Selectmen:

            Town meeting is May 6 at 7pm at the Performing Arts Center at Mt. Everett High School. Warrants will be available the afternoon of April 18, 2008.

            The budget this year is showing a proposed increase of $106,296.00 not including capital items.

This is the first year we are paying for the new fire truck. Our school budget is down as is our health insurance costs. Our Highway Department consists of all new employees so wages in that department are down. We have seen an increase in general expenses for fuels and supplies.

             As well there are many other important issues on the warrant this year, such as a new Loader to replace the 27 year old Loader the town owns, and the Town Hall and Library are in desperate need of painting.

            Town election is May 13 from 10am to 7pm at the North Egremont Fire Station. Requests for absentee ballots must be received by 12noon on May 12. There are many races on the ballot this year.

Trash & Recycling:

            Reminder - Town Hall is collecting thermostats with mercury. This does not include mercury thermometers or light bulbs.

            Town Hall is applying for a grant to collect sharps (needles). Beginning in June these items will be banned from the waste stream. Watch for information.

            Upcoming Household Hazardous Waste Collections:

                        Mini Site Collections: Used motor oil, oil based (no latex) paints, turpentine, stains, thinner.

                                    Wed., April 30, 4pm to 6:30pm. Great Barrington Recycling Center.

                                    Sat., May 17, 9am to 11am Lenox Dept of Public Works

                                    Sat. June 14, 9am to 11:30am Great Barrington Recycling Center.

                        Comprehensive Collections: Please see flyer for details (at Town Hall or Transfer Station).

                                    Sat., July 12 9am to Noon Lee DPW, 45 Railroad Street

                                    Sat., Oct 18 9am to 1pm Great Barrington Recycling Center.

            Please call 1-800-238-1221 ext 17 to sign up.

Library Building Committee:

“Strong libraries are essential to education and life long learning, to economic development, to strong communities and a strong democracy.”

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners

            The Egremont Free Library Designer Selection committee has been hard at work. We advertised and received 5 proposals from registered architects to prepare an architectural feasibility study and schematic plans for a new library building, conduct appropriate engineering studies, provide cost estimates, assist with the preparation for and presentation to town meetings, and prepare technical planning documents for grant applications for the construction of a new building.

            All the architects were well qualified. The committee created an Architectural Proposal Scoring Sheet and selected 4 architects to interview on February 23^rd and March 1^st. After totaling the scores, the highest scores from all the committee members were for Ken Best from DRA Architects in Newton Centre, Ma. Ken Best has been verbally hired and the contract is in process.

            Once the contract has been formalized, there will be a number of meetings with the architect to develop plans for the new library that will be located at the Town Hall complex in No. Egremont. We will begin having Town informational meetings as soon as the architect develops conceptual plans that can be shown and discussed. This is an exciting opportunity for the Town to take part in a positive step toward making Egremont part of the Twenty-first Century.

Council on Aging:

            This has been a busy period of time for the Committee on Aging. We have several events coming up, with lots of opportunity for participation should anyone be interested.

            We have taken a lead role in establishing the Triad program for the towns of Alford, Egremont, and Great Barrington. Triad is a cooperative initiative between seniors, law enforcement, and human service providers to increase safety and confidence for older citizens through education and crime prevention. Representatives of the Sheriff , District Attorney, police and fire departments, emergency management, senior housing, Berkshire South, the Senior Center, and the various Committees on Aging have been meeting to determine if we had an interest in bringing the Triad program to our area. Fairview Hospital will be joining us at our next meeting. We have decided to go ahead with the program. It will be launched at a picnic at the Great Barrington Senior Center on Saturday, June 21. The Berkshire County Sheriff and District Attorney will be present to sign the Triad contract, along with other visiting dignitaries. This will be a major event, covered by the press, and we hope that as many Egremont residents as possible will join us. We need your support, and it should be a fun time.

            If you would like to get involved in the planning, we welcome your attendance at the next Triad formation meeting on Wednesday, May 14 at 2pm at the Great Barrington Senior Center. For further information, call Bruce Bernstein at 528 8269, or write to him at bruce.h.bernstein@verizon.net .

            The Committee on Aging will also be represented at Egremont on Parade on July 27 from 11am-4pm. Our table will include information on Triad along with other material of importance to seniors. We hope you will stop by. If you would like to help with this event, please call Rachel Shaw, chair of the Committee, at 528 3488.

