Home / Archive / VOL. III NO. 15 08/01/2022 / Notes from the Board of Assessors, July 18, Hybrid Meeting

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Notes from the Board of Assessors, July 18, Hybrid Meeting

Present:

  • Gary Pitney, Chair
  • Tom Stokes
  • Doug Goudey
  • Michael Blay, Town Assessor
  • Tammy Toupence, Secretary
  1. Pricing for upgrades: $2400 this year and estimated $3000 next year. The upgrades are to Geographical Information System (GIS) — online mapping
  2. The appraisals of utilities (required by Mass Department of Revenue) are done:
    1. Berkshire Gas est. value: $2,231,000 (up $135,000)
    2. Mass Electric (National Grid) est. value: $12,402,000 (up est. $432,000)
    3. OnStar est: $9666 (up $728)
    4. Tennico, Verizon NE, and Spectrum evaluated by DOR
  3. Toupence is doing work with results of personal property form
  4. Sales: Blay
    1. 8 sales around The Bowl
    2. Estimated 39-40 total sales up 22 from prior years
  5. Mass DOR looks at the land residuals (that is, the land value compared to sales price)
    1. Blay mentioned figures, for example, sales price $1.4 million with est. land value $100,000
    2. DOR expected in August (August 2 cancelled as Blay has a course)
    3. If DOR has an issue, will have to raise the percentage of sales cost attributed to land
  6. Changes
    1. Commercial and rentals values — not much change (except rental costs are up)
    2. Real estate property values big changes (up)
  7. Berkshire Railroad Museum and their request for nonprofit (501c3) status
    1. Question for Town Counsel to pose to Museum
    2. Stokes recused himself

Executive meeting to determine tax exempt status of property —

Meeting adjourned

Photo: Lionel Delevingne

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