Adams Opts into PACE Program and Keeps Savoy Agreement for COA

ADAMS, Mass. – The select board opted into the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program as well as another agreement with Savoy for Council on Aging (COA) shared service.

Town Administrator Nicholas Caccamo explained the PACE program as financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in commercial buildings, multifamily properties, as well as nonprofits and religious properties.

It is administered by MassDevelopment in partnership with the Department of Energy Resources. 

"The program will provide loans for upfront costs associated with energy improvement projects, and then they're repaid through a voluntary property tax assessment. So this is where the talent's role comes in. It's administered to what they kind of consider a betterment assessment, so they provide the financing, the towns collect the funds from the properties that are utilizing it, and we transmit the funds back to the commonwealth," he said.

Caccamo said it is not for residential use but might be good for certain buildings in town.

"It's an additional toolkit to encourage developers to redevelop parcels. There's a few properties in town that we think might take advantage of this program. The old Memorial School building could be an interesting candidate. The three to five Hoosac building renovation, those are the level of developments that this program is sort of targeted to," he said.

The board recognized that many other communities in the county have signed on with the program and agreed to sign on as well.

The board also agreed to have an agreement with Savoy to share COA services. COA Director Sarah Fontaine presented the board with the agreement that they have been a part of for five consecutive years.

Fontaine said that although only around 40 use the service, the number of times they were able to serve them has doubled from 558 in FY22 to 1,108 in FY26.

The town gets its funding from a formula grant from the Executive Office of Aging Independence, $16 per person 60 years and older, with Savoy getting $8,000 a year since they have under 500 residents.

The van is available for Adams residents Monday through Thursday and Savoy residents Tuesday through Thursday. Fontaine said that from July to March, they served 39 Savoy residents 899 times, which includes all services such as transportation, programs, and insurance counseling, etc.

She also mentioned they are next in line for a new van from the BRTA, which they do not have to pay for.

In other news, Megan Labbee was appointed Administrative Assistant II, and Linda Hass was appointed as a part-time library aid.

Cheshire Hires Adams Officer as New Police Chief

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
06:00PM / Friday, August 21, 2026

Matthew Wright shakes hands with board members and Town Administrator Jennifer Morse on Friday after being offered the post. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — Adams Police Sgt. Matthew Wright has been tapped as Cheshire's next police chief. 

 

The four present board members unanimously voted to hire him after an interview on Friday afternoon held during a special Selectmen's meeting. 

 

Wright was the only finalist for a police chief search that lasted several months. The only public who attended, other than iBerkshires, was interim Police Chief Timothy Garner and Wright's wife. 

 

The board will meet in executive session with Wright for contract negotiations then set an open session to establish a start date. 

 

Board member Scott McWhirt recused himself from the interview as he had worked with Wright in the Adams Police Department prior to his retirement in 2016.

 

Wright highlighted his deep roots in Cheshire, where he was born and raised, being a Hoosac Valley High School graduate and earning an associate degree in criminal justice from Berkshire Community College and later a bachelor's from Westfield State University.

 

Now, he is raising his own family in town, following in his father's footsteps by giving back to the community by being a volunteer coach and participates in local festivities.