Lanesborough FinCom Chair Resigns After Warrant Approval

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — With a new fiscal year comes new leadership for the Finance Committee.

Chair Jodi-Lee Szczepaniak-Locke officially resigned on Monday and the panel decided that Vice Chair Stephen Wentworth would assume leadership for the time being.  

A few months ago, Szczepaniak-Locke announced that she would be vacating her post and the committee after the FY25 budget season. On Monday the committee endorsed draft warrant articles for the annual town meeting, its last responsibilities before the close of the fiscal year.

The former chair was brief in her departure, confirming her resignation and leaving, but has previously stated that the decision came from an attendance issue with a member not being resolved.  

"I believe in truth and honesty and a lot of you know me and you've known me for years and that's what I think is the most important thing," she said to the Select Board in February.

"So you all can have at this. I am done and I wish you all the best of luck but it's not worth it. It's not worth it to me to participate in this anymore."

Town Administrator Gina Dario clarified that the warrant articles are being finalized and it is possible that numbering could change.

"Certainly, we do not anticipate any changes of a financial impact and nor do we expect any new articles entering the current warrant," she said.

An article requesting $70,000 for the hiring of an additional full-time police officer had two votes of support with one abstention and one opposition. Town counsel is being consulted to see if this will affect it moving forward.

The Select Board voiced some concerns about the ask, pointing out that the police are looking for a new station and $40,000 to expand rental space along with other items.

Chief Robert Derksen said it is an "officer safety issue," as a single officer was working 71 percent of the time last year, and for the most part, there are only consistently two officers on the weekdays when he is on duty.

"I agree with your decision to make it a warrant article and not put it in your budget," committee member Regina DiLego said to the chief.

There was also conversation about a $15,000 free cash request for equipment and supplies at the upcoming Senior Park at the underutilized Bridge Street Park.

Last year, the board voted to form a Lanesborough Senior Park Initiative after being approached by resident Linda Pruyne. Utilizing the existing infrastructure, the planners feel they may be able to install a small gazebo for shade, a pickle ball court, and a Whiffle ball field among other aspects for staying active at an older age.

Pruyne said the selectmen were concerned that the park was not being used this year but it is. Due to state work, the planners cannot start on a big project to convert the basketball court into pickleball courts but they want to get the larger project started.

"The whole concept of it is to get seniors out there, give them some activities to do. It's not going to be just about pickleball, we're going to have a shuffleboard court, we're going to have horseshoes, we're going to have board games, many concerts," she said.

"Just getting together with a group of people that know that you're going to be there every Tuesday playing mahjong at one o'clock. So we're going to start that this year and we do need some seed money to get it going. I mean, we have absolutely no budget whatsoever right now."

She added that they want to have lawn bocce at the park this year, convert the dugouts into comfortable seating, and purchase handicap-accessible picnic tables.

"As you are all aware, all of that is pretty pricey so the money we're asking for at town meeting would pay for things like the picnic table and the outside equipment, getting the dugouts converted," Pruyne explained.

"We do want to enclose one of the dugouts and our intention there is to have half of them be storage and someday when we get additional money, maybe put in some type of bathroom facility."

Szczepaniak-Locke pointed out that when the initiative was formed, it was said that the park would ask for no money from the town and Pruyne explained that when they started looking at the costs, they were blown away by the numbers.

They are seeking grants with assistance through the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, as it was determined that fundraising wouldn't be enough to get the park built.

Fastenal Company: $73.00
Edward Ferris: $1,400.00
Housatonic Basin Sampling & Testing: $160.00
Valley Green Shredding, LLC: $152.06
Berkshire Engineering, Inc: $160.00
Arthur P. Jones & Associates Inc: $2,001.00
Total: $3,946.06

ARTICLE 10: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate the sum of $65,000.00 for the purchase and equipping of a Police Vehicle, with or without a trade, and further to transfer from the Baker Hill Road District Fund the sum of $32,500.00 and transfer from Free Cash $32,500.00 for said appropriation; or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 11: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer from Free Cash the sum of $40,000.00 to lease additional space for the Police Department, including purchase of furniture and any renovations, including all costs incidental and relative thereto, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 13: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $65,000.00 for the replacement of a 1987 Highway Chipper, with or without a trade, including all costs incidental and related thereto and to fund said appropriation transfer from those amounts approved at the FY24 Annual Town Meeting Article 7 LES Parking Lot Repaving, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 14: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer from Free Cash the sum of $125,000.00 for the replacement of a 2014 one-ton Highway Dump Truck, with or without a trade, including all costs incidental and relative thereto, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 15: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer from Free Cash the sum of $40,000.00 for the purchase and equipping of a Highway Paver to be shared with the Town of Dalton, including all costs incidental and relative thereto, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 16: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $30,000.00 for the replacement of exterior doors and door frames at the Lanesborough Elementary School and to fund said appropriation transfer from those amounts approved at the FY24 Annual Town Meeting Article 7 LES Parking Lot Repaving.

ARTICLE 18: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer from Free Cash the sum of $11,000.00 for the removal of out dated electrical wiring in Town Hall, including all costs incidental or relative thereto, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 19: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer from Free Cash the sum of $50,000.00 to pay the Town's contribution to the Other Post-Employment Benefits Liability Trust Fund, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 20: To see if the Town will vote to appropriate and transfer $50,000.00 from Free Cash into the Stabilization Fund, or take any other action relative thereto.

ARTICLE 25: To see if the Town will vote to (a) authorize the Select Board to acquire by purchase, gift, eminent domain or otherwise, the fee to and/or permanent and/or temporary easements for public way purposes, including without limitation, for the construction, alteration, installation, maintenance, improvement, repair, replacement and/or relocation of rights of way, bridges, sidewalks, drainage, utilities, driveways, guardrails, slopes, grading, rounding, landscaping, and other appurtenances and/or facilities, to enable the Town to undertake the Bridge Street Over Town Brook Bridge Project and for any and all purposes incidental or related thereto, in, on and under certain parcels of land, and land adjacent to and within 200 feet of said parcels, said parcels located on or near Bridge Street and shown more particularly on plans entitled "Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division Plan and Profile of Bridge Street Over Town Brook Bridge No. L-03-010 (CAJ)," revised through September 21, 2023, prepared by Garofalo & Associates, Inc., said plans on file with the Town Clerk, as said plans may be amended and/or incorporated into an easement plan; (b) appropriate and transfer from Free Cash the sum of $12,000.00 for said acquisitions, including all costs incidental or relative thereto; and, further (c) authorize the Select Board to enter into all agreements and take any and all actions as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate the foregoing purposes, or take any other action relative thereto.
 

Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?