Clarksburg Town Meeting to Decide CPA Adoption, Spending Articles

05:30PM / Monday, May 27, 2024Print Story | Email Story

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Voters will decide spending items and if the town should adopt the Community Preservation Act at Wednesday's town meeting.

Voters will also decide whether to extend the terms for town moderator and tree warden from one year to three years.

The annual town meeting will take place at 6 p.m. in the gym at Clarksburg School. The warrant can be found here.

The town operating budget is $1,767,759, down $113,995 largely because of debt falling off. Major increases include insurance, utilities and supplies; the addition of a full-time laborer in the Department of Public Works and an additional eight hours a week for the accountant.

The school budget is at $2,967,609, up $129,192 or 4 percent over this year. Town officials had urged the school to cut back more but in a joint meeting last week agreed to dip into free cash to keep the prekindergarten for 4-year-olds free.

Clarksburg's assessment to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District is $363,220; the figure is based on the percentage of students enrolled at McCann Technical School.

There are a number of spending articles for the $571,000 in free cash the town had certified earlier this year. The high number is over several years because the town had fallen behind on filings with the state.

Some $231,000 will go to stabilization, fulfilling a condition made at last year's town meeting for use of that account to lower the tax rate. Normally free cash is used for that purpose but the town hadn't had any in two years.

Town officials are asking to use $142,000 to buy a truck and attachments for the Department of Public Works, $8,000 for new software for the assessor, $5,000 to replace the exterior doors on the Community Center, $113,371 to set aside to match a grant for the school roof, and $72,000 to lower the tax rate (this will fund the preK and underwrite the school budget).

Town meeting will also take up some bylaws, including having newly elected officers sworn in after the town election. This change is designed to keep the town officers who recommend warrant articles including the budget to speak to those at town meeting. Currently, the town election is two weeks prior to town meeting.

Two proposed bylaws deal with dogs— one would change the licensing period from January to December and the other would require dog owners to clean up after their pets.

The Historical Commission is asking the town to adopt the CPA to access state funding for historical preservation, open space and recreation, and affordable housing.

Adoption of the CPA would allow the town to impose a property tax surcharge on nonexempt properties and above a certain value. Commissioners say these funds would be matched 100 percent by the state.

Voters will also decide on whether to make Clarksburg a right-to-farm community and there are a couple sewer articles that do not affect the budget as they are funded by sewer users only. Article 22 asked the town to accept land or permanent easement on Pine Avenue.

The Select Board endorsed the warrant last week.

Tags: clarksburg_budget, fiscal 2025, town meeting 2024,

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NAHA Board Accepts Director's Resignation, Unlocks Tenants Association Office

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
03:33PM / Friday, October 16, 2026

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."

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