Hancock Saving for New Fire Engine

	The 58 voters who attended Monday's town meeting agreed with Fire Chief David Rash, left, that the town should put away $75,000 toward a new fire truck.

HANCOCK, Mass. — Town meeting on Monday decided to put away money toward the future acquistion of a new fire truck.

By a unanimous vote, the 58 voters who attended the meeting at Hancock School opted to place $75,000 in the town's Fire Engine Purpose Stabilization Fund.

The decision went against the recommendations of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committee. But the voters appeared to be persuaded by the case made by Fire Chief David Rash, who addressed the meeting from the floor.

Rash explained that the town's existing equipment is getting old enough to be a concern.

"Engine No. 2 is over 30 years old," Rash said. "The 'new' engine, the one we call the new engine, is from 1996.

"If we don't start with the upgrading process ... they're just going to keep getting older and older and more unreliable."

Selectman Martin Hanson explained that the board recommended against the expenditure because of uncertainty about future of town finances and the possibility of a federal grant to defray the cost of a new engine.

"We're waiting to see the result of the grant, there are a couple of bridges in town in need of repair, and the windmill PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program is up for renewal," Hanson said, referring to the Berkshire Wind Project. "We don't know which way that's going to go."

Rash said that while it is encouraging that that the town's grant application cleared the first round of the process, the funding is far from assured.

The town applied for $350,000 in federal funds to cover 95 percent of the purchase price of a new truck, Rash said. The town would be responsible for the other 5 percent.

But he outlined the town's recent history with federal grant applications, which includes modest successes ($42,000 for breathing equipment in 2002 and $37,000 for turnout gear in '06) as well as two previous unsuccessful bids for larger grants to buy a new truck.

Town Moderator Brian Fairbank.

Given the number of towns applying for a relatively small pool of federal grant money, Rash said he was not optimistic about Hancock's chances.

"When you look at what the odds are, I don't hold a lot of hope," he said.

Rash noted that the $75,000 the town approved last night will not fully cover the cost of a new truck, but he hoped it would be the start of a trend toward investing in the department's equipment.

He said the town's equipment was holding it back on its performance in an Insurances Services Office audit. And he pointed out that the potential for equipment failure could have financial ramifications for the town.

"If we have a fire in one of the resorts, and we can't roll to the fire and we lose a building, that's a lot of tax money the town won't see," Rash said.

The town needed to vote by a two-thirds majority to make the appropriation, but like all the other votes at Monday's meeting, the vote was an overwhelming — if not unanimous — decision.

Just more than 11 percent of the town's 517 registered voters attended the meeting.

It's largest appropriation of the night was for school expenses, a total of $1.1 million.

Williamstown Board Opts to Negotiate with College on Water St. Lot

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
05:04AM / Tuesday, June 09, 2026

Newly elected board member Nate Budington, far left, participates in his first in-person meeting along with, from left, Matt Neely, Stephanie Boyd, Peter Beck, Shana Dixon and Town Manager Robert Menicocci.

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday decided to enter into negotiations with Williams College on the sale of the vacant town-owned lot at 59 Water St.

 

But the board members made it clear that the college's proposal to acquire the lot is a starting point, not a final deal that the elected officials would accept.

 

"For the sake of continued conversation, I'm in favor of [awarding Williams the site], but if this process wasn't continued with the opportunity for further negotiation, I wouldn't vote to continue this," Peter Beck said. "I think that next step is necessary for us to get to a yes on this."

 

"I think there's wide agreement on that," Matthew Neely said just before the 5-0 vote to enter talks with the college.

 

Williams was the sole respondent to a town-issued request for proposals to develop the former town garage site, currently a dirt lot.

 

The college's stated intent is to build a new Facilities office and create up to 170 parking spaces at 59 Water Street. That use will allow the college to redevelop the current Facilities building site and parking lot as part of a reconception of the school's indoor athletic and recreation facilities.

 

Under the terms of the RFP, the college's proposal was subjected to review by an ad hoc advisory committee to the town manager, who brought the question to the Select Board. That board will have the final say on any purchase and sales agreement.