Adams Gets Another Shipment of COVID Tests, PPE

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The town has received another shipment of COVID tests and personal protective equipment.

The Board of Health discussed the shipment, which arrived at the Council on Aging for storage prior to distribution, at its meeting on Tuesday. Board Chair David Rhoads said the town received 23 boxes with 90 test kits each, which will be distributed and made available throughout town by the board, the Council on Aging, town emergency responders and others.  

"[COA Director] Sarah [Fontaine] was in the process of divvying them up and organizing. She anticipated being able to distribute them throughout town how some point this week," said Code Enforcement Officer Sarah Lesure.

Rhoads and Vice Chair Board Amy Oberlin said they distributed some tests at Ramblefest over the weekend. Several event-goers, they said, were interested.

"Amy and I passed out several dozen at Ramblefest," he said. "... They gave us a few more boxes this time around. So that's why I felt I could grab one myself that we just passed out and have for the Board of Health."  

The board also briefly discussed its coronavirus messaging on the town website. Rhoads said he added the Berkshire Public Health Alliance's vaccination clinic list.


Oberlin suggested adding the CDC vaccination location website as well.

"There is a CDC link on here but it just links to their website, so I was thinking, if you can if we can put a link up there that goes directly to their vaccine search, their vaccine provider search," she said, noting she had trouble herself finding a vaccine appointment.

In other business, Rhoads updated the board on ongoing work by the Northern Berkshire Solid Waste Management District for mattress recycling program agreement with Dalton. He said changes to mattress recycling regulations, which require specific disposal methods, necessitated the change.

"They dispose of it in the appropriate way. So more to come on that," he said.  

Rhoads said he is in the process of sending the board's sanitary code regulations to the central Department Environmental Protection Registry.

"I investigated and, indeed yes, the DEP does have a registry. So all of our regulations regarding the environmental code, sanitary code, are supposed to be sent to the central register," he said, noting he was waiting on the approved minutes from that night to send the letter to the registry.


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Adams Sets FY27 Tax Rates; Average Homeowner Bill Rises $130

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — The owner of an average home in Adams can expect their property tax bill to increase by $130.51 this year, or about $65.26 per installment for the semi-annual schedule.
 
During Wednesday's meeting, the Select Board approved a 30 percent split shift for fiscal year 2027, which it has done for the last four years.
 
The commercial, industrial and personal property tax rate is $22.20 per $1,000, for a valuation of $940,00 that equates to a tax bill of $20,868, an increase of $648.60 from the prior year, said Town Assessor Paula Grover.
 
The residential tax rate is $16.08 per $1,000 of assessed value, an estimated annual tax bill of about $4,272. 
 
The average single-family home is valued at $265,700, an increase of $700 from the previous fiscal year. The increase is smaller than recent years, with valuation increases largely limited to homes that underwent renovations or other improvements.
 
The town saw substantial new growth this year, totaling $18,163,326, with the majority of that growth coming from personal property.
 
"A great new growth number for our town. So, that's great," Select Board Chair Jay Meczywor said. 
 
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