Dalton Town Elections Monday, Planning Seat Vacant

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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DALTON, Mass. — The town election is this Monday at the Senior Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. 
 
Unlike recent elections, all open seats are uncontested this year, with one vacancy still remaining on the Planning Board, which will require write-in votes to fill the seat.
 
The Planning Board has two open seats but only one candidate on the ballot — William Striebel III. However, two citizens have stepped forward to run write-in campaigns: Richard Hall and Mary Tresa Devereaux.  Both Hall and Devereaux have been endorsed by the Dalton Clear Air Coalition and Democratic Town Committee. 
 
The Select Board has two open seats for the three-year positions and only two candidates — incumbent John Boyle and newcomer Jeannie Ingram. 
 
Select Board member Daniel Esko has decided not to run again after serving on the board for six years. 
 
Boyle is a longtime public servant, having spent 27 years on the Select Board and six years on the Finance Committee, along with serving on numerous local and regional boards, including currently representing Dalton on the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority and chairing the Dalton Redevelopment Authority.
 
He aims to work with other government officials and bodies to maintain financial stability while supporting education and infrastructure, noting that the town’s biggest challenge is limited funding.
 
Although new to the area, Ingram has jumped right into the Dalton community, attending numerous meetings and taking notes. 
 
She has held a range of leadership and volunteer roles, including chair of the Hingham Historical Commission and Dalton Cultural Council, founding president of the Su Escuela Language Academy Parent Association, and a board member of Pittsfield's Gladys Allen Brigham Community Center.
 
Ingram said she fully supports the Capital Planning Committee to help identify and prioritize projects that will require difficult conversations and multiple perspectives in order to succeed because of the financial challenges facing the town. 
 
She says her experience in fundraising and community engagement will help her support informed, transparent decision-making,
 
Also on the ballot is one seat for moderator with incumbent Anthony Doyle running for re-election, one seat for cemetery trustee with Mary Cherry running, one seat for Finance Committee with Diane Lowe running, and two seats for the library trustees with incumbents Max Ehrlich and Fred Sears running for re-election. 

Tags: election 2026,   town elections,   


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Lanesborough OKs Open Space Plan, Short-Term Rental Forms

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday set fees for short-term rentals and adopted an Open Space and Recreation Plan.
 
Town Administrator Gina Dario discussed the draft for STR registration and certificate of inspection since the new bylaws were passed at the annual town meeting.
 
The draft shows the process to file for inspection through Permit Eyes, the town's online permitting system that includes the state building code and safety requirements. Dario said members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and the building commissioner looked at other town models to come up with the best process for registration.
 
Inspections will be annually for non-owner occupied units and five years for owner-occupied. The inspection fee is a flat $50. The last suggestion discussed was the posting requirements for key information.
 
Dario said they looked at about four other communities on how they used non-sensitive information on owner contacts. Chair Deborah Maynard motioned to have the information posted both inside and out to help with law enforcement if needed.
 
"I'm going to make a motion that we put that relevant information not only on the inside of the short-term rental but on the outside, so if the police need to respond, ambulance needs to respond, fire especially needs to respond, all that information is there, nobody has to go searching for it," she said. "If push comes to shove, and it's a matter of minutes, that's going to make a big, a big difference in the outcome of the incident."
 
The board then heard a presentation from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's community planner Andrew McKeever and Open Space and Recreation Committee Vice Chair Mark Hawthorne.
 
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