Mount Greylock Advisory Council Hopes to Clarify Role With State

The Mount Greylock Advisory Council is hoping changes at the state level will give it more of a voice in Boston.

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Advisory Council hopes that a new state division will help clarify its role and foster more communication.

On the agenda for Wednesday's quarterly meeting was "Does Council have a voice in Boston?"  Members have cited a disconnect with the Department of Conservation and Recreation when it comes to items concerning the mountain.

"We're supposed to be an advisory council, and things are coming down from the state, and we didn't even know about it," Chair Heather Linscott explained.

A day before the meeting, she received an email from DCR's Director of Partnerships Paul Fahey, who is aware of the council's concerns and shared how the department is structuring a policy and public affairs team to provide this kind of support. He stepped into the position earlier this year.

"It seems important to set up a path for future success for engagement between the Advisory Council and DCR on our common goals, rather than a continued discussion of the previous role the Council played," Fahey wrote.

"Our team is happy to work with you on this."

Based on his understanding of the council's history, "It appears clear that there was never any statutory basis for the establishment of the Council or its role. It was set in other ways in the past, both by DCR (and its predecessor agency, DEM) and other regional entities."

When county government was dissolved, many of these organizations and groups went with it.

"We're supposed to be an advisory group for any project that happens on the mountain because we know the mountain. We all have different expertise on the mountain. We know it inside and out, basically," Cheshire representative Gary Trudeau explained.

Adams Town Meeting OKs Budget, Nixes Citizens' Petitions

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires.com
07:30PM / Monday, June 22, 2026

The annual town report was dedicated to retired Police Chief Richard Tarsa, above. 

ADAMS, Mass. — Town meeting members approved 23 of the 25 articles on the annual town meeting warrant. 

 

The gymnasium in the Memorial Building was filled with 104 town meeting members who voted to approve the authorization for a number of spending articles making up a budget of approximately $21 million during a meeting that lasted 50 minutes. 

 

Of that, members approved, Article 5, an operations budget of $10,650,057, of which $8,074,370 is made up of personnel and $2,642,107 for operating expenses. 

 

"This is a level of services budget from one year ago," Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo said. 

 

The amounts budgeted are reflective of what it takes for an organization, pay employees, provide health insurance, and all the ancillary costs, he said. 

 

The town has not yet finalized union contract negotiations with the police and clerical unions and still has open positions. So, there will be a special town meeting in late September or early October to adjust the budget based on the salaries and health insurance.

 

The positions have been conservatively budgeted at previous rates, maintaining each staff member's prior step or grade, as if the roles were filled full time.