Dalton Sees Project Completions, New Initiatives in 2023
The Select Board moved the polling location to the Senior Center against the recommendations of an ad hoc committee.
Voting Location Moved
During a lengthy and at times heated discussion in August, the Select Board voted in favor of relocating the town's polling station to the Senior Center as of March 5, 2024, against the recommendation of the ad hoc committee.
The ad hoc committee — comprised of the police chief, the fire chief, the highway superintendent, and Town Clerk Heather Hunt — recommended staying at the CRA until information could be gathered.
More information on why the board voted to relocate the voting station here.
Following the decision, the Traffic Commission urged the need for a traffic study to ensure safe traffic control during elections. More information here.
Bardin Property
After navigating through regulations that complicate their attempts to sell the so-called Bardin property the town officials were relieved of its responsibility. More information on the property here.
During a Select Board meeting in November, the board approved the state Department of Agricultural Resources its right of first refusal. The MDAR has rights to the property through a 30-year-old Agricultural Preservation Restriction.
MDAR purchased the property from the town and put a call out for bids. More information here.
Town Hall
Following a series of scope revisions, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson announced during a Select Board meeting on Sept. 11 that all the offices moved back into the Town Hall ahead of schedule on Aug. 3. The town was able to take off a month from its lease with the bank, where the offices were being held during the renovation, saving $3,500.
Although the renovations are complete there is still work that needs to be done. Town Hall is currently down a chairlift due to safety concerns with its current one in the police station. It had two chairlifts, one in the police station and one in the public library. More information here.
Master Plan
During a three-hour meeting held in October, residents provided input on ways the town can improve its master plan. The common consensus from the meeting was that the town has achieved a lot of its goal since establishing the plan but there is still a lot more work to be done. During the meeting, residents emphasized the need for better communication.
The next steps of the master plan will be to better define metrics, costs and the needs to address high-priority action steps, he said in a followup conversation, in addition to reviewing and identifying what will be the most feasible and practical steps given the status of the economy, general facts of the area, and what they will be able to accomplish given the time and resources they have available. More information on the Master Plan here.
Orchard Road Funding
The town was awarded a $1 million MassWorks grant to reconstruct Orchard Road after approximately six years of planning and navigating funding options.
The town hopes to start construction by summer. The road, which is often used as a connector to Route 9, has had flooding for many years due to undersized drainage pipes. More information here.
Although adding sidewalks to the road was not included in the scope of the project due to lack of funds, following an outcry of residents and the discovery of possible funding options through the county's Metropolitan Planning Organization. More information here
The road is used by some students who attend Wahconah Regional High School. The Select Board said during a September meeting that the town should first focus its repairs on sidewalks near the schools to improve student safety in high-traffic areas.
Sewer Stabilization
The biannual metered rate per 1,000 gallons will remain at $4.54 and the annual flat rate will remain at $504.
During a special town meeting in August, voters approved raising the sewer user fee by 8 percent to cover the expected increases.
At the time, the Pittsfield's estimate was $1,333,307, but it had since increased to $1,404,159.75. The town will be tapping into its sewer stabilization fund to cover the additional cost, so the increase will not affect ratepayers. More information here.
Property Bill / Tax Rate
The Select Board voted to maintain a single tax rate, as it has done in the past. The town's tax rate is projected to be $17.01, which is down $1.36 per $1,000 of assessed value. Although the tax rate is down, the tax bill is projected to increase because spending has increased.
The value of the average single-family home was $271,929 in fiscal year 2023; this is projected to increase to $314,926. Residential property values have increased by 16 percent, commercial values by 8 percent, and industrial values by 3 percent.
The average single family tax bill will increase by $361.55, bringing it to $5,356.89 from last year's $4,995.34.
More information here.
Emergency Planning
Hazard Mitigation Plan
The town is in the process of updating its hazard mitigation plan. The current plan that is in place expires in June. In preparation for this, the town applied and received a grant through the state Emergency Management Agency, part of which covers the cost of a consultant.
The plan consists of a profile of the community, hazard information and risk assessment, the community's capabilities, a mitigation strategy, and a plan implementation and maintenance.
During the meeting residents expressed their concerns surrounding communication and safety procedures needed in town.
A lot of the concerns mentioned during the meeting are in the plan's draft, Caplan said. However, there will be more public meetings in the future that will focus a lot more on what the mitigation actions will be going into the plan, so residents can add to the plan. More information here.
Emergency Evacuation Plan
The Select Board approved the draft of an Emergency Evacuation Plan during a meeting in October. The amended plan is designed to relieve road congestion and improve public safety in the event of a natural disaster that would require evacuation. More information here.
Fire District
Tax Rate
The state Department of Revenue approved the Fire District tax rate of $1.19 per $1,000 property value.
The tax rate has increased by 36.78 percent, or .32 cents, from last year's rate of 87 cents per $1,000 property value.
The Fire District prudential committee voted to maintain a single-payer tax rate as it has done for many years. The tax bill will be sent to 2,675 ratepayers.
More information here.
Ladder Truck
After the purchase of a "new" ladder truck, the Fire District will pursue litigation to recover the funds paid to Northern Fire Equipment, claiming a breach of contract because it has not been delivered, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said during a Select Board meeting in December.
In November, the Select Board voted to explore how to reclaim the remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds allocated for the ladder truck.
Although the ladder truck is the Fire District’s responsibility, the board stepped in and investigated because town funds are involved in its purchase. The Fire District and town are two separate governing bodies.
Despite earlier reports from the district that the ladder truck had entered the paint booth in August, it was disclosed in a board meeting in October that the truck was far from completion.
More information on the ladder truck here.
The Fire Department's leadership went through some turmoil with the firing of one chief and the resignation of another, along with rumblings from firefighters about how the department was being run. Robert Czerwinski, retired Pittsfield fire chief, stepped in as an interim leader until the a new one could be hired.
Going Green
EV Charging Stations
The town is a step closer to having two electric vehicle charging stations at the Community Recreation Association. There are two EV ports per station. The station is expected to be completed in six months. More information here.
Climate Leader Status Change
The Dalton Green Committee voted to take a step back from its efforts in reaching climate leader status and decided to refocus its efforts on initiatives that make the biggest impact on the town. More information here.
Compost Program
The Green Committee hopes to help the town establish a compost program in town. They created a subcommittee during a meeting in Dec. to determine the type of program it wants to create based on residential needs. More information here.
Police Department
K9 Xander joined the force from Sharpesville, Pa.
After much debate in the local government, voters approved transferring $25,000 from General Stabilization to the Police Details Fund to avoid deficit spending in that account. More information here.
New K9 Xander
The Police Department recently welcomed K9 Xander to the force in August after retiring its old K9, Maximus.
Xander is a Dutch shepherd from Budapest, Hungary. He was acquired for approximately $1,000 from Shallow Creek Kennels, located in Sharpesville, Pa.
More information here.
Recreation Initiatives and Milestones
First Annual Dalton Day
The town held its first annual Dalton Day on July 15 to celebrate the town's culture and community. Hundreds of residents attended the event for music, food, and more. Many town officials described the event as a success.
The event was dedicated to the late Donald E. Harris Jr., a longtime member of the council and Dalton Day organizer. The town's Cultural Council has already started the planning of next year's Dalton Day.
Down Memory Lane Reissued
After months of preparation the historical commission successfully reissued the book "Down Memory Lane."
The book is a compiled series of weekly columns by the Rev. Franklin L. "Cap" Couch that appeared in the now-defunct Dalton News Record from 1972 to 1977
To cover printing costs, a book is priced at $25. Currently, the only payment method accepted is by check only. Order forms can be obtained from Dalton Public Library, Senior Center, and the clerk's office at Town Hall.
The commission plans to sell more books during elections where they will be able to accept cash payments.
More information here.
Dalton CRA 100th Anniversary
The Community Recreation Association turned 100 in November. To celebrate its centennial, the organization held a variety of events including a birthday party on the lawn, a weeklong celebration, and more.
The association opened where it stands today, 400 Main St., on Nov. 9, 1923. Over the years, the non-profit has evolved based on the needs of the community to include more social programming and expand its accessibility to the surrounding area.
More information here.
Tags: year in review,
