CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials have heaved a sigh of relief with the state's certification of free cash for the first time in more than three years.

 

The town's parade of employees through its financial offices the past few years put it behind on closing out its fiscal years between 2021 and 2023. A new treasurer and two part-time accountants have been working the past year in closing the books and filing with the state.

 

The result is the town will have $571,000 in free cash on hand as it begins budget deliberations. However, town meeting last year voted that any free cash be used to replenish the stabilization account. 

 

Some $231,000 in stabilization was used last year to reduce the tax rate — draining the account. The town's had minimal reserves for the past nine months.

 

Chairman Robert Norcross said he didn't want residents to think the town was suddenly flush with cash. 

 

"We have to keep in mind that we have no money in the stabilization fund and we now have a free cash, so we have now got to replenish that account," he said. "So it's not like we have this money to spend ... most of it will go into the stabilization fund." 

 

The account's been hit several times over the past few fiscal years in place of free cash, which has normally been used for capital spending, to offset the budget and to refill stabilization. Free cash was last used in fiscal 2020.

 

Also on Wednesday, Norcross reported that state Department of Transportation officials had spent some time on Tuesday inspecting West Cross Road for a Safe Routes to School grant. 

 

Clarksburg School had applied for a $400,000 grant to develop a safer route for student to reach the nearby Community Center — the town's emergency evacuation center. The road has no sidewalks and the pathway through the wooded hillside from the school to the town field is often impassable in the winter. 

 

The state had suggested it was willing to expend $1.2 million to make the roadway safer for pedestrians. 

 

"There was a lot of people who walked the whole route from Eagle Street and Houghton Street intersection, West Road intersection, all the way down to the Senior Center," he said. "They were looking at the width of the road, what can extend if anything, and they're going to go back and come up with a proposal. 

 

"They're not sure exactly what can be done. It's in a very preliminary stage but it least it's moving on."

 

The group had consisted of Norcross, Town Administrator Carl McKinney, the school's  Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes (who applied for the grant), designers and engineers from MassDOT and representatives from the District 1 highway office in Lenox.

 

He thought addressing the entire road to Middle Road maybe still in play but engineers were going to check on the distance from the school. 

 

"The important thing is we have safe routes around that school area and town field area and people are walking there, Norcross said. "We're trying to make the town field more of a center for people to come and be there. And through the MVP possibly have walking trails all in there. So we really want to make sure that that roadway saved through there, but doing them in a reasonable manner."

 

There was some discussion of linking in the Municipal Vulnerability Program for a more comprehensive plan that also might lead to more funding. 

 

Norcross also said the students will be working with Flying Cloud Institute on a design challenge related to the project they will present to the MVP Committee and Select Board in the future.

 

In other business: 

 

• The board voted a 3.5 percent cost of living raise for employees for fiscal 2025. 

 

• McKinney said he was preparing for the state's one-stop application portal to open next week. The town will be applying for funding on several projects, including a culvert replacement on West Road and the failing concrete retaining wall on Cross Road. His plan was to spread the applications out through different categories so they wouldn't be competing against themselves. 

 

• Select Board member Dan Haskins asked if the town could purchase a second digital sign. The town purchased one last year but it only lights on one side; the idea would be have two back to back so they can be seen from both sides. 

 

McKinney said there is still $23,000 left in American Rescue Plan Act funds and there could be money in the technology account. Haskins said he like to see "the second ordered and get it all done at once ... I don't want to keep kicking it down the road."

 

• The board voted to place a dog littering bylaw and an amend the dog licensing date from May to June on the town meeting warrant as recommended by Town Clerk Marilyn Gomeau, who prepared the language. 

 

• McKinney reported that the lift for the school has been ordered and is expected to take eight to 12 weeks to build; the lift is now scheduled to be installed in June. He also said Adelson & Company PC has indicated it may be able to do an audit. The few auditing companies in the region have been very busy, he said.