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Great Barrington AHTF accepts revised starting balance, approves recording fee; asks BRPC to clarify ADU award process
Summary
At its May 19 meeting the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund accepted a corrected starting balance (after a spreadsheet error), rescinded a $250 grant-writing item, approved a $310 document recording fee for the ADU pilot, noted $24,520.20 available for rental assistance, and asked BRPC to clarify the ADU program review and award process.
At its remote meeting on May 19, 2026, the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust Fund accepted a revised starting balance, rescinded a previously approved $250 grant-writing allocation, and approved a $310 document recording fee for the first ADU deed and promissory note.
The Trust's third-quarter financial report (three months ending March 31, 2026) identified a broken Excel formula that produced approximately $23,000 in additional starting funds; the membership moved to accept the revised starting balance as of April 22, 2026. A motion to accept that revised balance, rescind the $250 grant-writing allocation approved Nov. 18, 2025, and approve $310 for the ADU recording fee was made by Bill Cooke and seconded by Fred Clark; the motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.
Trust members also reported actions at Great Barrington Town Meeting: Town Meeting voted to allocate $325,000 in Community Preservation Act funds to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and to transfer $31,933.99 from the Short Term Rental Special Revenue Fund to the Trust. Town Meeting also accepted the Seasonal Communities designation; Peter Most said that the related statute could make the town eligible for a regional-trust state grant of up to $175,000, and he will summarize options at the June meeting.
On program operations, Assistant Town Manager Chris Rembold said he is drafting a vendor agreement with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) for the ADU program, but the draft scope does not clearly specify review and award criteria or how the Trust's rubric will be applied. The Trust asked BRPC to clarify that its proposal will include explicit review and award criteria; the Trust will revisit the ADU program at the June meeting. The proposed administrative fee is $3,500 per applicant, with three loans budgeted under the pilot.
Finance notes: Ms. Timpane reported that $24,520.20 remains available for the Rental Assistance Program administered by Construct, Inc.; those funds have been approved but not yet spent. No new contracts or disbursements were approved beyond the recording fee and the accounting corrections. The Trust adjourned at 7:58 PM.
Provenance: Financial motion and discussion appear in SEG 001; Town Meeting funding reported in SEG 001; ADU program vendor scope and fee noted in SEG 001.
