Residents press council on sidewalks and historic society storage as clerk announces archivist assessment

Several residents used the meeting's public comment periods on July 14 to press the council on failing sidewalks and the pending loss of storage for the North Adams Historical Society.

Larry Morris described sidewalks and a manhole near his home that he said are degrading and pose a safety risk: "There's a step up like this, so somebody's gonna get hurt. Need somebody to fix it." The council replied that staff cannot respond during the comment period but encouraged residents to report problems to the Department of Public Works.

Jim Bechtel, president of the North Adams Historical Society, said the society is losing storage space at All Saints Episcopal Church and has been searching for a new museum location for nearly three years. He asked the council for help finding temporary storage or a site for a museum. "We would love to hear from you," he said, noting the society relies on volunteers and donations.

Peter Glaser, speaking for the historical society, said the church's storage is damp and humid and that the society faces a September 1 deadline to vacate; he urged the city to take responsibility for helping secure storage or a museum space to preserve the city's materials.

The city clerk announced the city had been accepted for an assessment through the Massachusetts State Historical Records Advisory Board roving archivist program; a roving archivist will visit and provide a strategic assessment in about 30 days to help guide potential larger grant applications.

Next steps: Councilors offered to meet separately with historical society representatives to explore temporary storage solutions and a task force including major property owners and community partners was proposed.