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Dalton Special Town Meeting Postponed

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The special town meeting scheduled for Monday, June 9, has been postponed to a tentative date of June 26. 
 
Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson explained that the rescheduling is because the warrant was not posted within the state-required 14 business days in advance. 
 
There will be a Select Board meeting this Wednesday to sign the warrant so it can be properly posted. 
 
The meeting was to decide on six warrant articles, including the contentious police budget and an article to transfer free cash to fund professional and technical work to ensure Berkshire Concrete Corp.'s compliance with its special permit and town orders. The funding articles must be completed before the end of the fiscal year on June 30
 
According to Select Board member Robert Bishop, the town is working on putting out a CodeRed to alert voters. The post was made on Select Board member Marc Strout's town Facebook page.
 
In a follow-up, Town Clerk Heather Hunt explained that there were several deficiencies surrounding the warrant.
 
One included the Select Board’s delay in approving the warrant because of the discussions surrounding the controversial items.  
 
Hunt said that the town’s efforts in getting the word out about the postponement have been effective, with tonight's cancellation being posted in town and on the town website. 
 
She also highlighted how Finance Committee member Thomas Irwin has volunteered to stand outside of Wahconah Regional High School from 6 to 7 p.m. to inform anyone who may not have seen the update. 
 

 


Tags: special town meeting,   

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Dalton Police Facility Report Complete; Station Future Still Uncertain

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee's final report is complete but the future of the station remains uncertain. 
 
Several members of the committee attended the Select Board meeting last week, as co-Chair Craig Wilbur presented four options delineated in the presentation — build on town-owned land, build on private land, renovate or repurpose the existing buildings, and do nothing. The full report can be found here
 
According to the report, addressing the station's needs coincides with the town facing significant financial challenges, with rising fixed costs and declining state aid straining its budget. 
 
These financial pressures restrict the town's ability to fund major capital projects and a new police station has to compete with a backlog of deferred infrastructure needs like water, sewer, roads, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
 
In June 2024, Police Chief Deanna Strout informed the board of the station's dire condition — including issues with plumbing, mold, ventilation, mice, water damage, heating, and damaged cells — prompting the board to take action on two fronts. 
 
The board set aside American Rescue Plan Act funds to address the immediately dire issues, including the ventilation, and established the Public Safety Facility Advisory Committee to navigate long-term options
 
Very early on it was determined that the current facility is not adequate enough to meet the needs of a 21st-century Police Facility. This determination was backed up following a space needs assessment by Jacunski Humes Architects LLC
 
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