Adams Selectmen Ask For Pole Relocation on Roundabout

Jeffrey Lefebvre complained over what he described as 'bullying' behavior by Town Administrator Jonathan Butler. Butler denied he was a bully and Chairman John Duval asked Lefebvre to come to him with any complaints.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen expressed their concerns about a utility pole placement in the proposed roundabout that could pose a danger.

Selectmen told a representative from Verizon at Wednesday's public hearing on the location of the pole that the plans appeared to show the pole off-center and close to the Columbia Street traffic lane.

"To me this creates a traffic hazard that could be avoided," Selectman Arthur "Skip" Harrington said.

Harrington urged moving the utility pole to the center of the roundabout and farther away from the traffic lane.

"Unless there is some sort of barricade put up, that pole is like a target," he said.

Selectman Michael Ouellette agreed with Harrington, saying the pole would be especially dangerous when tractor-trailer trucks drove through the roundabout.

"I can see tractor trailer taking that pole down," Ouellette said. "I agree that it should be more toward the center to avoid that kind of situation."

The selectmen all agreed that they would rather put the needed wiring underground. But that would be a more costly measure.

Town Administrator Jonathan Butler explained that the town did not want to put the utility pole on the roundabout at all but were forced to because of state reimbursements.

"The underground utilities are not state reimbursable, and the only way that could have been done is if the town appropriated those funds," Butler said.

Butler added underground wiring would cost the town near $180,000.

The Verizon representative will bring the selectmen’s feedback back to company and will return at a later meeting with a response.

The board also discussed progress on repairs to the former middle school building on Columbia Street.

Selectman Joseph Nowak brought up that the Youth Center may move into the building, since the community center had closed.

"Everything is in limbo now for the community center, and we are holding onto a big building up there that could maybe be sold and put some money in the town's pocket," Nowak said. "I really wish we could expedite what we want to do with the school."

Butler explained that the building did go out on the market and no one was interested in purchasing it. He added that the renovation project will move slowly because it is dependent on grants.

"We can only move as fast as the grant programs unless the town wants to pay for some of these things," Butler said.

Butler said the town has procured a $650,000 to fix 80 percent of the building's roof. The town is looking for another grant to fix the other major capital project, the heating system.

"This is a slow ride, and it's not going to happen overnight unless we use town funds," Butler said.

Nowak said he was hesitant about holding on to the building for so long because it costs money to maintain. He suggested knocking down parts of the building and installing a playground or demolishing the whole thing.

Butler said knocking down the building would be more costly than renovating it.

"When we have organizations that want to reuse a building you have to at least examine that," Butler said. "Tearing the building down will probably cost us a couple of million dollars."

Both the Youth Center Inc. and saucemaker Ooma Tesoro had expressed interest in leasing parts of the building, left empty when the middle school students were relocated to the renovated Hoosac Valley High School.

Butler urged the selectmen to decide what they would support.

"If the board wants to go in another direction that's the pleasure of the board, and I will do what the board instructs me to do," he said."I don't want to be using staff resources on this project if it's not going to be supported by the board, and we need to make a decision and stick to a path because things don't happen overnight."

Butler said he would be meeting with representatives from MassDevelopment to discuss the building and would report back to the Selectmen.

Special Minerals Agrees to Pay Adams, River Groups Over River Discharge

Staff ReportsiBerkshires
02:58PM / Friday, May 03, 2024

Adams plans to use the $50,000 it will get in the consent decree toward the removal of the Peck's Road Dam. 

BOSTON — Specialty Minerals is expected to pay $299,000 for a discharge of calcium carbonate into the Hoosic River nearly three years ago in a consent decree with the Attorney General's Office. 

 

The river turned visibly white from Adams to the Vermont state line from the mineral that leaked out from the plant's settling ponds on Howland Avenue in November 2021. 

 

Calcium carbonate, also known as chalk or limestone, is not toxic to humans or animals. However, the sudden discoloration of the water alarmed local officials and environmentalists and prompted an emergency session of the Northern Berkshire Regional Emergency Planning Committee. 

 

"We allege that this company violated its permits, disregarded federal and state law, and put the Hoosic River — a resource cherished by the Adams community — at risk," said AG Andrea Campbell in a statement. "I am grateful for this collaboration with our state agency partners and committed to holding polluters accountable and working to bring resources back to communities disproportionately impacted by environmental harms."   

 

If approved by the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts, the consent decree will require Specialty Minerals to pay a total of $299,000, which includes payments to the town of Adams and three community groups in Northern Berkshire County that will be used to benefit water quality and prevent stormwater impacts. 

 

Once approved, most of the settlement would fund multiple projects to benefit water quality, including infrastructure improvements and native plantings to mitigate stormwater impacts in the Hoosic River Watershed. Specifically, the proposed settlement provides for: 

• $50,000 to the town of Adams for infrastructure improvements in a tributary of the Hoosic River
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Revival for stormwater mitigation projects  
• $50,000 to Hoosic River Watershed Association for a native plant garden and other projects to mitigate stormwater impacts and benefit water quality 
• $50,000 to Sonrisas to fund invasive plant removal and native plant habitat establishment at Finca Luna Búho, a community land project that centers the voices and prioritizes the decision-making of those living in marginalization. 

It will also provide $30,000 in civil assessments to the state's Natural Heritage Endangered Species Fund and $20,000 in civil penalties for violation of state law, as well as $49,000 to offset the costs of the AG's enforcement efforts.