St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
Irate Taxpayers Demand Answers on Clarksburg Sewer Bill Woes
By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff 02:09AM / Thursday, February 12, 2009
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — A $30,000 hole in the sewer enterprise fund had taxpayers who were forced to carry the cost clamoring for answers on Wednesday night.
"How long has this been going on and how many people are we talking about and why are we $30,000 in debt?" asked one woman.
That wasn't the case this fiscal year as a growing number of late quarterly bills and larger bills combined to create a deficit that couldn't be covered.
Selectmen Chairwoman Debra LeFave read a statement at the beginning of the meeting making clear that the decision to raise taxes on the entire town had been made by the Department of Revenue.
In the Outhouse
Late sewer bills carry a 14 percent penalty and a $5 charge. Not receiving a bill doesn't void the homeowner's responsibility.
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Demand notices have to be paid in 30 days to avoid further action.
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At fiscal year's end, delinquencies will passed to the deputy collector and liened to the homeowners real estate bill. Added on:
Ignore the second notice, get a lien on your property (tax taking) and your name published in the local media.
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Pay in 14 days or the land is recorded as a tax lien at the Registry of Deeds and collection is turned over to the town treasurer. If it ends up in Land Court, the delinquent payer pays the cost.
"This has nothing to do with the Board of Selectmen," she read, after pointing out that "we need people to come in and pay their bills in a timely manner."
The extra 30 cents per $1,000 is a one-time charge to fill the enterprise fund's coffers; as the fund is replenished, it will repay its debt to the town. The sewer fund is maintained by those users on the line, which covers only a section of town.
Tax Collector Melissa McGovern Wandrei said that because of the difficulties and expense in taking delinquent payers to court, their bills had been liened onto their real estate bills in following fiscal years. That usually prompted the banks of those with property tax escrow accounts to pay the bills.
"I didn't know there was necessarily this kind of repercussion because of it," she said, adding the town hadn't pursued any recent tax takings to jolt the scofflaws because of software problems between her and the treasurer's system.
The number of delinquencies is about the same, 10 percent, said Wandrei, but the total amount of the annual sewer billing has increased, up from $160,000 last year to $200,000 this year.
Town Manager Michael Canales said the town could not take legal action against deliquent payers until May 1, the end of the fourth quarter, because of state law. In the meantime, late fee and interest penalties can be applied and, soon, deputy sheriffs will be knocking on doors with collection notices, he said.
"We only have trouble with a few people and that's going to deputy [tax] collector," said Wandrei of frequent delinquents, some dating to 2006. "There's not a whole lot we can do with people until it goes to their real estate [bill]. We can't shut off their sewer."
Several speakers, however, wanted to know why more wasn't done prior to the state's intervention.
"We didn't want to incur the cost of going after them at that time but I think we should have because they should have paid and not the whole town," said Mary Giron, who also questioned whether bills were being delivered because two of hers weren't — costing her late charges. "I never knew I was late, I never had a phone call, never had a follow-up letter."
Selectman Carl McKinney noted that Wandrei had a 95 percent or better collection rate on property taxes, "which for the state of Massachusetts is good." However, it was apparent, he said, that "sewer collection is an area that we need to work on."
Giron said there was a problem with the sewer collection process if it had cost the town $30,000. Once people get behind — whether through missed bills and added collection fees — it only makes it harder for them to get caught up. The town should be working with them immediately, she said, even to set up repayment plans.
"We need to get to these people beforehand so it doesn't happen again," she concluded to wide applause.
Canales said the situation "wasn't foreseen by anybody ... [but] we have to be a little more diligent in aggressively going after them."
In other business:
The board approved a liquor license for the North Adams Country Club, whose managers forgot to renew the license in December. Hours of operation for the license are 11 a.m. to midnight.
LeFave read a letter written from Wandrei to the board disclosing her involvement with AFLAC. Wandrei stated she would not do business during her scheduled work hours at Town Hall and will only act as liaison between employees and AFLAC through scheduling with the town administer. Michael Ryan, AFLAC regional manager, would be the board's contact.
