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What's PlayingBazaarsNov. 21
St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28
Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here. |
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North Adams City Council OK's Hotel Tax HikeBy Tammy Daniels
iBerkshires Staff
11:58PM / Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Mayor John Barrett III argued the rooms tax - $2 on a $100 - would have little effect on hotel revenues. Top, Councilors Alcombright and Blackmer urged a review of its impact before enacting it. They were outvoted 6-2. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday approved a 2 percent tax increase on hotel/motel rooms in the city that will go into effect for the fourth quarter of the year.
Councilors Richard Alcombright and Lisa Blackmer requested the matter be moved to a subcommittee for further review but found no support. The adoption passed 6-2; Councilor Clark H. Billings, who submitted his resignation effective Aug. 29, was not in attendance.
Mayor John Barrett III said the increase was minimal but would generate about $53,000 based on room receipts from last year, "which was a bad year for hotels and motels."
The 2 percent rooms tax and a .75 meals tax are local options passed by the Legislature in June to help communities offset cuts in state aid. The mayor said he would likely recommend the meals tax next spring because local restaurateurs told him they would have difficulty implementing it by October.
"We always need revenue but we'll probably need it next year," said the mayor. "And others [communities] will have to do it, too."
Alcombright and Blackmer advocated sending the rooms tax to the Finance Committee to allow innkeepers to provide input. Blackmer was concerned that while single-night stays would see little change, a 2 percent increase could affect the city's ability to be competitive with group bookings.
"I think Lenox specifially didn't pass it for the fourth quarter because of prepaid, prebooked packages," she said. "It may affect jobs if we're not competitive ... if most other communities are looking at or postponing it we should, too."
Alcombright suggested delaying the implementation of the tax until the first of the year, especially after speaking to managers at the two major hotels, the Holiday Inn and Porches.
"Initally, I thought that this would be a slamdunk," he said, but noted Pittsfield, like a number of other communities, delayed acting on the tax until later in the year.
Finance Committee Chairman Michael Bloom said the council would certainly adopt the increase but wondered if it wouldn't be worth waiting a few months so it could be fully reviewed.
Resident Robert Cardimino spoke against a sewer user tax proposed by Councilor Billings and urged the council to ban the use of cell phones and texting while driving. |
The mayor said if the council didn't act on the matter Tuesday, it could not be implemented until the first of the year as set by the state Department of Revenue. He estimated a delay at about $5,000 per month and added that no hotel owners had contacted him with concerns.
"Those are tough decisions but to say it's going to hurt their business, nothing can be further from the truth," said Barrett, adding the city had given multi-year tax breaks to both Porches and Jae's Inn. "It's the best way to go, the fairest way to go."
Blackmer expressed disappointment that the measure was not brought to the council earlier so there would have been more time to review it. The mayor and the councilor went back and forth as to whether Blackmer had contacted him about the issue earlier. While the mayor agreed she had, he said he hadn't wanted to bring it to the council at the last meeting because he had been told there might not be a quorum.
The council also approved taking a permanent easement from River Street Realty Trust, principal Michael Deep, in preparation for a $3.2 million streetscape improvement project. The city required 29 easements for the work; Deep was the only one who declined to sign off on a temporary easement. He will be paid $163.40 for the easement based on appraisals made in conjunction with the project.
 The Holiday Inn and North Adams Tire are allowing permanent easements on their properties; while the council had been provided an to pay for "damages" for both easements, the mayor said they are being donated to the city and no damages would be paid.
The city will also approved borrowing for a $680,000 feasibility study on additions to Greylock and Sullivan elementary schools, which have absorbed the sixth and seventh grades from the now closed Conte Middle School. The city has to approve the funding upfront; the School Building Authority will reimburse the city 80 percent of the cost. The city's balance of $136,000 will probably be rolled into construction costs for the proposed additions.
In other business:
- A letter from Billings urging the investigation of sewer user fees was sent to the Finance Committee for review.
- Three properties acquired by the city through Land Court — 52 Quincy St., 292 Eagle St. and 406 East Main St. — were approved for auction.
- A transfer of $41,000 from the landfill reserve account was approved to repair a payloader at the Transfer Station.
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Spint,
I could easily do what king barrett does - suppliers pay extra, charge me extra, and then I charge you extra - that work for you?
Point is a lot of government spending is unregulated and a drag on the economy –
The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money –
Thanks for the well wishes on business, I hope it turns around as well. Most places I know are pinching pennies, cutting worker salaries (especially the CEO's salary) - it is a hard sell to cough up dollars for the king’s fiefdom.
| | from: Joe | on: 08-27-2009 |
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| Glad a couple councilors thought it was important enough to have a dialogue with local businesses in this bad economy. Would it have been that hard to speak with the two or three hotel owners before raising their taxes. The tax on restaurants was delayed, but apparently hotels don't help our community. Hey, at least they want business in Adams. Heck, they looked at how welcoming North Adams is to downtown businesses and made an offer that Moulton’s General Store could live with. Good for Adams, and good for the General Store. | | from: TNA | on: 08-26-2009 |
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| joe, its a real bummer that your suppliers cant afford four extra bucks to stay two nights in north adams. hope business picks up for you soon. | | from: spint | on: 08-26-2009 |
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| John Barrett III's answer is to always to raise taxes - he wouldn't think of cutting spending - he is a real tax and spend guy - it amazes me that you guys in NA vote the clown in - but that is ok, I can have suppliers stay in Adams or Williamstown. | | from: Joe | on: 08-26-2009 |
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| Ms Blackmer will do or say anything pointless just to get her name in the paper. Must be election season. With so many good candidates running this year, she'll be lucky to get enough votes to open a donut shop, let alone stay on the council. | | from: Retire | on: 08-26-2009 |
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| Why was a feasibility study not done before it was decided that the schools should absorb the students from Conte Middle School. Considering what it will cost for the study and necessary additions to the two schools, was it wise to close Conte? | | from: CURIOUS | on: 08-26-2009 |
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