Finance Committee Chair William Drosehn addresses town meeting.
DALTON, Mass. — Voters unanimously passed 15 articles in a swift 30-minute annual town meeting on Monday night.
The lightly attended town meeting was held in the gym of Nessacus Regional Middle School, where 64 voters passed a fiscal 2022 town operating budget of $8,091,026 and an appropriation of $8,130,864 for the town's share of the Central Berkshire Regional School District budget.
The entire school district operating budget increased by $306,451 from this fiscal year. The FY22 total is $28,364,392, an increase of 1.09 percent.
Dalton's share of the district's capital budget of $1,366,667 and the town's portion of the transportation budget of $453,885, were also adopted. There was a faint "no" when the vote was called for the capital transportation budget, so it was not unanimous.
Per Monday's vote, the maximum amount that may be spent during fiscal 2022 beginning on July 1 for the revolving funds is as follows:
Plumbing inspector: $15,000
Electrical inspector: $10,000
Tree Warden/ Planning Board: $5,000
Cemetery Department: $2,500
Cemetery Department (gravestone maintenance): $5,000
Council on Aging, Transportation: $20,000
Council on Aging, Programs: $15,000
Legal advertising: $3,000
Parks maintenance: $2,000
Highway Department (Boom Mower): $9,000
As of March 31, the town has $937,125 in the general account and $1,216,028 in the capital account. Town meeting voted to move $300,000 to the town's various stabilization funds. Money from these accounts can be used for any purpose related to their establishment upon a two-thirds vote.
A transfer of $300,000 from free cash to the Other Post Employment Benefits Trust Fund was approved for the purpose of reducing the unfunded actuarial liability of health care and post-employment benefits.
The Select Board was authorized to negotiate a price and sell a parcel of land on View Street to an abuttor. Select Board Vice Chairman Joseph Diver said the land has not been used by the town for some time.
Earlier Monday, Thomas Hutcheson was sworn in as new town manager. The former Conway town administrator was offered the post in early February. He is the community's third town manager.
Longtime Town Accountant Sandra Albano stepped in as interim after Kenneth Walto left the position in early 2020.
"There was a lot going on," she said. "The town manager is responsible for a lot of things and that was hard so I decided I would do it for the interim, and then go back to my accounting job, which is my favorite job."
Finance Committee Chair William Drosehn recognized her contribution to the FY22 budget while acting as interim town manager amidst a markedly difficult year. She was presented with a bouquet of flowers at the beginning of the meeting.
"I knew the budget process inside it outright, getting the work accomplished in the timeframe of Select Board meetings, that was my only struggle," Albano said.
Drosehn said it was a "difficult year" and they were all "spread quite thin."
The town election will be held Monday, May 10, from 11 to 7 at the Dalton Community House.
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Dalton Town Hall Lift Solutions in Development
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — Solutions are being sought for the lift in Town Hall that has been out of service since December because of safety concerns.
Building Grounds Superintendent Jeff Burch told the Americans with Disabilities Act Committee meeting on Tuesday night that Hill Engineering has been contracted to come up with a potential option.
The lift is in the police station and the only other lift for the town hall is in the library, which is not accessible after library hours.
Previous attempts by Garaventa Lift to repair it have been unsuccessful.
Replacing it in the same location is not an option because the new weight limit requirement went from 400 pounds to 650 pounds. Determining whether the current railings can hold 650 pounds is outside the scope of Garaventa's services to the town.
The first option Hill has proposed is to install a vertical lift in a storage closet to the left of the police entrance, which would go up into the town account's office.
A member of the committee expressed concern that the current office location may not be suitable as it could hinder access to the police station during construction.
Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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Between disagreements about site design and a formal funding process not yet established, more time is needed before a decision can be made.
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The Ordinances and Rules subcommittee on Monday unanimously supported a pay raise for election workers, free downtown parking for veterans, and safeguards to better protect wetlands.
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A parking study of North Street will be presented at Tuesday's City Council meeting. The design maintains parallel parking while expanding pedestrian zones and adding protected bike lanes. click for more