Selectmen:

            The Board wishes to thank George Caldwell for his several years of service to the Town as an Assessor. A replacement is still being sought. If you are interest in being an Assessor, which is a paid position, please contact Town Hall.

            The Town has set up a public access computer in Town Hall. The computer has high speed internet access, Microsoft Office for word processing and spreadsheet work, and as well has the Assessors field cards (assessment records) on it. Town Hall is open weekdays 7:30am to 3:00pm.

Emergency Management:

            The Emergency Management Team welcomes Will Brinker as the Assistant to the Team.

            Please make sure that the Town Hall has your contact information for the AlertNow rapid notification system. We can input multiple phone numbers such as your local number, your work number, your out of town number and your cell phone number. A test call will be made on September 25 at 7pm. If you do not get that call, please call Town Hall with your correct phone number(s).

            The Team is required by Homeland Security to compile a list of special needs people in Egremont -that is a list of residents who may need special help during an emergency situation. If you have a special need or a disability please let Town Hall now - this information will be kept confidential for emergency purposes only.

            The Pandemic Flu is still a real possibility. The Town will only be able to help residents to a certain degree. We urge you to begin your own planning - stock pile at least 3 months supply of non-perishable foods. This can easily be done if every week you just buy a couple of items and store them somewhere cool and dry.

            If you haven’t already gotten one, please stop by Town Hall for a copy of the Safety Handbook. It has lots of good tips on how to deal with the Pandemic Flu and other emergencies.

Conservation Commission:

            When and how a property owner should contact the Conservation Commission is not as confusing as it may seem. All it takes is an understanding of the alphabet soup of basic terms: RDA, WPA, BVW, DOA, NOI, and OOC.

RDA, or Request for Determination of Applicability, is a simple, fast and inexpensive method to determine whether a project area is subject to regulation under the Wetlands Protection Act (WPA). It does require a hearing which is posted in the newspaper (your only fee is to pay for the and a small fee to DEP or Department of Environmental Protection.) The Commission must issue a response within 21 days after closing the hearing. Hearings can be continued from one meeting to the next depending on information needed.

            The Commission may issue a “negative DOA”, or Determination of Applicability with the standard 18 OCC, or Order of Conditions, plus additional ones the Commission deems necessary. In these cases, it is obvious that compliance with these simple conditions will protect a resource area. So, in the case “negative” is good.

            The determining factor is the extent to which the proposed project will impact the resource area and its “BVW”, or Bordering Vegetative Wetlands. Depending on the recourse area. So, in this case “negative” is good.

            If a “positive DOA” is issued, the applicant is required to submit a “NOI”, or Notice of Intent. The purpose of a NOI is to provide the Commission with information to determine whether the project should go forward, i.e whether it can be conditioned to prevent adverse impact on resource areas (e.g. wetlands, river banks, vernal pools, etc.)

            An NOI requires: a posted hearing; notification of abutters; payment of fees to the town and DEP (fees are determined by the proposed extent of impact). Once the hearing is closed (generally, NOI’s require more continuations than RDS’s), the Commission must issue the OOC, or Order of Conditions, within 21 days.

            For either RDA or NOI, there is a ten working day period to allow for appeals, and review by DEP which can superceded the local commission findings. No work at the site can being before this period expires. If there is an appeal or a superceding order, work can happen, but at the risk of the applicant depending on the result.

            All of this is about the protection of wetlands which are determined by more than how wet the land is. Type of soil and the presence of certain flora and fauna are also involved. A property owner can come to a commission meeting (7pm, second and fourth Thursdays at Town Hall) to ask what will be required, RDA or NOI. The Commission asks that you come prepared with site plans, photos, and any reports you’ve received from biologists, engineers, architects, etc.

            Failure to do so can result in an “Enforcement Order” - but that’s a subject for another article!

Egremont on Parade:

            The Committee for the Egremont Fair Day on Sunday July 27^th, 2008 has had several organizational meetings and have come up with several ideas that will made for an enjoyable day for our residents.

            The food committee has contacted the Old Mill, John Andrews, Egremont Inn, Swiss Hutte, Elm Court, and Mom’s. All have agreed to participate in a “Taste of Egremont” showing off their fine cuisine. There will also be an old fashioned barbecue of hot dogs and hamburgers.

            There will be games galore, including a tug-of-war between North and South Egremont choosing sides, and many other games for kids to enjoy, as well as pony rides for the kids.

            There will be arts and crafts shown by local artisans, and local bands will provide entertainment. If you are interested in joining this segment, please contact Town Hall, 528-0182.

            Local agricultural venues are being asked to set up displays.

            The Committee is open to any suggestions and would appreciate hearing from you. Contact Bonnie Oloff 528-5637.

            All this will require some seed money for us to get things rolling. We would appreciate donations made out to the “Town of Egremont - Egremont On Parade” and sent to the Town Hall.

            It is also an activity that will require many individuals to help. If you are able to assist us please contact the Town Hall with your offer. The next planning meeting is set for Wednesday, September 19 at 7pm at Town Hall. Please join us.

Board of Assessors:

            Some of you have received statutory exemption applications in the mail. Please complete them as soon as possible and return to our office with all required documentation. These applications are required to be submitted annually.

            The following are the exemption categories:

            .           Senior

            .           Surviving Spouse or Minor

            .           Veteran

            .           Blind

            If you fall into any of the above categories and have not received an exemption application, please contact us at 528-0182 ext. 14 and leave a message with your name,

address and phone number, and we will get one out to you immediately. You can also pick up your application at Town Hall.

