NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — East Main Street will be getting new signage, including a solar-powered signal, to improve pedestrian safety near Colegrove Park Elementary School.
The improvements will be funded by a $6,000 Safe Routes to School grant accepted by the City Council on Tuesday.
The public schools have partnered with the state Department of Transportation program since 2016 and more recently was the recipient of a $622,000 project to reconfigure the entrance and sidewalks to the Northern Berkshire Family YMCA and Brayton Elementary.
The application for this latest grant from the federally funded program was accepted last fall. The Signs and Lines program is for low-cost infrastructure around elementary and middle schools.
A committee of school and city personnel made plans for the grant that have been approved by the Traffic Commission earlier this month. The city is responsible for implementing the plan and then applying for reimbursement from the grant.
The area affected runs from the entrance to the library up to the intersection with Miner and Pleasant streets. It will consist of reduced speed limit, new pavement markings for lines, crosswalks and bicycles, and new signage. The solar-powered, blinking radar sign will be programmable and operate between school hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The grant was accepted overwhelmingly with Councilor Benjamin Lamb, whose wife Emily Schiavoni coordinated the grant, abstaining and Councilor Jason LaForest absent.
In other business during the brief meeting, the council:
• Approved extending the B-2 zone on Massachusetts Avenue east to include 1272 Mass Ave. The property is owned by Centerville Sticks LLC and adjacent to other properties owned or affiliated to Centerville that are in the B-2 zone. The Planning Board approved the change earlier this month after a joint hearing with the council.
• Confirmed Christa Sprague to the Human Services Commission for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2024.
• Approved the installation of a metal-frame awning at 85 Union St., property owned by Scarafoni & Associates. Proof of liability insurance and council approval was required because the awning will overhang public property.
• Referred to General Government and Community Development an ordinance change that would allow the city to revoke special permits if the holders fail to comply with conditions or to pay taxes and fees. The changes are recommended by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and were submitted by Councilor Wayne Wilkinson.
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NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office
By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office.
The board held a special meeting Thursday to vote to accept Hohn's resignation and determined that there are currently no plans to replace her.
"We didn't make any final determinations in terms of the executive session so we will schedule another meeting at another time," Chairwoman Leigh Uqdah said after returning from more than an hour session. "Day-to-day operations will continue to be managed as normal by staff."
Per their bylaws, board member Marie Harpin will continue to handle finances, and Uqdah will manage contracts.
Hohn stepped down on Oct. 8 after 24 years leading the agency. Her resignation followed rising tension between her and the NAHA Tenants Association, culminating in the scheduling of a formal grievance hearing between both parties.
The boiling point was the locking of the association's office this summer. Tenants alleged the lockout was retaliation for posting a video on social media depicting improperly functioning door alarms. Hohn claimed the office was locked for tenant safety and to stop the spread of misinformation.
Tenants Association President Corey Fortin asked if Hohn's security access had been removed. Uqdah confirmed her credentials were revoked the day she resigned, meaning she can no longer monitor security cameras remotely.
Jennifer Barbeau, a former city councilor who was liaison to the Housing Authority, asked when the board met to discuss Hohn's severance package. Uqdah stated that Hohn did not have one.
The board also accepted the resignation of Commissioner Richard Lavigne, though they will vote officially on the matter at their next meeting.
The open portion of the meeting was brief, with nearly an hour and a half spent in executive session. Before entering executive session, the board opened the floor to tenants.
"The tenants requested an opportunity to talk to the board," said Uqdah. "It has been quite a while, but we have decided to honor that."
Fortin, who posted the original video to social media, was the first to speak. He was clear in his request: unlock the office door.
"Let's cut straight to the chase tonight. The former resigned Director Jennifer Hohn ordered the office locked," he alleged. "She is gone. The lockout is a direct violation, and the board has a duty to end that tonight."
He cited federal and state laws that mandate the tenants association be provided with office space, including computer and network access.
"We are here with a direct administrative demand. We demand that the board vote tonight to unlock the doors," he said. "Do not let a resigned director's illegal action remain the board's ongoing liability. Open our door tonight, and let us get back to work."
The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners officially accepted the resignation of Executive Director Jennifer Hohn and restored access to the Tenants Association office. click for more
That was the list of grievances that current and former tenants of the North Adams Housing Authority's high rise laid before the City Council on Tuesday.
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