West Stockbridge approves CivicPlus website upgrade for ADA compliance; police station reopens and feasibility study advances

The West Stockbridge Select Board voted Feb. 2 to approve a CivicPlus contract to upgrade the town website with ADA-compliant functionality. Town Administrator Marie Ryan said CivicPlus will add required accessibility features at an additional cost of about $1,000 per year and that the upgrade will take approximately 10–15 weeks.

Toby Casey said most towns use CivicPlus and supported moving forward while exploring alternatives over time. Kathleen Keresey moved and Toby seconded approval of the contract; minutes record "All were in favor," and the motion passed.

Ryan also reported that the Police Department’s painting and new floor have been completed and that officers returned to the station that day. She said town offices provided several desks for police use so the department does not need to buy desks immediately. Ryan asked the Board whether they were amenable to rescheduling the next meeting from Tuesday, Feb. 17, to Wednesday, Feb. 8; the Board agreed.

On the MVP Safety Building Feasibility Study, Ryan said staff had met with the Police Chief, Fire Chief and Department of Public Works director to determine space needs for a consolidated safety building. She said the team will compile those needs into a single draft building plan and noted focus groups are planned for late February and mid-March to gather public input.

Chair Andrew Krouss also reported he attended a Berkshire Regional Transit Authority meeting and that BRTA faces driver shortages and a significant decrease in ridership; he said the authority is considering cutting some routes and that he will update the Board on developments affecting West Stockbridge.

Chair Krouss moved to adjourn at 6:30 PM; Kathleen seconded and the meeting adjourned.