Adams Gets Another Shipment of COVID Tests, PPE

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The town has received another shipment of COVID tests and personal protective equipment.

The Board of Health discussed the shipment, which arrived at the Council on Aging for storage prior to distribution, at its meeting on Tuesday. Board Chair David Rhoads said the town received 23 boxes with 90 test kits each, which will be distributed and made available throughout town by the board, the Council on Aging, town emergency responders and others.  

"[COA Director] Sarah [Fontaine] was in the process of divvying them up and organizing. She anticipated being able to distribute them throughout town how some point this week," said Code Enforcement Officer Sarah Lesure.

Rhoads and Vice Chair Board Amy Oberlin said they distributed some tests at Ramblefest over the weekend. Several event-goers, they said, were interested.

"Amy and I passed out several dozen at Ramblefest," he said. "... They gave us a few more boxes this time around. So that's why I felt I could grab one myself that we just passed out and have for the Board of Health."  

The board also briefly discussed its coronavirus messaging on the town website. Rhoads said he added the Berkshire Public Health Alliance's vaccination clinic list.


Oberlin suggested adding the CDC vaccination location website as well.

"There is a CDC link on here but it just links to their website, so I was thinking, if you can if we can put a link up there that goes directly to their vaccine search, their vaccine provider search," she said, noting she had trouble herself finding a vaccine appointment.

In other business, Rhoads updated the board on ongoing work by the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District for mattress recycling program agreement with Dalton. He said changes to mattress recycling regulations, which require specific disposal methods, necessitated the change.

"They dispose of it in the appropriate way. So more to come on that," he said.  

Rhoads said he is in the process of sending the board's sanitary code regulations to the central Department Environmental Protection Registry.

"I investigated and, indeed yes, the DEP does have a registry. So all of our regulations regarding the environmental code, sanitary code, are supposed to be sent to the central register," he said, noting he was waiting on the approved minutes from that night to send the letter to the registry.


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School Budget Has Cheshire Pondering Prop 2.5 Override

By Daniel MatziBerkshires correspondent
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen voted to schedule a Proposition 2.5 override vote, a move seen as a precaution to cover funding for the Hoosac Valley Regional School District if an agreement between the school and town cannot be reached.
 
The town's 2025 fiscal year budget is still being finalized, and while budget totals were not available as of Tuesday night, town leaders have already expressed concerns regarding the HVRSD's proposed $23 million budget, which would include a $3,097,123 assessment for Cheshire, reflecting a $148,661 increase.
 
The board did share that its early budget drafts maintain most town spending at current levels and defer several projects and purchases. Chairman Shawn McGrath said with a level-funded HVRSD budget, Cheshire would face a $165,838 budget gap. He believed this was an amount the town could safely pull from free cash and reserves.
 
However, with Hoosac's proposed budget increase, this budget gap is closer to $316,000, an amount member Jason Levesque did not want to drain from the town reserves. 
 
"I am not comfortable blowing through all of the stuff we have nitpicked over the last couple of years to save up for just to meet their budget," he said. "I am not OK with that. We have way too many other things that have been kicked down the road forever and every year they always get their check cashed."
 
The Selectmen agreed the only way to meet this increase would be for the town to pass an override that would permit it to increase property taxes beyond the state's 2.5 percent cap, an action requiring approval from Cheshire residents in a townwide vote as well as town meeting approval.
 
Selectwoman Michelle Francesconi said that without an override, the town would have to cut even deeper into the municipal budget, further derailing town projects and needs.
 
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