School Officials Hoping For 2nd Override Try in Cheshire

School officials will ask Cheshire to schedule a second override vote after conferring with their legal counsel.

CHESHIRE, Mass. — School officials will ask Cheshire to hold another Proposition 2 1/2 override vote in light of the low turnout in last week's failed attempt.

The Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee's Audit and Evaluation subcommittee met with district legal counsel Jeffrey Grandchamp on Wednesday night to discuss what happens next in the budget process.

"After looking at all of the possible options and weighing everything out, I would recommend going back for another override vote ... because any of the other options I looked at would really be devastating to the school district at this time," Superintendent Kristen Gordon told the subcommittee.

Adams approved the $19.1 million school district budget Tuesday night at town meeting. Cheshire had passed the budget at its town meeting, contingent on a $90,000 2 1/2 override vote; voters shot down the budget by 63 votes.

Cutting the $90,000 for the Cheshire assessment would trigger a proportional reduction on the Adams side, forcing the district to make an additional $350,000 in cuts.  

Gordon said only 18 percent of Cheshire's voters cast ballots and she has heard that many Cheshire residents thought the budget process was complete at town meeting.

"I have talked to several people ... who thought that the town meeting vote approved the school district budget and they didn't have a complete understanding on how that worked," Gordon said.

Grandchamp said there are "competing timelines" and the Cheshire Selectmen have to vote on whether to hold another override vote. If they decide not to or if the override vote fails, the district's budget is officially rejected. The School Committee would then have 30 days to reconsider the budget.

This vote would happen in early August if the Selectmen approve it at their meeting Tuesday.

Because Adams approved the certified school budget, it would only have to hold another town meeting if the School Committee came back with a higher number. Cheshire would have to hold another town meeting to approve or disapprove the reconsidered budget.

If the School Committee submits the same amount and Cheshire town meeting approves it again, then Cheshire either finds the $90,000 in the budget or votes to hold another override vote. If town meeting rejects the budget, the budget goes to a districtwide vote.

If the districtwide vote passes the budget, Cheshire will be forced to raise the $90,000 somehow because the school budget will be officially approved.

Gordon said she would like to avoid a district wide vote if possible because it would push out the timeline and would not be fair to Cheshire.

"They would be forced to ether cut their own budget or come up with some additional money and, in fairness to Cheshire, they are tight," Gordon said. "We sat through the meetings, we heard about the money."

Grandchamp said Sept. 15 is legally the deadline for all override votes. He added that if the district does not have an approved budget by Dec. 31 the state can come in and take over the school's finances, which could mean an even smaller budget.

The subcommittee agreed of the need to take an "all hands on deck" approach and share more information with the public if the Selectmen agree to go forth with another vote.

Subcommittee member Darlene Rodowicz said the district should be clearer on when the election is, encourage Cheshire residents to vote, and hold more public meetings so the committee can answer any unanswered questions.

She added she wants to be very clear what will happen to the town and the schools if the budget is not passed and has to be cut more, including reading programs improving the district's Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System scores.

"If we don't use these numbers here, the next round of cuts we are going have to make will not just be paraprofessionals, we are going to take out leadership from the high school," Rodowicz said. "We are going to start ripping out some of the core infrastructure in our education system, and that is what people need to understand. These aren't smart cuts, and they have consequences."

Subcommittee member Edmun St. John IV agreed and said people need to understand what the cuts will translate to.

"You can always cut something, but that doesn't mean you have the ability to absorb that cut and still maintain a product that meets the standards," St. John said. "We could cut every teacher but one. Doesn't mean we should but we have the ability to."

The committee also agreed to make a clearer presentation of how the override actually affects Cheshire property taxes.

"Override is a scary word and people don't want to hear it, but the more knowledge we could equip people with I think the better," St. John said. 

Special Minerals Agrees to Pay Adams, River Groups Over River Discharge

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
02:58PM / Friday, May 03, 2024

Adams plans to use the $50,000 it will get in the consent decree toward the removal of the Peck's Road Dam. 

BOSTON — Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office. 

 

The river turned visibly white from Adams to the Vermont state line from the mineral that leaked out from the plant's settling ponds on Howland Avenue in November 2021. 

 

Calcium carbonate, also known as chalk or limestone, is not toxic to humans or animals. However, the sudden discoloration of the water alarmed local officials and environmentalists and prompted an emergency session of the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee. 

 

"We allege that this company violated its permits, disregarded federal and state law, and put the Hoosic River — a resource cherished by the Adams community — at risk," said AG Andrea Campbell in a statement. "I am grateful for this collaboration with our state agency partners and committed to holding polluters accountable and working to bring resources back to communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms."   

 

If approved by the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the consent decree will require Specialty Minerals to pay a total of $299,000, which includes payments to the town of Adams and three community groups in Northern Berkshire County that will be used to benefit water quality and prevent stormwater impacts. 

 

Once approved, most of the settlement would fund multiple projects to benefit water quality, including infrastructure improvements and native plantings to mitigate stormwater impacts in the Hoosic River Watershed. Specifically, the proposed settlement provides for: 

• $50,000 to the town of Adams for infrastructure improvements in a tributary of the Hoosic River
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Revival for stormwater mitigation projects  
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Watershed Association for a native plant garden and other projects to mitigate stormwater impacts and benefit water quality 
• $50,000 to Sonrisas to fund invasive plant removal and native plant habitat establishment at Finca Luna Búho, a community land project that centers the voices and prioritizes the decision-making of those living in marginalization. 

It will also provide $30,000 in civil assessments to the state's Natural Heritage Endangered Species Fund and $20,000 in civil penalties for violation of state law, as well as $49,000 to offset the costs of the AG's enforcement efforts.