Lee Select Board Meeting – August 18, 2026

The Lee Select Board met on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. The board approved routine items, heard public comment about the PCB disposal facility and the town's lawsuit against GE, discussed the central station siren and Berkshire MPO representation, and received an update on the town paving plan. No written agenda or minutes accompanied the source transcript.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the August 4, 2026 open session minutes unanimously.
• Approved an updated agreement with the First Congregational Church that formalized the flag-policy and sign permission process and clarified DPW maintenance responsibilities.
• Approved a waiver of inspection fees for Lee Public Schools and St. Mary's Church; Selectman Gordon recused himself because of his post-retirement employment.
• Approved the disclosure for Anne LeBeer, a member of the 250th anniversary book committee who does professional book layout, finding her financial interest was not substantial.
• Appointed Kristen O'Brien to the Community Preservation Committee as a member at large.
• Appointed Emily Minkel, Mark Livernash, and John Parker as election workers.
• Approved a temporary sign permit for the Lee Lions Club for 12 signs, each 18 inches by 24 inches, located 3 feet from the public way and 18 inches high, and waived the fee.
• Approved a Berkshire Gas permit for new gas service at 235 East Street, with a police detail required.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kathy Hall announced an open house at the athletic field on Saturday, August 22, at 9 a.m., saying the field looks wonderful and encouraging attendance.
• Jim Castanegro, a resident living about 2,000 feet from the dump site, with the new main entrance about 1,000 feet away, expressed concern about wind-borne contamination, property devaluation, health risks to children, and the impact on his neighborhood. He asked what the town would do for area residents, suggested compensation and property tax relief, and said he would consider lawsuits against the town if residents were poisoned. He also said the town received $25 million and that he believed the money should help affected residents, claiming 85 percent of town residents agree with him. The town manager responded that the $25 million is in a stabilization account, that only the interest has been used so far to pay the public safety building bond, and that any other use requires a two-thirds vote at town meeting. Selectman Gordon said the money has been set aside for possible future assistance such as buyouts or relocation once impacts are understood, and he rejected the statement that the town of Lee is poisoning residents, describing the Rest of River agreement process as undemocratic but one the town had no choice but to accept.
• Tim, a resident and former private lawsuit appellant, said an HRI-hired Williams College geologist concluded the dump site was the worst possible location because of cracked Stockbridge geology. He warned about PCB levels in air and water, citing a 20-nanogram threshold he considered unsafe compared with a 3-nanogram level in other EPA regions, and described a past EPA experiment in Sheffield showing contamination miles from the river. He urged the board to stay vigilant and continue fighting the project.
• A man speaking about Christina Jones said she had repeatedly called police about construction noise, and said they are collecting a petition from people with COPD, heart problems, and those waking up coughing. He cited 5:45 a.m. steel sawing, Sunday construction, dust, fumes, and lack of noise mitigation, and said they are pursuing the Department of Environmental Protection, zoning boards, and the Board of Health. The chair ruled the comments out of order because the resident had not been notified and the matter was not on the agenda, but invited them to return to air their concerns.

Discussion Items

• UDF and lawsuit update: The town's representative reported that the town's lawsuit against GE is still awaiting a decision on remand. GE moved the case from Berkshire Superior Court to federal court, and the town is arguing it should return to Berkshire Superior Court. Similar cases, including the Cerno case and a Missouri case, may provide precedent. The case has not been dismissed, and the town's attorney believes the town has a strong case.
• Central station siren: The fire chief has changed the siren schedule to 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is willing to shut it off completely when the fire company moves to the new public safety building, with a possible exception for second-alarm notifications. The board cited a past gas leak incident where firefighters had to turn off phones and radios and the siren alerted them to another fire elsewhere in town.
• Berkshire MPO appointment: Selectman Gordon explained that the August 25 MPO meeting was canceled and that a September 3 regional planning meeting will choose a representative and alternate for the sub-east Berkshire region. Gordon was willing to continue serving but welcomed interest from other board members; Selectman Sean said he planned to attend the September 3 meeting to learn more.
• Town administrative report: Paving work on Greylock and Fuller is underway, including sidewalks and mill and fill work. The work will continue in the Davis and Highfield neighborhoods and Fox Run, followed by the Cliffwood Crossway area. The board reminded the public about the August 22 athletic field open house and noted the next regular meeting is September 1.

Key Outcomes

• All listed routine approvals and appointments passed unanimously.
• No formal board action was taken on the UDF/PCB concerns or the GE lawsuit; the town will continue monitoring and await the venue ruling.
• Jim Castanegro was referred to the Board of Assessors process for tax abatement and said he would speak with more neighbors before pursuing next steps.
• The next regular Select Board meeting was scheduled for Tuesday, September 1, 2026.