Lanesborough Select Board Unanimously Adopts First Full Financial Policy Suite

LANESBOROUGH — September 8, 2025 — Lanesborough Select Board adopts comprehensive financial policy suite, hears water district defense. The three-member board — Chair Deborah Baynard, Michael Murphy, and Jason Brielle — voted unanimously Monday to approve a roughly 100-page financial governance framework developed over the past year with the Collins Center for Public Management at UMass Boston, funded by a 2023 community compact grant. Collins Center presenters Heather and Tony walked the board through three budget scenarios tied to Baker Hill Road District revenue, with the worst case — no district revenue while the town retains road maintenance costs — producing a projected $260,000 deficit against a $466,810 revenue line. Earlier, the board convened a joint session with the Lanesborough Fire and Water District after residents raised concerns about rising water rates; district commissioners defended their record, citing over $1 million in grants received in recent years and a $1.3 million Berkshire Village water project completed against a $5 million original estimate, while noting their Bridge Street well has been offline for two to three years following PFAS contamination. The board also heard from Scott Road resident William Drescher, who petitioned for a 20-mile-per-hour speed limit and a commercial vehicle weight restriction on the historic unpaved section of the road, citing GPS-driven through traffic and damage from oversized campground vehicles since a nearby bridge was closed.