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North Adams Housing Authority Approves Motorized Scooter Policy

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams Housing Authority Board of Commissioners approved a policy that would hold tenants responsible for damaging property with motorized scooters.
 
"I think it is time that we created a policy to hold people accountable," Executive Director Jennifer Hohn said at the commissioners' meeting Monday. "When people get scooters they need to be aware of what is expected." 
 
She said there is plenty of scooter damage throughout the authority's properties but specifically sited common areas. 
 
She said one tenant rammed a scooter into one of the elevators causing $15,000 worth of damage.
 
This person was caught on camera and, after breaking the elevator door, returned to their apartment without reporting the incident. 
 
"It is basically negligence," Hohn said. "Nobody cares and nobody is held accountable so some people just bang into walls and elevators."
 
The commissioners noted that when people receive a scooter through the state they are first assessed and are briefed on how to properly operate them.
 
Hohn said she is less worried about tenants who go through the state to get scooters because they tend to safely and respectfully operate them. She said tenants who purchase the scooters with no strings attached are the ones who cause trouble. 
 
"My concern is people who are buying these scooters form other people and some have a tendency to maybe drink too much and operate their scooter under the influence," she said. "That is commonly the biggest issue that we will see."
 
She said another point of concern is that some tenants have multiple electric scooters in their apartments. Charging them all at once creates a fire hazard.
 
"We have people with two or three scooters in their apartments right now," she said. "... If someone is charging all three of their scooters at once in their apartment, then we have a problem."
 
She said the policy will hold tenants accountable who are caught in the act and refuse to report an incident. Hohn said they will not be able to monitor everybody, but she hopes the policy will at least make residents more aware and respectful.
 
"I just want people to take more ownership and responsibility for their actions," Hohn said. 
 
In other business, the authority has begun the eviction process and has released 30 notices to tenants who have refused to pay rent after the lifting of the eviction moratorium.
 
Program Manager Lisa Labonte said some tenants have made an honest effort to work with the authority but many have just refused to pay — to the tune of $110,000.
 
Residents were given 30 days' notice instead of the usual 14. 

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Macksey Updates on Eagle Street Demo and Myriad City Projects

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

The back of Moderne Studio in late January. The mayor said the city had begun planning for its removal if the owner could not address the problems. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Moderne Studio building is coming down brick by brick on Eagle Street on the city's dime. 
 
Concerns over the failing structure's proximity to its neighbor — just a few feet — means the demolition underway is taking far longer than usual. It's also been delayed somewhat because of recent high winds and weather. 
 
The city had been making plans for the demolition a month ago because of the deterioration of the building, Mayor Jennifer Macksey told the City Council on Tuesday. The project was accelerated after the back of the 150-year-old structure collapsed on March 5
 
Initial estimates for demolition had been $190,000 to $210,000 and included asbestos removal. Those concerns have since been set aside after testing and the mayor believes that the demolition will be lower because it is not a hazardous site.
 
"We also had a lot of contractors who came to look at it for us to not want to touch it because of the proximity to the next building," she said. "Unfortunately time ran out on that property and we did have the building failure. 
 
"And it's an unfortunate situation. I think most of us who have lived here our whole lives and had our pictures taken there and remember being in the window so, you know, we were really hoping the building could be safe."
 
Macksey said the city had tried working with the owner, who could not find a contractor to demolish the building, "so we found one for him."
 
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