CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town will once again see if town meeting will accept combining school districts with Stamford, Vt., with the same article tabled at the December special town meeting.
The Select Board signed off on a single-article warrant Wednesday that would see if town meeting would accept an agreement with the town of Stamford that would merge the two districts. Chairman Jeffrey Levanos shared his concerns over the redundant article.
"This is the same warrant ... so I guess my concern is ... we kind of got trashed for this so if this is verbatim are we just going back to get trashed again?" he asked.
Levanos was referring to the December special town meeting in which there was an obvious disconnect between the town and the School Committee about the presence of the question on the warrant. This led to the failure of the article.
Town Administrator Carl McKinney said both communities are under the gun and have to move on the merger, which is being driven by Vermont's Act 46 that calls for small Vermont school districts to begin consolidating.
"Th Vermont Legislature is only part time… and if we can't get this figured out before they are out of session that would set back the process rather considerably," he said. "Like maybe a year."
McKinney said a placeholder for the merger has been set on the Legislature's agenda and Stamford needs to make a determination by November.
"I think that this is imperative," he said. "I think that if we don't do this, I am not saying it will, but I am concerned that it could deal a fatal blow to this effort."
He added that passing the article would also allow the town to enable the $25,000 the late state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi was able to secure for the community to run a feasibility study. Vermont will also contribute.
Levanos agreed but said McKinney made the same presentation at the last town meeting and it didn't do any good.
"The speech you just gave is the speech we gave to the School Committee at that meeting," he said. "This aggravates me to no end because we just went through this and we have to do it again."
McKinney said he will ask the School Committee members to attend a future meeting and noted the consolidation will only be a plus for both communities because they will be able to share some resources.
The special town meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 5, at 6:30.
In other business, McKinney said state Sen. Adam Hinds filed legislation to secure $500,000 to go toward the replacement of the Clarksburg Elementary School roof.
He said the legislation still has to pass the House and be signed off by the governor.
"It is not a given by any stretch of the imagination, but it is still a solid first step and we are very grateful for that effort," McKinney said.
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North Street Parking Study Favors Parallel Parking
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes.
The city, by request, has studied parking and bike lane opportunities for North Street and come up with the proposal staged for implementation next year.
While the request was to evaluate angle parking configurations, it was determined that it would present too many trade-offs such as impacts on emergency services, bike lanes, and pedestrian spaces.
"The commissioner has been working with Downtown Pittsfield Inc. and my office to come up with this plan," Mayor Peter Marchetti said during his biweekly television show "One Pittsfield."
"We will probably take this plan on the road to have many public input sessions and hopefully break ground sometime in the summer of 2025."
Working with Kittleson & Associates, the city evaluated existing typical sections, potential parking
configurations, and a review of parking standards. It compared front-in and back-in angle parking and explored parking-space count alterations, emergency routing, and alternate routes for passing through traffic within the framework of current infrastructure constraints.
The chosen option is said to align with the commitment to safety, inclusivity, and aesthetic appeal and offer a solution that enhances the streetscape for pedestrians, businesses, cyclists, and drivers without compromising the functionality of the corridor.
"The potential for increasing parking space is considerable; however, the implications on safety and the overall streetscape call for a balanced approach," Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales wrote.
Bike lanes and parking have been a hot topic over the last few years since North Street was redesigned.
In September 2020, the city received around $239,000 in a state Shared Streets and Spaces grant to support new bike lanes, curb extensions, vehicle lane reductions, and outdoor seating areas, and enhanced intersections for better pedestrian safety and comfort.
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