Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Great Barrington Select Board held a regular meeting on Monday, February 9, 2026, beginning at 6 p.m. The board heard the town manager’s report, approved routine items, discussed a draft Trust Policy addendum with the Bridge and interim police chief, considered proposed BRTA route changes, reviewed the Prosperity Way affordable housing project, acted on a Fairview Hospital expansion application, and heard citizen comments.
Okay, six o'clock, I'll call the meeting to order. Pursuant to MGL 7C30A 20F. After notifying the chair of a public body, any person may make a video audio recording of an open session of a meeting of a public body or may transmit the meeting through any medium. Beginning of the meeting, the chair shall inform other attendees of any such recordings. Meeting is being recorded by the Burcherage, CTSB and the town of Great Burrington. And there is another one on there, Angela. It's a note faker, so I think that is also a report. The listing of agenda items of those recently anticipated by the chair, which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed, in fact, we discussed other items not listed, may be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law. Any member of the public wishing to speak at the minute. Meeting must receive permission of the chair. Select boards announcements and statements. Start with Phil. Excuse me, then also. Thank you. The vote to close citizens petition will not be done tonight because it's already been done as oversight on my part. Citizens Petition closed this Friday, February 13th at the close of business at town hall. We have approval of minutes, January 26th. Oh, it's town managers report. I'm sorry, that's okay. Thank you. Um, so my report for February 9th 2026. As a result of regional uh regulatory change approved at the federal level, the town's current aggregation rate through colonial power group will increase by a. Uh equates to approximately $7.15 extra per month. Despite this adjustment, the town's accreation rate remains competitive with current basic rate service rates, and the program continues to provide long-term value since its launch in 2017. Residents seeking additional information about the rate adjustment program details or their options are encouraged to visit the supplier's website at Colonial Powergroup.com. Just a quick reminder that 26 dog licenses are now available. All dogs six months of age or older are required to be licensed each year. Licenses can be renewed online by mail or in person at town hall, and proof of current rabies vaccination is required at the time of renewal. The deadline to renew is March 31st, 2026. Residents are encouraged to renew early to avoid late fees or penalties. And additional information is available on the town's website through the town clerk's office. The town has received confirmation from Mass DEP that labor costs associated with the installation of eligible water filtration systems are allowable and eligible for reimbursement under the tonic water reimbursement program. This clarification provides important guidance as the town continues to administer the reimbursement process and ensures that eligible expenses are treated consistently and in accordance with DEP uh requirements. Over the past 10 weeks since we increased our outreach, the town has distributed 72,017 and 93 cents in reimbursements, reflecting an accelerated pace of processing and increased participation by eligible households. As of February 19th, reimbursements totaling for FY26 was 84,8326, supporting 115 households under this program. Residents with questions about eligibility, required documentation, or the reimbursement process are encouraged to visit the town's website for the most up-to-date information or contact the town manager's office directly for assistance. To support continuing discussions regarding residential tax exemptions, staff has developed public materials explaining how residential tax exemption works, including the January 26 presentation slides and background information, which are available now on the town's website within the assessors page. In addition, I have reached out to and distributed a peer input survey to all 21 Massachusetts communities that currently have a residential tax exemption in place, including those with split tax rates. The goal of this outreach is to understand why those communities adopted the exemption, how it has worked and in practice, what challenges they have encountered, and what lessons they will share with the community considering it today. Responses received will be analyzed and then shared with the select board and public at the next regularly scheduled meeting on this topic. Lastly, the development of the FY27 budget is proceeding in accordance with the adopted budget calendar action calendar. On Tuesday, February 3rd, it presented a public overview of the 26th budget as well as an FY27 financial forecast to provide context and set the stage for upcoming budget discussion discussions. This presentation was intended to support transparency and early understanding ahead of the publication of the 27 budget books, which will be made available online by this Friday, February 13th. All related materials, including presentation slides, are available on the town manager's webpage under the FY27 budget. Thank you. I move