            Applications are also going out for the following:

            61 (Forest Land)

.           61A (Farmland)

.           61B (Recreational Land)

Deadline for submission is no later than October 1, 2007. If you have not received your application, please call us at 528-0182 ext. 14 and leave a message with your name, address and phone number, and we will get one out to you immediately. You can also pick up your application at Town Hall.

Good News! You are now able to access your property record cards from the public computer on the first floor of the Town Hall.

There is an opening on the Board of Assessors. Anyone interested please contact us at 528-0182 ext. 14.

The Board of Assessors meets every Tuesday evening from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Please feel free to stop by!

Planning Board:

            During the past two months, the Planning Board has moved ahead with the Adult Entertainment Overlay District bylaw proposal, which will be presented at the August 28, 2007, Special Town Meeting, after the publication deadline for this newsletter. A Public Hearing was held on August 14, 2007, at the Egremont Town Hall. The board is recommending passage of the bylaw to allow specific regulations should a proposal for Adult Entertainment use be made to the town.

            The Board also held a Public Hearing on the application of David Divine and Divine Automotive LLC for a modification of its Special Permit for an automobile repair business at 62 Sheffield Road. The modifications requested were to clarify the present special permit and to expand operation of the business. Both the July 13, 2007, session and the continuation to August 13, 2007, were well attended by townspeople, with comments reflecting mixed opinions on the application. The decision will be on file with the Town Clerk.

Council on Aging:

            The September meeting of the Council on Aging will be held in the Town Hall at 4:00 pm on Thursday, September 13. Visitors are welcome to attend. At this meeting we look forward to a visit from Will Brinker, who is the Assistant to the Emergency Management Team for Egremont. Will will be able to give us important hints about preparedness during emergencies. This information could be very helpful, especially with the coming of possible bad weather months just around the corner.

            Once again, the Council will arrange for daily phone calls during the coming bad weather season for a senior who lives alone, and might feel isolated at that time. Let a member of the Council hear form you, if you are interested in having a phone buddy contact you daily.

            The Exercise Programs arranged through our grant from the Mass. Dept. of Elder Affairs continue to be very beneficial to the participants. Regular attendance in structured exercise classes DOES make a difference! The Water program for seniors at Simon’s Rock is producing really good results. If a senior is interested, please call 528-3488 for more details. We are meeting on Tuesday and Friday at 11:00 am for one hour. Each participant pays only a nominal fee per class. This is a bargain when you consider the resulting benefits.

Board of Health:

            If you’ve walked down Main Street lately you could not have missed the big construction work in front of Mom’s Café. The work that is being done is an emergency repair to the property’s failed septic system.

            Many people have asked why such a big field is required and some have even assumed that the field is so big it must be big enough to handle all of the septic fields on Main Street. To answer the first question: the field is large because the soils are poor and because the water usage is high. Busy restaurants generate a lot of water in their preparation of food, much more then the average household does, which all eventually flows into their leach field. Also, patrons use their bathrooms a great many times over the course of a day and even with the installation of low-flow devices on the toilets this use generates a lot of effluent flowing into the septic system.

            Please remember the septic system being built is serving not only Mom’s Café but The Country Market and a small separate commercial space in the building. The system was designed according to Title 5 descriptions of commercial flows, or gallons per day. Yes, it certainly is a big field but the property owner is in a sense lucky to have the land to put it on.

            Because of the close location to Karner Brook the owner is required to install what is referred to in the trade as an “Innovative/ Alternative” (I/A) system – a system that employs additional treatment to the effluent before it enters the leach field. These types of systems are expensive to install, have additional tanks and are more expensive to maintain than traditional systems ($1,500 per year) because of mandatory inspections and servicing. The whole basis of a state regulated septic systems is water protection (both surface water and ground water) and it is all too evident how close this system is to this particular surface water.

            All in all it is one big project. As more and more old systems in the area fail they too will need to be upgraded. Let’s hope they are lucky enough to find a spot to put them on.

Famous Gardens - A New Fall Lecture Series:

            The Egremont Garden Club is inaugurating a new fall series on Famous Gardens for all Berkshire residents and friends. On Wednesday, Sept. 19, a presentation on Edith Wharton’s gardens at The Mount will be held at the Bushnell-Sage Library Meeting Room in Sheffield, MA at 2 p.m.

            Gordon Clark, a well known local garden authority and historical horticulturist instrumental in designing and implementing the renovations of The Mount’s gardens, will be the featured speaker. He will discuss the past and present of Edith’s “famous garden” illustrating his talk with slides.

            Then to bring Edith Wharton’s love of gardening alive, Mari Andrejco, professional actress and gardener, will present an enactment using the author’s own writings.

            Refreshments will be served, and a raffle highlighted by the 2007 biography of Edith Wharton by Hermione Lee along with other Wharton and garden related items will be held.

            Donations to the Club’s community outreach program would be appreciated.

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2007

Time: 2 p.m.

Place: Bushnell-Sage Library, 48 Main Street, Sheffield.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection:

            Mini-Site Collection: Saturday September 8 9am to, 11am at the Lenox Department of Public Works. Pre-registration is required. Call 1-800-238-1221 ext 17 or email shannonm@cetonline.org to pre-register.

            Full collection: Saturday, October 13, 9am to 1pm at the Great Barrington Recycling Center. Pre-registration is required. Call 1-800-238-1221 ext 25 or 14 or email cynthiag@cetonline.org or jamiec@cetonline.org to pre-register.

Friends of Prospect Lake – Box 533 – Egremont, MA 01252: