PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Sen. Paul Mark and state Sen. Robyn Kennedy of Worcester, chair for the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities, recently spent time visiting Berkshire County Arc's programs. Mark is also a member of the joint committee.
During their visit, they spent time discussing short- and long-term plans for human services in Massachusetts.
BCArc offers a broad range of community-based services to individuals with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and autism.
In the photo above, from left: Pam Kight, director of employment and community-based day services; Cybele Kilby, vice president of day & employment services; state Sen. Paul Mark; state Sen. Robyn Kennedy; President & CEO Maryann Hyatt; Erin Manson, Department of Developmental Services residential services director; CFO Blanca Durant; Jessica Russo, director of family support & advocacy; and Scott Barschdorf, director of brain injury services.
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Dalton Starts Talks on STRs
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — Short-term rentals have sparked extensive debate across Berkshire County, and now Dalton is joining the conversation.
During the Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, the topic of short-term rentals was briefly raised and will be discussed in more depth at its July meeting.
The state Department of Revenue flags short-term rentals as owner-occupied or occupied for 14 days or less. By law all units must register, but units occupied by guests for fewer than 15 days a year do not need to collect tax.
Some towns, like Williamstown, have defined a rental of a whole or a portion of a dwelling unit, in exchange for payment, as residential accommodations for not more than 30 consecutive days.
Dalton does not have a bylaw for short-term rentals. Definitions on similar rentals within the bylaws are:
Motel, which is defined as a hotel primarily for transients traveling by automobile, with a parking space on the lot for each lodging unit with access to each such unit directly from the outside
Lodging, bed-and-breakfast, boarding, or tourist house, which are defined as a residence with rooms rented or used by paying guests, transiently or permanently, where not more than six bedrooms are used for shelter and sleeping accommodations for guests, and guest meals may be provided.
Although Building Inspector Brian Duval has not received any complaints, the town's lack of a short-term rental bylaw needs to be addressed to prevent "major problems" other towns are experiencing, including Lanesborough and Lenox.
If Duval receives a complaint, he is required to immediately send a cease and desist, shutting them down, Vice Chair Robert Collins said.
For over a decade, neighbors have called 27 Mountain View Terrace an eyesore and a safety risk, and now, after a year in court, work is being done to address the blighted condition. click for more
The project is in the design phase and does not yet have a funding source or an advertisement date. Meanwhile, the bridge's side walls seem to be crumbling and require barriers on one side.
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