Adams Visitors Center In Need Of Heating Upgrades

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story
ADAMS, Mass. — With the cold weather setting in, town officials found a pricey problem at the Adams Visitors Center.

The heating and cooling system, which now is home to both the Council on Aging and the Thunderbolt Ski Museum, needs new control valves and an upgraded computer system. The improvements are expected to cost between $10,000 and $13,000 and Town Administrator Jonathan Butler requested the Selectmen ask the Finance Committee for the funds.

In a letter to the Selectmen, Butler said the town has worked with Conserve Thru Control, which designed the original system, for the estimates. The company identified minor mechanical repairs and an outdated control system as the cause for inefficient operations.

"The new computer system that we will be purchasing accounts for the largest piece of the likely cost. However, this system will be multifunctional and will also be used to operate the hearing system at the Memorial School," Butler wrote in the letter. "The town will also be able to add the controls of the Police Department and Town Hall to this system, creating a single remote hub for the control of four major town facilities."

Butler's letter adds that if the system is not installed before the winter months, the temperature could limit Council on Aging programming.


In other business, Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals Michael Mach is asking the Selectmen to join in a meeting to retool some of the zoning bylaws.

The laws were last revised in 2004 and Mach says he now wants to propose establishing a sign commission, allowing the building inspector to approve swimming pools in cases that currently come to the ZBA, regulating backyard poultry and reducing the requires side lot footage.

"We can''t be judge and jury," Mach said, adding that the Planning Board will also need to be part of the process.

Tags: HVAC,   visitors center,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Cheshire Town Meeting Oks Budgets, Debates Potential Prop 2 1/2 Override

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Moderator Carol Francesconi, left, and Anne Marie Furey were presented flowers in memory of the Rev. William Furey, their brother and husband, respectively. The town report was dedicated to him. 
CHESHIRE, Mass. — Town meeting on Monday approved all 35 articles on the annual meeting warrant, including a total spending for fiscal 2027 of more than $8.5 million. 
 
Some 77 of the town's more than 2,500 registered voters filled the Cheshire Community House meeting room, debating on a number of articles during the meeting that lasted nearly three hours
 
The town dedicated its annual report to the Rev. William David Furey, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church and more recently Berkshire Union Chapel in Lanesborough. Furey died last year at age 77.
 
His wife, Anne Marie Furey, and his sister, Town Moderator Carol Francesconi, were presented with a bouquet of flowers in tribute to him. 
 
He was an exemplary member of the community who left a lasting impression in each and every life that he touched, said Town Clerk Whitney Flynn. 
 
Voters approved several warrant articles that make up an operating budget of $3,840,314 for fiscal 2027. Of this amount, $1,642,481 is allocated for the general government budget, which was approved after clarification of a few questions.
 
One item was the administrative assistant's salary. Prior to the annual meeting, the town eliminated the executive assistant salary of $54,309 in favor of a part-time administrative assistant salary of $27,155, to reduce costs considering the financial constraint the town is in. 
 
View Full Story

More Adams Stories