North Adams Council to Decide Solar Lease, Resolutions

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday will be asked to approve a lease agreement that will clear the way for a 3.5 megawatt solar array at the former landfill.

The council will also decided resolutions to for a full-service hospital and against a controversial natural gas transmission line.

The contracts with Borrego Solar Systems also include a negotiated power-purchase agreement expected to save the city more than $200,000 a year in energy costs.

The solar company will lease the capped landfill for $12,000 a year over 20 years and be responsible for installation, operation and removal.

The council was provided an overview of the energy system two weeks ago by Mayor Richard Alcombright and Borrego senior project developer Amy McDonough.

The mayor had told the councilors then that his goal had been to bring a full project before them.

"I've overpromised and underdelivered on solar projects," he said, referring to a larger project the city backed out of when financing fell through.

The current project has been approved by both the Planning Board and Conservation Commission.

"It's been a long time coming and it think we're ready to go," he said.

Cost, Access to NBCTC High Among Concerns North Berkshire Residents

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
06:15PM / Thursday, April 25, 2024

Adams Select Chair Christine Hoyt, NBCTC Executive Director David Fabiano and William Solomon, the attorney representing the four communities, talk after the session. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Public access channels should be supported and made more available to the public — and not be subject to a charge.

 

More than three dozen community members in-person and online attended the public hearing  Wednesday on public access and service from Spectrum/Charter Communications. The session at City Hall was held for residents in Adams, Cheshire, Clarksburg and North Adams to express their concerns to Spectrum ahead of another 10-year contract that starts in October.

 

Listening via Zoom but not speaking was Jennifer Young, director state government affairs at Charter.

 

One speaker after another conveyed how critical local access television is to the community and emphasized the need for affordable and reliable services, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly. 

 

"I don't know if everybody else feels the same way but they have a monopoly," said Clarksburg resident David Emery. "They control everything we do because there's nobody else to go to. You're stuck with with them."

 

Public access television, like the 30-year-old Northern Berkshire Community Television, is funded by cable television companies through franchise fees, member fees, grants and contributions.

 

Spectrum is the only cable provider in the region and while residents can shift to satellite providers or streaming, Northern Berkshire Community Television is not available on those alternatives and they may not be easy for some to navigate. For instance, the Spectrum app is available on smart televisions but it doesn't include PEG, the public, educational and governmental channels provided by NBCTC.