Adams Board of Health Adds a New Late Fee

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Health has added a new late fee for permits not obtained within the allotted time.

By the request of Code Enforcement Officer Scott F. Koczela, the board met Wednesday afternoon to add the fee. The board recently re-evaluated all of its permit fees and increased many of them.

Chairman Allen Mendel advocated for a $5 late fee if the permit is not obtained in 30 days. For every 30 days that pass, another $5 is added to the fee.

"It's not that we have a lot of people that are late with their fees," Mendel said. "There are just several that wait until the last minute or beyond it."

Mendel said the main reason for this new fee is to create fairness.  

"I think it is fair. I definitely don’t want to put anybody out of business, and I don’t feel as though we should penalize the majority of the people for the few that are always late, but we have to set something up and keep it fair,” Mendel said.

Administrative Assistant Susan Foster said when she sent out renewal letters she added that there would be a new late fee.


Tags: board of health,   fees,   

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Adams Review Library, COA and Education Budgets

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance Committee and Board of Selectmen reviewed the public services, Hoosac Valley Regional School District and McCann Technical School budgets on Tuesday. 
 
The workshop at the Adams Free Library was the third of four joint sessions to review the proposed $19 million fiscal 2025 budget. The first workshop covered general government, executive, finance and technology budgets; the second public works, community development and the Greylock Glen. 
 
The Council on Aging and library budgets have increases for wages, equipment, postage and software. The Memorial Day budget is level-funded at $1,450 for flags and for additional expenses the American Legion might have; it had been used to hire bagpipers who are no longer available. 
 
The COA's budget is up 6.76 percent at $241,166. This covers three full-time positions including the director and five regular per diem van drivers and three backup drivers. Savoy also contracts with the town at a cost of $10,000 a year based on the number of residents using its services. 
 
Director Sarah Fontaine said the governor's budget has increased the amount of funding through the Executive Office of Elder Affairs from $12 to $14 per resident age 60 or older. 
 
"So for Adams, based on the 2020 Census data, says we have 2,442 people 60 and older in town," she said. "So that translates to $34,188 from the state to help manage Council on Aging programs and services."
 
The COA hired a part-time meal site coordinator using the state funds because it was getting difficult to manage the weekday lunches for several dozen attendees, said Fontaine. "And then as we need program supplies or to pay for certain services, we tap into this grant."
 
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