West Stockbridge — Seated at a roundtable, members of the West Stockbridge Select Board and Finance Committee joined the town’s heavy hitters—representatives from its fire, police, water/sewer, and highway/public-works departments—to discuss how best to plan long term for the equipment, personnel, and structures essential to municipal functions.
The idea for the session stemmed from Select Board Chair Andrew Potter’s proposal to advance “meet and confer” sessions, a format that would offer an opportunity for a conversation among stakeholders on one relevant topic, without the pressure to ultimately vote on a project or make a decision.
On July 15, the series’ inaugural session was devoted to capital improvement projects, with those projects needing to be planned in the town’s budget. That role has traditionally been advanced by the Finance Committee; however, the town’s bylaws include a provision for the establishment of a Capital Planning Committee that would produce a format for approval by the Select Board.
Potter cited that state and federal grant funds are being promulgated, with “the towns that are most successful with getting that grant money are the ones that have the projects, understand the scope of the projects, and actually have some dollar figures in process wrapped around those projects.” That protocol is “a jumping-off point” that also shows the town has a plan in process, he said.
Finance Committee Chair Robert Salerno said both tactical and strategic issues exist to developing a capital improvement plan, with the “key players” in attendance. He said the process evolved when the town needed a new fire truck, determining the source of the funds to pay for the equipment as well as the need to subsidize ongoing street maintenance.
Informational handouts provided at the meeting can be found here.
According to Highway Superintendent Jamie Boyer, the department’s top need is for vehicles because so many are in rotation. However, the lead time to obtain those vehicles is problematic, up to two-and-a-half years for larger trucks, he said. “That’s something to keep in mind—is availability,” Boyer said.
The town is almost caught up in its road maintenance, he reported, such as blacktopping, potholes, and paving, while looking into grant funding for rural road repair such as Route 41. Using a 5-Year Road Cost Analysis Plan developed in conjunction with the Finance Committee and employing the StreetLogix software system, the department can detail the conditions of its roads that, with the help of state aid and loans, have improved from a “good” rating in 2017 to “excellent” this year. Boyer recommended allocating $75,000 annually as a cost budget for future road work, with that tally accounting for state aid funds that have been decreasing year over year as road project costs increase.
“If we don’t maintain it, you get down to the [road] base and then it costs about five times more because you have to rebuild the whole base,” Salerno said. “So, I’d rather spend $75,000 than $575,000.”
With eight bridges within its borders, Boyer said West Stockbridge has seen five of these structures completely rebuilt over the past three decades and now have a life span of 75 to 100 years. Of the three remaining bridges—Great Barrington, West Center, and Cone-Hill roads—“none of these are in any condition where they would cause concerns,” he said.
The department’s capital inventory revised in November 2023 reflects one truck, a new Ford F-350, shipped July 9, and Boyer reported that it is currently in transit. However, the town’s chipper is “a little bit tired,” he said, with its 2007 Superline Trailer “in rough shape’ and needing to be replaced. Listing the life expectancy of each piece of equipment, the document shows the cost of the line items; however, the group noted those costs may be double by the time replacement comes around.
Licensed Operator Michael Buffoni addressed the group about the town’s Sewer & Water department, including the status of the Swamp Road water main replacement that passed as Article Five in the town meeting. He reported the engineer hasn’t yet been chosen to move the project forward, with the water main—the last old line—feeding the entire town.
“We don’t actually have a plan for when the work is going to be done,” Buffoni said. “We’re going to have the engineering done first; that is going to give us an idea of what it will cost and then move forward with the plan.” He said water surplus funds are available for the project, with the possibility of providing for the rest of the project from ratepayers.
Phosphorus issues continue to plague the town’s wastewater system, Buffoni said, with officials struggling to remove the nutrient that causes issues, including algae blooms, during warmer, seasonal months.
Fire Chief Steve Traver urged the boards to begin a process to replace a 2007 GMC rescue truck in time for a 2027 delivery as that equipment takes about three years to build, followed by replacing a 2009 pumper in 2029 and a 2014 pumper in 2034. He recommended replacing only one pumper and, instead, purchasing a tanker once a new structure can accommodate this equipment. According to Town Administrator Marie Ryan, officials are reviewing an idea to construct a new public-safety building.
Police Department cruisers are on a two-year cycle, at an estimated cost of $80,000 per cruiser, although grant options exist for partial-electric vehicles, said Chief Marc Portieri. Department phones for officers are in demand as those personnel have been using personal phones to deliver crucial information and take photographs at crime scenes, he said. Body-worn cameras aren’t required by the state, but Portieri said that mandate may be only a matter of time and the town may need to prepare for the expenditure that can cost $20,000 per camera and video storage on a five-year contract. Additionally, capital expenditures of laptops, at $2,500 per laptop for three laptops on a five-year replacement cycle, as well as tasers and management software should be considered. Portieri recommended increasing personnel by one additional officer, providing the department with two full-time officers per shift, with the cost dependent on the contract between the town and police union.
The Berkshire Edge made an audio recording at the session and was informed that a video processing issue occurred preventing a municipal record of the proceeding.
