Dalton Fire District Annual Meeting May 12

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:06AM / Monday, May 11, 2026Print Story | Email Story

DALTON, Mass. — Fire District voters will convene Tuesday to vote on several funding articles, including a borrowing request to purchase property on Flansburg Avenue.

The annual meeting warrant contains 25 articles, including an $895,232 operating budget for the water department and a $1,763,008 operating budget for the fire department and ambulance service for fiscal year 2027.

The district is requesting voters authorize the borrowing up to $350,000 for the purchase and related costs associated with acquiring 30-32 Flansburg Ave.

The district is also seeking to establish a stabilization fund, along with requests to transfer $287,205 in ambulance user fees and $90,000 in FY24 free cash into the account.

There is a request for the appropriation of $2,500 for 50 percent match for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant for the purchase of forest fighting equipment.

Request to appropriate:

$6,000 for a copier machine
$107,480 to pay the principal and interest of the ambulance loan
$356,429 to pay the principal and interest of district loans
$12,999 for an audit for fiscal year 2026 for the period ending July 20 2026
$20,000 for the administration reserve contingencies account
$50,000 for the water department’s contingencies account
$50,000 for the fire department reserve contingencies account
$30,000 for a 5 percent match for the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant.
$32,800 for the timber maintenance account
$6,126 for the Board of Water Commissioners compensation
$199,506 for district administration
$17,500 for FY27 water bills account
$11,000 for the town of Dalton support fee
$10,000 for the town of Dalton dispatch fee
$50,000 to fund Other Post Employment Benefits
$3,5000 for FY27 GASB 45 report
$10,000 for FY27 Municipal Financial Consulting fees

Tags: annual meeting, fire district, town meeting 2026,

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Pittsfield Schools Consider Enhanced Bus Surveillance

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:58PM / Tuesday, October 20, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The Pittsfield Public Schools are considering a couple of companies for enhanced bus safety surveillance after a spring pilot.

Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Bonnie Howland reported that they have met with BusPatrol and Gatekeeper Systems, which offer automated stop-arm enforcement and video surveillance.

It is illegal for drivers to pass a school bus when the red warning lights are flashing, and the stop-sign arm is extended. This protects children exiting and entering the school bus.

A stop-arm camera pilot program was conducted in May.

"We currently have a four-camera system on the interior of the bus, so Gatekeeper is sort of better as far as functionality. It's a little more of an upfront investment," Howland told the School Committee last week.

"BusPatrol works where you basically have an installation of the cameras, and then as tickets are issued to people, you sort of regain your investment, so it's two different sort of cost profiles."

Gatekeeper would cost about $100,000 to purchase, while BusPatrol has no upfront cost and a monthly charge.

PPS is interested in putting cameras in all of its buses, about 30. Howland said that Gatekeeper has a little more robust system that fits into our current system, and Mayor Peter Marchetti reported that the company with no upfront cost helps secure a grant for implementation: $1,200 per camera and $250 a month per bus.

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