The Board of Health:

            Are we ready to talk trash? Whether you call it trash, garbage, junk or solid waste, there are some interesting developments in the world of trash going on around town that you may find interesting

The Recycling Shed

            The recycling shed is now a popular meeting place at the Egremont transfer station. Because many people took a few extra minutes to arrange books on the shelves, to stack dishware, and to toss things that had no future, we made it through the winter without an overflow disaster. Everyone is welcome to get a tax deduction by taking boxes of good reusable stuff from the shed to the Salvation Army (Rte. 20 in Pittsfield), or boxes of books in good condition to a library that has room to store them for a sale (e.g. the Hillsdale Library). In April, a Goodwill truck parked at the Berkshire Bank on State St. in GB on Saturdays (10 – 4:00) accepted large and small items, and gave tax-deduction slips; it may be there in May, too. Feel free to bring a few boxes to the recycling shed. Load ‘em up, take them to a new life, and get a tax deduction for your trouble.

Egremont On Parade: A Green Event

            Thanks to the good people at CET (Center for Ecological Technology) the “Egremont On Parade” event on July 27^th will be a green event. What does it mean to be “green”? Well, in addition to encouraging attendees to walk, skip, bike or roller blade to the event, organizers will be doing everything they can to reduce solid waste. Food vendors will be asked to use containers that are recyclable or biodegradable (no nasty Styrofoam) and all trash will be separated for recycling. Brand new recycling bins will be used including the new solar powered trash compactor. The green goal will be to haul less garbage to the transfer station then is being disposed of in the recycling bin – if not zero trash production than at the very least we can be trash neutral. Exciting stuff!

Recycling Efforts At Town Buildings

            Containers separating trash, paper, aluminum, glass and plastic will soon be placed in offices at Town Hall and other municipal buildings around town to demonstrate just how easy it is to recycle and hopefully you can incorporate these simple practices into your daily lifestyle. When we recycle we are not only reducing solid waste mass in landfills and the associated hauling fees to get it there but we are also saving natural resources and energy by manufacturing less stuff. And what thrifty New Englander doesn’t already know that a thing that doesn’t have at least three or four good uses out of it isn’t worth a darn? By following the simple REDUCE, REUSE & RECYLCE philosophy we can not only do our part in preserving the planet but save tax dollars paying less for solid waste hauling charges while doing so.

            Do you have a recycling tip you would like to share? The Board of Health would love to hear it.

Planning Board:

            The warrant for the annual town meeting in May contains a citizen petition seeking to “discontinue and abandon the upper portion of Millard Road…” which extends from west of the last driveway in Massachusetts to the New York State line. Under state law the Planning Board is asked to make a recommendation on this petition. This is just one of the responsibilities of the Planning Board related to roads and the divisions of land accessed by those roads. In light of this petition, we take this opportunity to provide some background information about roads and their related planning issues.

            Under the Massachusetts Subdivision Control Law (SCL), which relates to divisions of land, the Planning Board reviews proposed divisions of land in one of two ways. When a road is already in existence and meets certain requirements, the SCL allows new lots to be divided if each has the frontage required in our zoning bylaw, which is 150 feet per lot; this means that each lot must have 150 feet bordering on an approved road. Certain standards for access to the buildable portion of the lots must also be met. The applicant brings a survey plan to the board, and if the road meets the requirements and access is adequate, the Planning Board signs the plan. No public hearing is required. This is called a Form A approval or ANR approval, which somewhat curiously means that Approval (is) Not Required under the Subdivision Control Law, because a new subdivision is not being created.

            When a land owner desires to create a new road with new lots, a full approval process for a new subdivision is needed under the SCL. Application and plans are submitted to the Planning Board for the creation of the new road, with the new lots having frontage on that road. The layout and construction of the new road and the layout of the lots is reviewed in accordance with the purpose of the Subdivision Control Law, which is to protect the safety, convenience, and welfare of the town’s inhabitants. Important issues to be assessed include safety for traffic; access for emergency vehicles; lessening of congestion; compliance with zoning bylaws; adequate provision for water, sewerage, drainage, utilities, and municipal services; and coordination with other roads in the town in which it is located. The specifics for application and approval of such roads are set out in the Rules and Regulations Governing the Subdivision of Land in Egremont, Massachusetts. A public hearing is required so that interested parties can bring information to the board to assist in its decision, and a full review process of the plans takes place, during which the applicant may be required to pay for professionals to assist the town in its review of the proposal.

            Under either the Form A (ANR) process or the full subdivision process, survey plans for division of land must have the approval of the Planning Board before they can be recorded in the Registry of Deeds.

            These responsibilities of the board in assessing new roads relate to the board’s responsibilities in making a recommendation on discontinuance and abandonment of an existing road. This background information about roads may help in understanding the planning issues which may be raised in discussion at town meeting on the Millard Road petition.

