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Adams Board of Health Mulls Policy for Short-Term Rental Inspections

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health is considering creating a policy that would allow it to inspect short-term room rentals, like those rented through Airbnb.com.
 
"Do we feel as though it is important for the Board of Health to inspect those kinds of places?" Chairman David Rhoads asked at last week's board meeting.
 
The discussion was prompted by the bill recently signed by Gov. Charlie Backer that would tax and regulate short-term room rentals. Hosts will be required to register with the state and secure insurance, but those who rent out their homes for 14 days or less will be exempt from the state tax. The bill goes into effect on July 1. 
 
Rhoads said he did not think there were more than three rentals in town but felt any location should be healthy and safe. (A review of Airbnb and some other rental sites show about eight.)
 
"What if you had an outhouse in your yard and you put it out there that you could set up a cot and sleep in there," he said. "That is not appropriate and that may be an extreme case but I agree if are going to rent out a space, it should be healthy."
 
Code Enforcement Officer Thomas Romaniak had logistical concerns about the inspections and did not know how the town would keep track of all possible rentals.  
 
He also felt with the likelihood the bill will be appealed, it may be best to hold off on a decision. Airbnb already filed suit last summer against the city of Boston when it enacted an ordinance forcing hosts to register and pay a $200 fee. 
 
Although no decision was made Wednesday, Rhoads said he would like to discuss the issue at a future meeting. 
 
"We want to protect public health because there have been some scary stories about Airbnb," he said. "We aren't just trying to make more work."
 
In other business, Rhoads asked each board member to come up with a list of suggestions to improve public health in Adams.
 
"Just thinks that would improve public health in the coming year," he said. "We can boil down a few things and make a list that would be great."

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Adams Chair Blames Public 'Beratement' for Employee Exodus

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The town's dealing with an exodus in leadership that the chair of the Selectmen attributed to constant beratement, particularly at meetings.
 
Since last fall, the town's lost its finance director, town administrator, community development director and community development program director.
 
"There's several employees, especially the ones at the top, have left because of the public comments that have been made to them over months, and they decided it's not worth it," Chair John Duval said at last week's Selectmen's meeting. "Being being berated every week, every two weeks, is not something that they signed up for, and they've gone to a community that doesn't do that, and now we have to try to find somebody to replace these positions."
 
His remarks came after a discussion over funding for training requested on the agenda by Selectman Joseph Nowak, who said he had been told if they "pay the people good. They're going to stay with us."
 
"You've got to pay them good, because they're hard to come by, and people are leaving, and they had good salaries," he said. "I wish I could make that much. So that theory doesn't seem to be working."
 
Duval said the town doesn't have a good reputation now "because of all of the negative comments going on against our employees, which they shouldn't have to deal with. They should just be able to come here and work."
 
The town administrator, Jay Green, left after being attacked for so long, he said, and the employees decided "the heck with Adams, we're out of here, we're gone."
 
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