Lenox Select Board Regular Meeting - April 22, 2026

The Lenox Select Board met Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to handle routine licenses and appointments, a dealership license name change, the short-term rental registration rollout, a proposed PACE financing program, and preparations for the Annual Town Meeting. The board also offered condolences on the death of a longtime town moderator and town attorney.

Meeting Announcements

• Town elections are Monday, May 11, 2026. Candidates listed include Dave Roche, a sitting member, and Jared Weber for Select Board; John Kearns for Board of Health; Michael DuPont, Kim Graham, and R. Scott Sibley for three-year School Committee seats; Richard Burr and Stephanie Kluka for the one-year School Committee seat; and Bart Rick Keenan for the Housing Authority.
• No candidates were listed for the Board of Assessors or the Planning Board vacancy. The town is also seeking a non-Democrat registrar of voters for a polling vacancy.
• Annual Town Meeting is Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Lenox Memorial Middle/High School.
• The board offered condolences and prayers for a former town moderator and town attorney who had died during the previous week.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Charlie Thompson, senior vice commander of the local VFW, requested town assistance for additional veterans banners. Last year 100 banners were displayed May-November; an estimated 25-30 additional veterans should be recognized. At $260 per banner, that would cost nearly $8,000. The VFW has contributed $5,000 and asked the town to consider a match; a volunteer, Scott Picintelli, installs the banners at no cost. Thompson also asked whether the VFW could use the old police station because members cannot climb the stairs at the academy building. The board said the town is still evaluating the building and accessibility and referred him for a follow-up.
• Kate McNeil of 10 Post Road reported on the first spring Fix-It Fair on April 11, 2026. It helped 43 people; roughly 34 sewing items were handled, six diagnosed as not fixable, and about 22 electrical/mechanical fixes were attempted, including 11 lamps; about eight items could not be fixed. The fall Fix-It Fair will be October 17, 2026. Donations received will support the community center and the Lenox food pantry.

Consent Calendar

• The board unanimously approved the consent agenda:
  • One-day all-alcohol beverage license for Berkshire Con Community Foundation, Thursday, April 30, 2026, 5-8 p.m. at Venford Hall.
  • One-day all-alcohol beverage license for Dunn Jinman and Cassie Brazi, Saturday, June 13, 2026, 3-4:30 p.m. at Redford Hall, 104 Walker Street.
  • Appointment of Ellen O'Brien to the Housing Trust and Davis Dyer to the Historical Commission.
  • Berkshire Lyric use of the downstairs auditorium on Saturday, May 16, 2026, 1-4:30 p.m.

Public Hearing - Automotive Dealership Name Change

• The board opened a public hearing for a dealership license name change. The applicant said the Audi/VW and BMW operations are being split into separate business entities, so the BMW store needs its own license. The new general manager of the BMW store, Jason, was introduced.
• The board unanimously approved the class one dealership license name change from Sean and Michael Berkshire's AVLOC to Sean and Michael Berkshire's MLLC, doing business as BMW of Lenox.

Discussion - Short-Term Rental Registration Update

• Town staff reported that the updated short-term rental bylaw, approved at a fall/November town meeting, is still under review by the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office; approval is now expected in late May or early June 2026.
• The building department is completing about 30 inspections per week across the five-town service area, including five to six per week in Lenox. There are roughly 170-200 short-term rentals in Lenox.
• The online registration system is nearly ready, but the payment processing component will not be operational until August 2026.
• Staff recommended waiving the $150 annual registration fee for 2026 to allow the rollout to proceed more quickly, avoid cash/check processing, and prevent owners from paying twice in a short period. The separate $150 inspection fee charged by the building department would not be waived.
• Board members agreed with the waiver. They noted full annual fee revenue would be about $25,500 at 170 registrations and briefly discussed whether future billing should be timed for summer, when owners have rental income, or kept in the first quarter, when staff have more capacity.
• The board unanimously voted to waive short-term rental registration fees for the 2026 cycle; the first paid annual renewals would come due in the 2027 cycle. Inspection fees remain in effect.

Discussion - PACE Financing

• Town staff described Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing at the request of MassDevelopment. It is available in Massachusetts for commercial and multifamily properties with more than five units; lenders finance clean-energy retrofits, and the town collects payments through the property tax bill and remits them to the lender.
• Staff said there is no public financing, the town has little financial risk, and the town tax lien is senior to the PACE lien. A developer in town is interested, but no project details were provided.
• Board members expressed general support for the concept but wanted to consult the treasurer/collector's office and towns already using PACE, such as Great Barrington or Pittsfield, before acting. Concerns included staff workload, legal costs, and the unidentified developer.
• The board unanimously voted to table the PACE adoption until after those consultations, taking it up at a future meeting.

Town Meeting Preparation

• The board set the Town Meeting Preview for Wednesday, April 29, 2026, with two sessions at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the community room at the public safety complex; staff, Select Board, Finance Committee, and School Committee representatives will answer questions.
• The annual Town Meeting remains Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 7 p.m.; the board urged residents to arrive early because check-in can slow entry. The new ladder truck and ambulance will be on display at the school from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• The town will distribute a consolidated packet with the town manager's cover letter, Finance Committee budget communication, the warrant with article explanations, and a glossary of municipal terms. Enterprise funds and related tax-rate questions will be explained.
• Board members strongly supported using the electronic voting clickers for town meeting votes; clickers will be available to try at the preview.
• The town manager explained a warrant article authorizing the Select Board to negotiate and sign a lease with a telecommunications provider for the public safety tower. A no vote would not stop the RFP but would require a separate off-cycle special town meeting; the tower is consistent with the town's zoning bylaw.
• Board members selected articles to present, including operating and school budgets, Community Preservation Committee items, Chapter 90, the telecommunications lease, the veterans' property tax exemption, and the zoning article.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimously approved the consent calendar items listed above.
• Unanimously approved the automotive dealership license name change.
• Unanimously approved the 2026 short-term rental registration fee waiver; inspection fees continue.
• Unanimously tabled PACE financing pending consultation with town staff and municipalities using PACE.
• Scheduled the Town Meeting Preview for April 29, 2026; Annual Town Meeting remains May 7, 2026.
• The board indicated it would not meet May 6 unless urgent business arose, and then adjourned.