"This will no way affect my position as tax collector," she wrote.
The board had approved allowing AFLAC to offer insurance to town workers but was concerned over Wandrei selling its services in the municipal building. The Selectmen took the letter under advisement until the next meeting.
Boy the residents of Clarksburg would hate living in a city that doesn't care about their residents. In most cities and towns they just send you a bill saying your taxes are going up $200.00 so pay up with no reason what so ever. The excuses of the residents are ridiculous! If you knew your taxes were late and you didn't receive a bill, wouldn't you pay then and not wait for another bill. Duh, obviously you'll be charged a late fee. Pay when you go to let them know you didn't receive it. Quartly bill people, not hard to remember. Also the excuse of they take forever to cash checks, has nothing to do with it. You should see how long it takes North Adams and Pittsfield to cash checks, it can be over a month. If you do your checkbook properly, they could cash the check a year from now and it doesn't matter. When you write a check, you deduct it from your checkbook balance right? Meaning you don't wait for the check to clear to deduct it, that's just stupid and poor recording keeping on your part. The residents of Clarksburg need to find something better to complain about, but of course they complain about everything...
from: c'mon people
on: 02-14-2009
OK - Let's try this. #1 - The TAX COLLECTOR is an elected official. The town has tried many times to have the TAX COLLECTOR appointed so that they may control the hours and MAKE THE TAX COLLECTOR DO HER /HIS JOB. No one will change the elected position to appointed. #2 As an elected official she works when she pleases, which is as little as possible from what I witness. You CANNOT hold the Selectboard responsible for something they have no responsibility for. #3 As an elected official she is not staying on top of this and doesn't have to report to the Selectmen when she doesn't do her job. She used to stay on top of these things and she just stopped caring . . or whatever. #4. YOU voters return her to office so You go yell at her instead of the Selectboard. #5 I believe the selectmen actually did have NO IDEA this would happen because of the reasons stated above.
So hey "Pass the buck" it is no more the DOR's fault than it is the Selectboards fault. And to you hrh the Chair of the Selectboard pointed out that the DOR had to do this right from the first moment it happened. And is the "Entire Town up in arms" ? Cause I was at the meeting Wednesday night and 10 people were there. And I'm irritated too "irritated" cause that's what always happens . . .
from: btdt
on: 02-13-2009
here's a thought, stop ganging up on the town officials and gang up on all the dirtbags who have not paid their taxes!! People like that disgust me, there's no reason to not pay your taxes. All the selectmen are town residents too, do you think that they want to pay more for their taxes either?? NO, so im willing to bet that they are not trying to screw us
from:
on: 02-13-2009
what's all this "i din't know" crap? i've never heard so many lame excuses from such a bunch of inept public officials in my life. you should all be ashamed of yourselves. the taxpayers of clarksburg have every right to be irate. the dor made me do it! the dor made me do it! that's rediculous! the dor only made the town shore up the account after they discovered the collective failings of the treasurer/tax collector, town manager and the board of selectmen. the dor's job is to step up and protect the tax payers interest when town government isn't capable. the residents should send the dor a big thank you for covering your backsides.
from: u serious?
on: 02-12-2009
Seems to me that if everyone was on top of the town's finances, that this problemm would have been settled a long time ago. To blame the DOR is just a cop-out. If people had not been getting bills since 2006, there is something wrong. Not the DOR's fault. They are only the watch dogs over the towns so that these types of funds are monitored. They are not responsible for collecting taxes, or issuing bills or anything else that the town is supposed to do. They are there to make sure that the towns comply with state regs. Stop passing the buck.
from: pass the buck
on: 02-12-2009
How typical is it that many weeks after this hit the fan, the Chair of the Select board starts to blame the state DOR, instead of taking responsibility herself. The state "made" us do this. If that's the case, why didn't you say it from the beginning and not wait until after the entire town was up in arms - and whether the state demanded it or not - you're STILL punishing those who pay their fees and rewarding those who don't.
from: hrh
on: 02-12-2009
Punish the people that PAY their bill, that is fair!
from: Irritated
on: 02-12-2009
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