Treasurer\Collector

            FY 2008 - Real Estate & Personal Property Taxes - Final payment is due May 1, 2008. If that payment is missed, interest and fees will accrue on the unpaid amount.

            PLEASE - contact the Board of Assessors with inquiries on your assessments. The Tax Collector can NOT answer questions about how your values were calculated.

             Motor Vehicle Excise - PLEASE NOTE: If you have disposed of a vehicle, please remember, it is the taxpayers responsibility to file an abatement. Do not ignore the tax bill as it stays on the books until it is paid or abated. Again, we only have the information provided to us from the Registry of Motor Vehicles which comes from the vehicle owner. If you have received a notice from the Deputy Collector please call his office to clear your obligation.

            RMV Plates - If you intend to turn in your plates, for whatever reason, do so ASAP. The RMV charges for your plate until they receive it. You will then get a plate return receipt. Use a copy of that receipt to apply for an abatement on your excise tax through the town.

            On Line Banking - UNIPAY on line banking - is a great tool for last minute payments of any bill owed to the town. Go to the Town of Egremont web site www.egremont-ma.gov/ and click on pay your bills on line. Follow the instructions from that point. You will be able to use ACH or a credit card. Thank you to all who are using the on-line product. It is working great. Please give it a try.

            E- Banking - Letting your bank send the check? That’s OK, but please put your current bill number or your map & lot on the memo line so your payment can be easily identified. Prior year bill numbers are of no use in accessing owner identification as they change from year to year. Use the memo field for year and bill number.

            Past Due Taxes - If you are among those who have not paid your FY07 taxes in full, please contact the tax collectors office with a plan to satisfy your obligation.

            Questions/Confusions - I will be glad to address any question that would be of general information to the taxpayers. Submit questions and concerns pertaining to the Tax Collector/Treasurer to Pat, P.O. Box 368 So. Egremont. Responses will be given in the following newsletter.

            Office hours - Tax Collector 7-3 Monday through Friday or by appointment

Technology Study Committee:

            The long awaited bond legislation in support of Governor Patrick’s broadband initiative for Berkshire County has still not been passed. The most recent information is that there is an effort to expand the role of this legislation to include unserved/underserved regions in southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod. Should the role of the legislation be expanded, there will also be an increase in the amount of the bond authorization so as to adequately provide funding to support the increased scope of the bill.

            With the support of the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, town technology committees will be meeting on May 13 to discuss further combining efforts to improve broadband access in Berkshire County. Included in the meeting is a request for Berkshire Connect to provide the committees the results of the survey they conducted in support of the aforementioned legislation.

Conservation Commission:

            Your Conservation Commissioners are all volunteers without full-time experience or education in the laws and regulations we are asked to rule on. We have developed a base of knowledge from our experience through our service. In addition, we have continuous access to Department of Environmental Protection advice, and are subject to it’s oversight. Conservation Commissions were established to regulate the laws and regulations sensitive to local town needs. This works fine for projects covered by RDA’s and most NOI projects.

            Recently, as accessible land becomes scarce, NOI applications have become more complex. In these cases, the commissioners go through a learning process that can result in several continuations of a hearing stretching up to four months. This adds to the costs for the applicant in hiring engineers to draw up new plans and appear at several meetings.

            In order to reduce these costs, and shorten the process, the Commission, following the action of several Berkshire County Commissions, has adopted regulations under General Law Chapter 44, Section 53G that allows the Commission to designate an outside consultant if it deems necessary for an NOI application. The cost of the consultant will be borne by the applicant, but will be much less than having multiple continuations of a hearing. The Commission will be using a consultant through a Berkshire Conservation Agent Program which does this kind of work efficiently and cost-effectively.

            The rules that apply to this procedure are available at Town Hall, and are familiar to most engineers you would hire for your project. Are there alternatives? The choices all involved hiring a part-time qualified employee that would increase the town budget - and our taxes.

Proctor’s Bel-Air Farm LLC:

50 Years Celebration Open House

Saturday, June 28, 2008 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Introductions and announcements 12:30pm

Agri-business and Agri-Mark Milk Coop. Booths and displays.

Cheeses - ice cream - milk

Dairy give aways while supplies last

Come and “get up close and personal” with the cattle and machinery.

All ages welcome.

Parking and registration at French Park, Prospect Lake Road, North Egremont.

Bus shuttles to and from the farm.

First bus leaves French Park at 10:45am (One every 15-20- minutes).

Please leave pets at home! Thank you!

Friends of Prospect Lake (FoPL)

223 Egremont Plain Rd., PMB 533 – Egremont, MA 01252