CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Selectmen last Wednesday voted to ban political signs from municipal buildings.
"We've never had signs," said Selectman Carl McKinney. "We run the town in a nonpartisan fashion."
The town hasn't had a problem and neither has it had a policy, but the question was recently raised, said Town Administrator Michael Canales. If the board adopted a policy to allow political signs, it would have to ensure equal access, he said.
Board members, however, rejected that idea, citing the necessity of policing signs and inability to control the type and size.
"I'm just afraid of what political signs could come in here," said Selectwoman Lily Kuzia, since they could range from national office to issues.
Chairwoman Debra LeFave said she wouldn't be too concerned about signs for town elections but the inability to limit them gave her pause.
"I'd be afraid. Political signs ... that ecompasses a big area," she said. "And God only knows what we'd have hanging on our bulletin board."
The board voted unanimously to enact a policy that would not allow political signs in any municipal building.
In other business during the brief meeting:
► LeFave read a letter urging citizens to fill out their Census forms to ensure the town got its fair share of federal funding.
► The board appointed Jean Bryce to the Board of Registrars to fill a vacancy left by Marie Allard
► Canales reported that the senior housing project application had passed to the funding stage; a water quality assessment and Army Corps of Engineers application had been submitted for the dam removal and the town had fulfilled the state's consent decree requirements for the Senior Center well until it can be capped. The well will be monitored by Berkshire Enviro Labs of Lee; R.I. Baker installed a meter and access.
► National Grid will be reviewing the electrical requirements of the municipal buildings. Residents were told to call the Canales if they see a streetlight on 24/7 because it costing the town money.
► The fiscal 2011 draft budget was provided to the Selectmen, which will meet with the Finance Committee on March 24.
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This is an interesting topic, the selectboard has mandated the banning of free speech. Since the board didn't feel they had the ability or resources to control the speech, they decided to ban it all together. I wonder if this would hold up in court?
"I'd be afraid. Political signs ... that ecompasses a big area," she said. - Chairwoman Debra LeFave
A big area both to allow, but also not to allow. I haven't read the decree, but I think it might be a good idea to define what a political sign is before one goes about banning them.
Editor: I've never heard of ANY Berkshire County town allowing political signs within municipal buildings. Anyone else?
How does this ban free speech? You can still put up a lawn sign, take out an ad, hand out flyers on a public sidewalk. You just can't use publicly-funded space to push your message.
Not only is this legal, it has precedent in many other communities in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Many cities and towns ban the placement of any political sign on public property, whether it's a town hall or any other piece of land owned by the community. As long as it's enforced equally, a legal challenge likely would not stand. And as one other poster put it, this is not a free speech issue. You can say what you want and put up a political sign on your own property, but why would you assume you had any right to post your political leanings at town hall?
For all we know right now, an election ballot could be considered a political message. That would mean a sample ballot could not be posted on the bulletin board.
Who determines what is a political message and by what standards? Can the town clerk post a message about an upcoming election?
Editor: I would say that election ballots and messages informing people about upcoming elections or results are statements of fact. They do not in any way advocate for or against a candidate or issue. May be a stretch to describe them as 'political signs.'
That's my point. For the very same reason the "I'd be afraid. Political signs ... that ecompasses a big area," statement was made. All I'm saying is the definition of what a political message is needs to be defined.
Lanesborough Town Election Sees Expanded Select Board
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board will now have five people serving with the addition of two more board members elected on Tuesday.
Juli Baker, Jeffery Walters and incumbent Michael Murphy took the three seats up for election in a five-way race, winning a three-year, two-year and one-year seat respectively based on the number of votes received. Out of the running were Scott Graves and Christian Halley.
Out of the more than 2,600 registered voters, 328 cast ballots Tuesday in the annual town election, or about a 12 percent turnout.
The current board consists of Chair Deborah Maynard, Jason Breault, and Murphy. The new board was voted to have five members back in 2024 at the annual town meeting after resident Kristen Tool filed a citizens petition to expand it. The home-rule petition was sent to the Legislature and was approved late last year.
Murphy was running for a third term. He said he is not done with his work on the board and wants to see more projects done like the mall. He was voted back on with 168 votes for a one-year term.
"I feel like I've put in a good six years, but I do feel like there's a couple things that I'd like to see through that are still, you know, somewhere either on the front burner or the back burner," he said. "I'll talk about the mall, I'd love to play a role in seeing how that plays out. What's moved to the back burner after being on the front burner for a couple years is the need for a new police station. I still believe there's a need for that."
He is proud to be a part of the board that will expand its members and to have helped the town have a better atmosphere and attitude toward its residents.
"My proudest accomplishment is getting a better home for our Police Department, one that they need very well," Murphy said. "Some of the things that surprised me a little bit, but that I think I had an impact on, is improving the atmosphere within the Town Hall building. I think that's the best way to put it. There was a time, and I heard from many, many people in the community when I ran that I was surprised to hear how they didn't feel welcomed, they didn't feel comfortable, and I think that that attitude and that atmosphere has changed, and I've had something to do that."
Baker won the three-year term with 258 votes. Baker has been in Lanesborough since 2021 and has been participating on the Finance Committee, which she will now leave to be on the Select Board.
She ran because she felt she could help with her experience on many other boards and her ability to be a leader and see both sides of every story.
"I've had a lot of input into other groups like the planning board and the zoning board, and a lot of the issues that have been happening in town, and I feel like I have a very level head about very contentious issues, I look at all sides of every issue and cut through the emotions and get to the bottom of what the issue is and what's best for Lanesborough," she said.
Key issues she plans to address include managing tax increases that she has done with the finance board, addressing the short-term rental bylaw, and resolving the stalemate over the mall property to find the best way to get real value from the property.
Walters took the two-year term with 215 votes. Walters has been a resident for 26 years and owns Snap-On Tools dealership. He said he looks forward to working with the board and says one of the key issues he has heard is the taxes and wants to help maintain the residents taxes. He said he has been talking about running for about eight years and the bigger board helped push him to put his name on the ballot.
"I said I would like to run for a selectman. We're going to a five person select board, so I thought it'd be a good time. Being a small business owner, I feel I have something to contribute to add to the people that we have already in the Select Board," he said.
Graves said he wanted to be on the board to help others in the community feel welcome as he did not when he first came.
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