DALTON, Mass. — Fewer than a dozen voters at Monday's special town meeting took only 10 minutes to pass the two articles on the warrant.
Article 1 was amended to include an additional $4,000 to cover trash removal from Town Hall, the senior center, garage, and park, based on a recent contract proposal with Casella.
This addition brought the total amount for Article 1 to $12,643, of which $8,6324 will pay sewer and debt expenses that were not anticipated for the annual town meeting.
Article 3 transfers $2,066 from free cash to the Miscellaneous Grants account to cure a deficit.
Of this amount, $1,436 will be used for an e-911 grant, $630 will be used for funding the Coronavirus Supplemental Funding Program.
Each of these articles passed with little to no discussion.
The town meeting voted to pass over Article 2 based off the recommendation from the Select Board and Finance Committee. The question would have added another $100,000 to the Town Hall renovation project but the two boards agreed to delay any work on the third floor that was expected to trip more costly accessibility updates.
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BHS Opening Urgent-Care Facility in Lenox
LENOX, Mass. — Berkshire Health Systems is opening a second urgent-care location, with a new facility being developed at 489 Pittsfield Road, in the Center at Lenox. The facility is expected to open this winter.
Berkshire Health Urgent Care in Lenox will provide accessible care for minor illness and injuries, as well as on-site X-ray services and testing for common illnesses. Like its counterpart in Pittsfield, the Lenox site will also provide patients with access to BHS's coordinated system of care and fostering collaboration across each patient's team of providers.
"The opening of the Lenox urgent-care facility furthers our expansion of access to care, which also includes our Pittsfield Urgent Care, the reopening of North Adams Regional Hospital and the BHS Nurse Line," said Darlene Rodowicz, BHS president and CEO. "The Berkshire Health Urgent Care in Pittsfield has consistently been praised for its exceptional care and has experienced steadily increasing patient volume, which led us to expand this essential service to the community."
Berkshire Health Urgent Care in Lenox will accept a wide variety of health insurance plans, including private commercial coverage, Medicare and MassHealth through the Berkshire Fallon Health Collaborative, all of which are also accepted at the Pittsfield Berkshire Health Urgent Care location.
"BHS has always been dedicated to supporting our community and expanding access to care, and the Lenox Urgent Care is a prime example," said Roberta Gale, BHS vice president of community health. "The majority of our area residents are reliant on government health coverage — Medicare and Medicaid/MassHealth — and it's critical that they have easy access to urgent-care services that do not require high co-pays or uncovered out-of-pocket costs."
Berkshire Health Urgent Care in Pittsfield opened in September 2015, providing care for minor illness and injury to thousands of Berkshire area residents and visitors. Since 2020, the annual visits to the Pittsfield Berkshire Health Urgent Care have more than doubled, from just over 17,000 patient encounters in 2020 to more than 35,000 in 2023.
"We have an outstanding staff at BHS Urgent Care, local providers which the community has trusted for nearly ten years," said Robert Shearer, director of urgent care. "That community commitment will expand to serve those living in and visiting the Lenox area, with a convenient location, dedicated patient parking and access to rapid care for a wide range of injuries and illnesses, plus vaccinations, sports physicals, on-site X-ray and more."
Mayor Peter Marchetti shared information and reflections on the process with Executive Director of Pittsfield Community Television Shawn Serre during Monday’s episode of “One Pittsfield.” click for more
The Airport Commission last week approved a cleaner design that depicts a jet flying over a green mountainscape. It is a far cry from the former branding, which had more than 10 saturated colors.
click for more
Director of Community Development Justine Dodds said that there aren't enough resources or housing to go around and it's becoming increasingly challenging, especially with the limitations on some of these programs. click for more
The Polka Picnic features performances by the Eddie Foreman Orchestra, traditional Polish foods, and adult beverages. The Adams Lions Club will sell cookout fare, and Crumb Bakery will sell homemade treats. click for more