LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Town meeting on Tuesday approved an $11 million budget for fiscal 2024 and authorized the borrowing of $800,000 for the track at Mount Greylock Regional School. 

 

More than 100 voters attended the meeting at Lanesborough Elementary School that lasted more than three hours. 

 

They approved various spending items for town projects on the 28-article warrant but rejected citizens’ petitions that would rotate the chair of the Select Board and begin the dissolution of the Baker Hill Road District.

 

But they did OK two other citizens' petitions ordering town board members and employees to take diversity training and to allow for recall elections. 

 

After a lengthy discussion, the town meeting voted against having the town accept the Route 7-8 Connector Road and all assets owned by Baker Hill Road District.

 

Passage of Article 26 would have been the start of dissolving the district, which was created by home-rule petition in 1989 to own and maintain what had been the Berkshire Mall Road. The district has the authority to tax the property within it, then pay the town of Lanesborough. That property was mainly the now defunct Berkshire Mall. 

 

The petition was presented by resident Jen Lyon, who said the original purpose of the district was met when the bond on the road was paid in full in 2014. The state has also agreed to take the road but has not yet done so. 

 

She said dissolving the district would "allow funds in excess of $1.2 million and possibly as high as $2.4 million"  to go back to the town and pay for a new police station "without any taxpayer burden."

 

Throughout the discussion, voters expressed confusion on the purpose of the Baker Hill Road District and some said the district’s board is not transparent. 

 

District attorney Mark Seigers said if the district was dissolved there would likely be a split tax rate to make up for the lost revenue, and that would have to apply to every business in town. He also did not think a positive vote could be enforceable. 

 

According to the district's website the town receives approximately $400,000 a year from the road district. The funds help offset the costs of the Police Department, EMS, Fire Department, road maintenance and various equipment expenses. 

 

Article 19 authorized transfers from the road district of $289,583 to the police salary account and $44,000 to the ambulance department. 

 

Voters rejected the petition 69-44. 

 

The other citizen's petition would have forced the chairmanship of the Select Board to rotate every year. Ronald Tinkham, also a member of the Finance Committee, said he was against this bylaw because it is micromanaging committees and the chair position should be up to the board.

 

Voters approved the appropriation of $11,066,070 for the town’s fiscal 2024 operating budget. In addition to giving the Mount Greylock Regional School District the OK for $800,000 in borrowing for the high school’s track, the voters also approved the creation of a stabilization account for the district and to appropriate $410,000 from free cash  to cover the cost of repaving Lanesborough Elementary School’s parking lot. 

 

Voters hesitant to approve this amount said even though the lot is a "pothole graveyard" there are sections that the town may be able to get a few more years out of. 

 

Department of Public Works Director Charlie Durfee said those sections may not look bad but the lot is deteriorating and needs to be maintained. 

 

The town voted to approve the appropriation of $50,000 to cover the cost of building the foundation and erecting the previously purchased gazebo at Laston Park.

 

An architect has already designed the footing and concrete pad, Seigers said, and the hope is to have it complete by August. 

 

Voter Jim Neureuther said they greatly support this project since the park is a beautiful place.

 

The town hopes to start hosting community events at the park and has had inquiries about having weddings there. 

 

Another voter said he was not against the article but would like for the town to look into the sewage issues that the park has been having especially since they are trying to the create a town attraction 

 

The Select Board will look into how the town can fund the repairs.  

 

An article to use $100,000 in free cash to lower the tax rate was voted down as town meeting elected to use the funds for somewhere yet to be determined. 

 

The town voted to to enact a citizen’s petition bylaw that would require all elected and appointed officials, including committee members, to complete diversity, equity Inclusion, and sexual harassment training. 

 

Petitioner Kristen Tool noted that every job she has ever had has required training like this and that creating this bylaw is common sense. 

 

Voter Gwen Miller asked if this could be a policy rather than a bylaw but Tool said it was supposed to be part of a policy but that never happened. 

 

Those in favor said it would help limit liability and is "common sense." 

 

"I've been taking these types of training in my 45-plus years in nonprofit human services. It's appropriate. It's necessary and it's relatively painless," Select Board member Michael Murphy said. 

 

There were concerns of what training like this would cost but Ambulance EMS Director Jennifer Weber said, based on her experience, there is free online training. 

 

Town Counsel Jeff Blake of KP Law said these additional requirements for employment could impact unions who may bargain for more funds or additional compensation. 

 

Town meeting also voted to approve a citizen's petition that calls for a charter change allowing for the removal an official from their position by election before the end of their term.

 

Also approved where solar regulation and business signage zoning bylaws. 

 

The solar bylaw was updated to prevent large arrays "from being built in designated scenic landscapes" and discourages clearing forests for these arrays. The sign bylaw was updated to allow several additional signage types to assist local businesses in generating more economic activity. 

 

The remaining articles were passed with little to no discussion.  

 

Editor's Note: a Select Board member and his quote were given in error; these has been corrected.