A Robust Crowd Attended The Berkshires Annual Outdoor Town Meeting

A community gathering in the form of a "drive-in style" mode was the focus last night at Monument Mountain Regional High School's parking lot in the town of Great Barrington as The Select Board held their session in front of a packed house as town residents also voiced their opinions on certain issues that affect their everyday lives.

The highlight of this 4-hour plus meeting was the passage of Article 25 which was proposed by The Select Board to regulate short-term rentals throughout the vicinity as this measure enables residents to earn some extra money and ensures the proper maintenance necessary in their contributions to our community.

Some of the key items in this proposal include rentals that could be primary or secondary in nature with unlimited time spent if the homeowner is at the designated premises, but if they are not within the confines of their dwelling a 150-day limit will be imposed on a short term rental. Homeowners and LLC corporations are required to register prior to implementing this practice and the property is subject to inspection.

Hotels, motels, lodging houses, and tourist homes are exempt from this proposed law which was successfully passed by a final vote of 207 for the measure and 111 opposition as this was a result of an overwhelming approval from Great Barrington's Select Board crafted by law.

The aim of this meeting was to initiate a platform for residents to speak up on matters that concern them on an everyday basis and to cherish what the town has to offer. This annual community gathering always proves to be successful and since all business was completed, an extra get-together scheduled for this Thursday, June 9th at 6 pm has been canceled. The next Select Board meeting will take place indoors on Monday, June 20th at Town Hall.

(Information summary regarding Article 25 courtesy of The Great Barrington Select Board)