Sorrell Takes Over As Lanesborough's Acting Police Chief

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
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Timothy Sorrell was appointed acting police chief on Monday night.
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Timothy Sorrell will take over police operations Wednesday.
 
On Monday night, the Board of Selectmen appointed Sorrell the acting chief as of midnight Tuesday night.
 
Current Chief Mark Bashara will use vacation time and stay on payroll until Friday, May 29, and then enter retirement.
 
"Today's Mark [Bashara's] last day," said Town Administrator Paul Sieloff. "He'll still be on the payroll but the day-to-day operations will be in the hands of Tim Sorrell."
 
Sieloff said Bashara was willing to part with the job as soon as the Board of Selectmen were comfortable.
 
On Monday during negotiations, Sorrell and the Selectmen agreed to a temporary salary of $80,000 for Sorrell to take over the job now.
 
The two sides will continue to hammer out a contract that'll be put in place on July 1, when the new fiscal year starts. The new contract is expected to be for three years.
 
"We're close but we're not there yet," Sieloff said. "The expectation is that his official appoint of chief [will be] as of July 1."
 
The Selectmen set the process to hire a new chief to conclude an earlier than an anticipated retirement of Bashara at the end of May to provide time for the new chief to get used to the position.
 
However, Sorrell has been with the department for 28 years and Bashara handed over the keys, per se, early because extensive training wasn't needed. Bashara agreed to use vacation time for the final two weeks.
 
"Tim [Sorrell] used to be a sergeant so he knows the policies and procedures," Sieloff said. 
 
Bashara informed the town he intended to retire last April, providing one-year notice. The town then launched a search for a new chief and three candidates applied. Sorrell was chosen by both the Police Advisory Commission and the Board of Selectmen.
 
Sorrell started with the department as a full-time patrolman in 1987 and was a sergeant for 12 years. In 2013, he became an investigator.
 
The Board of Selectmen and Sorrell has been negotiating the contract for the last month, since the Selectmen opted to offer Sorrell the job in April. Sieloff says the contract may be approved as early as next Monday.

Tags: police chief,   retirement,   

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Lanesborough to Negotiate New HCA With Only Dispensary

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. Due to evolving state regulations, the town must settle on a new or amended host community agreement with its only dispensary.
 
On Monday, Feb. 24, the Select Board voted to allow Town Administrator Gina Dario to work with counsel towards a resolution.  Dario felt that both parties were willing to come up with a practical solution.
 
Liberty Market, located on North Main Street, has requested a new host community agreement or host community agreement waiver in lieu thereof.  The town was sent a notice of non-compliance from the Cannabis Control Commission in January.
 
"The discussion for the Select Board is whether or not to proceed with either a redrafting of the current host community agreement or a re-negotiation of a new host community agreement that uses a more prescriptive template that is being provided by The Cannabis Control Commission," Dario explained.
 
A couple of years ago, the Canabis Control Commission (CCC) approved changes to the state's adult and medical use regulations including policies that implement the agency's oversight of host community agreements, new equity requirements, and suitability reform.
 
"The Cannabis Control Commission is taking the position that changes to the cannabis laws which went into effect in November of 2022 are retroactive and affect pre-existing agreements, such as the one that the town has with Liberty Market," Attorney Nicole Costanzo said.
 
"Of course, there are some novel legal issues presented as to whether or not the legislative changes do retroactively affect pre-existing host community agreements. It's my understanding that the town does want to work with Liberty Market nevertheless and try and get them a "compliant" agreement for purposes of the Cannabis Control Commission issuing them a license renewal to move forward."
 
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