cleanup resulting from two holiday-weekend storms and holiday Main Street garbage removal.
Town Manager Jennifer Tabakin said both storms — one on July 4th weekend, and the other on Labor Day weekend — were “luck of the draw,” and that Highway Department overtime had been reduced over the past two years. The $2,600 total transfer was approved.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Joseph Sokul said the state had just released up to $10,000 in emergency, storm-related funding, with which it will reimburse the Town.
But finance committee member Walter F. Atwood III made the only vote against pulling from the reserve fund.
“I hate to use the money this early in the year,” he said. “It may come back to bite the finance committee in the end. I think we should take it from somewhere else and add it back in the end.”
And later in the discussion he added: “It’s hard to believe that in a $950,000 salary account, they can’t find $2,600,” referring to unexpected cushions in the salary line from employee changes.
Finance Committee Chair Sharon Gregory later explained that there were “some small contingencies built into the budget that might be able to absorb these unforeseen circumstances over a period of time.” Gregory also noted that she would like to see these “operational ups and downs evaluated at mid-year,” for unexpected events. But she cautioned she was not certain if the state would allow mid-year budget adjustments.
Tabakin also presented both boards with the budget planning process for fiscal year 2016. She wants community engagement — earlier than later — about how the town spends its money. To make this easier, she said the budget information would be available online, as well as at both the Mason and Ramsdell libraries, and at Town Hall.
More Selectboard News…
The annual Town Meeting was moved back to the auditorium at Monument Mountain Regional High School after two years at the Mahaiwe Theater in downtown Great Barrington. The date was officially set for May 4, 2015. Selectman Steve Bannon noted that the Town would be under Main Street construction at that time, making parking a potential challenge. Parking was said — by some residents — to be an issue for the past two years with the Annual Town Meeting at the Mahaiwe. Others have disputed that charge. Selectman Dan Bailly reminded the Board that a citizen petition had asked for a return back to the high school. The vote was unanimous.
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The Town’s website now has a “Town Code” link for code content and all town forms in every category. Town Clerk Marie Ryan undertook the work to upload the content, and Town Planner Chris Rembold assisted.
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The Board also approved and signed the open space easement for the Barrington Brook Homeowner’s Association, a planned cluster of condos and single-family homes off Christian Hill Road, formerly called Burning Tree. The easement “permanently conserves more than 78 acres of property,” said Town Planner Chris Rembold. This easement prevents any future building on the land, he added, and was endorsed by both the Planning Board and legal counsel.
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Tabakin said she would pull a report on the status of the old Searles School building, answering a request by Eileen Mooney, editor of the Great Barrington NEWSletter. Tabakin said she would address the issue at the next Selectboard meeting. The building is still vacant after promises of a glorious redevelopment, and payment for the remainder of the purchase price is still owed the town.
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The building is owned by RiverSchool, LLC, which still owes the town $640,000, a payment missed on May 1, 2014. RiverSchool had partnered with Jane Iredale, LTC and the Southern Berkshire Community Development Corporation to transform the former schools into a $19 million residential, commercial and retail complex, with Canus Corporation as the developer. Canus is no longer in the picture, said CDC Executive Director Tim Geller. He added that Iredale, LTC now has 90-percent ownership, and the CDC 10-percent.
RiverSchool gave the town a $50,000 down payment at closing, with remaining payments of $750,000 to be made at specified times. Iredale, its world headquarters stationed in the almost fully-renovated old Bryant School next door, agreed to guarantee payment of the $800,000 purchase price, $640,000 of which was due on May 1, but which RiverSchool missed.
Save the Dates:
Town Meeting: Monday, May 4, 2015, Monument Mountain Regional High School
Mini-town meeting: Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 6 p.m. Great Barrington Fire Station.
Town Elections: Tuesday, May 12, 2015, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Halloween trick or treat night, Great Barrington: Friday, October 31, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Only at houses with outside lights on.
