WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Although several government meetings have been canceled in the last week because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Select Board will convene Monday as scheduled -- but via remote connection.
Town Manager Jason Hoch confirmed Thursday afternoon that the board will meet utilizing the Zoom videoconferencing platform.
The town's community access television station, Willinet, which regularly telecasts meetings from Town Hall, will transmit Monday's virtual meeting live and make it available for later viewing on the Willinet website.
Hoch said that Monday's meeting will be strictly a meeting of the five-member board. The planned joint meeting with the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee and Lanesborough Select Board to appoint someone to fill a vacant seat on the School Committee will be held at a later date.
"I think we're trying to make sure that we work the unanticipated bugs out before convening such a large group," Hoch wrote in response to an email asking about the town's plans.
Meanwhile, Williamstown has this week announced a few other coronavirus-related initiatives.
Starting Thursday, the town is suspending the requirement to use official trash bags at the Williamstown Transfer Station for anyone holding a current sticker. The temporary suspension is meant to eliminate the need to visit town hall or other locations where residents normally acquire the bags.
The Council on Aging is offering early morning rides to the Stop & Shop in North Adams on Tuesdays and Thursdays to take advantage of the store's special 6 to 7:30 a.m. hours for shoppers age 60 and over. Call the COA at 413-458-8250 before 2 p.m. on the Monday or Wednesday before you plan to shop to reserve a place.
Williamstown will be sending out the second installment of its real estate and personal property tax bills as scheduled. But Treasurer/Collector Rachel Vadnais noted in a post on the town website that Town Hall realizes unforeseen circumstances can create hardships for taxpayers.
"I am happy to work with you to find an approach that can help," Vadnais wrote. "It is important, though, that we actually have a conversation prior to the eventual due date. While it is always more pleasant to have these conversations in person, email and telephone are our healthiest options in the near future."
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Williamstown's 1896 House Back Before Board of Health on Electrical Issue
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The months-long conversation between the owners of the 1896 House and the Board of Health finally may be coming to a close … at least on one front.
On Monday morning, at a special meeting of the board, it reaffirmed an order to correct electrical deficiencies at the Brookside motel but heard that order could be lifted by the middle of this week.
The '6 House Pub, also owned by the Oring family at the same property, remains under a boil water order under the jurisdiction of the town's health department.
But the last remaining electrical issue — upgrading the motel's service to 400 amps — triggered the town's building commissioner to suspend the certificate of occupancy for the 16-room motel on the east side of Route 7.
That problem could be repaired as soon as Tuesday.
"My last conversation with [the electrician on site] Friday evening was he'd be done [Tuesday], and I'm scheduled to inspect the service," Electrical Inspector Joe Beverly told the board on Monday.
Beverly and Building Commissioner Ryan Contenta attended Monday's meeting, as did one of the property's owners, Michael Oring, who attended virtually, and Zach Oring, who manages the property.
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Joe Bergeron was at Town Hall to talk about the middle-high school's participation in the U.S. Department of Justice's SPIRIT program and a districtwide assessment of its process for responding to incidents of bias and bullying. click for more