North Adams Council Sets School Debt Exclusion Vote
Council President Bryan Sapienza holds up an application to work as a poll worker for the upcoming elections. The form can be found under 'Becoming an election worker' under city clerk on the city website or in the city clerk's office.
This second reading of the order, approved last month, was adopted unanimously.
This final adoption paves the way for two community forums and a debt exclusion vote scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center. Passage of the debt exclusion vote will allow the city to raise funds beyond its levy limit for the life of the loan.
City Clerk Tina Marie Leonesio said the city has about 1,400 requests for mail-in ballots for all elections and that in-person early voting will start the Saturday before.
The first forum is Thursday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. at Greylock; officials will provide an overview of the project and tours of the school. Zoom participation is available here. Northern Berkshire Community Television will also record the forums for later broadcast.
The second forum is Thursday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m. at Brayton Elementary School. The Zoom link is the same and those attending in person can also take a tour of the building.
The Massachusetts School Building Authority will pick up about $41,557,218 of the cost, the city about $20 million and the $3 million balance is expected to come from federal energy grants. The 30-year tiered loan for $20 million is expected to have its highest impact in 2029 when it will add $270 to the average tax bill, or about $22.50 a month.
The School Committee and School Building Committee are recommending the construction of a new Greylock based on geography, security and cost.
The estimates for new school construction or renovating Brayton were about on par; school officials saw Greylock as better situated with more usable land, without concerns of the attached, at that time, YMCA, and could be built while students were housed at the other two elementary schools. Old Greylock will not reopen this year because of the failing heating system and other issues.
In other business, the council confirmed the reappointments of Heather Williams and Woodrow Boillat to the Conservation Commission with terms to expire on Aug. 1, 2027, and the appointment of Kaleb Decarolis to the Youth Commission with a term to expire Aug. 13, 2027.
• The council passed to a second reading and publication an updated littering ordinance and a new ordinance regulating the feeding of wildlife other than birds. Councilor Lisa Blackmer, chair of the Public Safety Committee, said the language for the wildlife ordinance, which began under Council President Bryan Sapienza, has been reviewed by the city solicitor.
"We've had problems with with rodents. We've had problems with bears in neighborhoods. And I think it's important to pay attention and respond to constituents," she said.
• The council referred ordinances updating parking zones and school zones to the Public Safety Committee on Councilor Peter Breen's suggestion to add in safety zones.
• The council adopted a new paragraph in the ordinance covering the Commission on Disabilities.
• The council set the state primary election for Tuesday, Sept. 3, from 7 to 8 p.m. at St. Elizabeth's Parish Center and, for the debt vote as well, and for all three upcoming elections, confirmed the list of poll workers and voted to leave the responsibility of assigning police officers to the polling location to interim Chief Mark Bailey and Leonesio.
Tags: debt exclusion,
