Stockbridge.Life

Josh Landes, WAMC, interviewed Patrick White. Click to listen or read the article.

Stockbridge’s White says he offers 3rd Berkshire District voters a bold choice in Tuesday’s Democratic state House primary With just days until Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Stockbridge, Massachusetts select board member Patrick White is fighting to succeed outgoing State Representative Smitty Pignatelli.

Thank you to Stockbridge resident Joan Gallos for her kind words and support in her letter to the Berkshire Edge and Eagle. I appreciate your recognition of my commitment to transparency and service. Joan, you know me well—especially about holding the ladder and ensuring it gets put away when the job's done! This sense of community and helping each other out is at the heart of representing the 3rd District.

Let Your Voice Be Heard, Vote on September 3!

Great interview on wamc.

Stockbridge’s White says he offers 3rd Berkshire District voters a bold choice in Tuesday’s Democratic state House primary With just days until Tuesday’s Democratic primary, Stockbridge, Massachusetts select board member Patrick White is fighting to succeed outgoing State Representative Smitty Pignatelli.

Taking care of union and non-union employees

Here's the situation I faced head-on in Stockbridge. The combined inflation rate for the past three years was 16.7%, and Stockbridge's union and non-union staff averaged just 2% in an annual pay increase. Our police and highway unions and non-union town hall staff have seen a decrease in purchasing power of over 10% over the same three years. That was bad for our employees and bad for the town.

I set out to fix it.

Upon assuming the Chair of the Stockbridge Select Board, my very first agenda item was a proposal to use ARPA (America Rescue Plan Act) funds to give bonuses to town employees outside the normal budget cycle. Under my leadership, we provided 20% of our total ARPA funds to our essential workers. This initiative helped our town staff regain some ground they had lost due to inflation.

Over the past year, I have successfully advocated for our local staff. Now, our union contracts contain a minimum increase based on a critical measure of inflation: the Consumer Price Index.

Pay equity has been a long-standing issue, highlighted by the discrepancy in compensation between male-dominated union roles and predominantly female non-union positions.

Through persistent and successful advocacy in Stockbridge, I've addressed this inequality, ensuring equal pay for equivalent responsibilities across the board.

Additionally, I established parity in bonuses and incentives for continued education and professional development, recognizing the value of all our employees' contributions to our community.

Never again will our employees lose so much over such a short period. Candidates from other towns haven’t bothered to put in place these protections.

Sisters Joanna and Shirley live together in Stockbridge in the same house where they grew up. They are pictured here holding their dolls in 1934. I snapped a photo of them holding the same dolls at Shirley's birthday party. They are both daughters of famed local architect and engineer Joseph Franz, who designed and built the Tanglewood Music Shed. Like a lot of us on a fixed budget, they worry about how to make ends meet. These are the folks I work for and I will never forget it.

Bob Jones and I discuss the Lee vs. Monsanto lawsuit and read excerpts from the filing.

Bob Jones and Patrick White discuss Lee vs Monsanto Bob Jones of the Lee Select Board and Patrick White of the Stockbridge Select Board discuss the action against Monsanto and read excerpts from the lawsuit.

An Ode to an Endorsement

To all the dogs and the deer,
raccoons and raptors,
turtles and toads…

To all the bees and bears,
fishers and fish,
cats and bats and this and thats…

To all the creatures here and there,
on the ground or in the air,
creepy or crawly or quick with the quack…

I will always have your back.

And that’s true for you humans too.

Patrick

Mass Voters for Animals is delighted to enthusiastically endorse your candidacy because we feel that you stand out as a person who truly cares about animal welfare and would be a strong advocate for the prevention of cruelty.

We'll be putting notice of your endorsement on our website (massvotersforanimals.org) and will also be directly informing our members. You should also feel free to list our endorsement on your own website or otherwise use it in whatever ways you feel would be most helpful.

Marge Peppercorn, Steering Committee
Massachusetts Voters for Animals
www.massvotersforanimals.org
www.fb.com/massvotersforanimals

The Judy Collins candidate? I love it! [Berkshire Eagle letter, August 23]

JUDY COLLINS - "Both Sides Now" with Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops 1976 Judy Collins joins Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops for a performance of her hit song "Both Sides Now." This concert at Boston's Symphony Hall was held in ...

Win or lose, the day after the election I have somewhere to be at 8am.

We're grateful to Lee Select Board member Bob Jones for highlighting the dedicated advocacy and leadership of our own Select Board member Patrick White. As steadfast champions for the residents of Lee, Stockbridge, and the entire Housatonic River Corridor, their work continues to make a significant impact.

Patrick White for Berkshire 3rd Candidate for Berkshire 3rd House District

Fixing the Problem With Fixing Bridges/August 17

Patrick White for State Representative
In This Issue:
Fixing the Problem With Fixing Bridges

Teaching a Class on Good Government This Fall at OLLI

Letters to the Editor

Fixing the Problem With Fixing Bridges
You can’t open the paper these days without reading about bridge closures. Here’s how we fix the systemic problem of fixing bridges.

First, let’s acknowledge this isn’t easy. Construction inflation is massive. The project I am directing, the Old Town Hall renovation in Stockbridge, ballooned in price from a $4 million estimate just a few years ago to over $8 million in actual construction costs. Bridges are no different, as we are seeing with the Brookside Bridge in Great Barrington, which tripled from under $4 million to $11.6 million.

Here are three ways we can address the issue of bridges.

First, Select Boards and Finance Committees must end the penny-wise and pound-foolish strategy of deferring maintenance. Bridges that can be maintained now should be. Once they are condemned and mandated by the state for replacement, the cost can go up by a factor of ten. Add to that inflation, and it’s a double whammy.

Second, the state should allow for and create a database of bridge designs. Imagine, you need a 150-foot bridge replaced. Right now, you must spend millions on design and engineering. Why not have a database of pre-designed options to choose from, with ready-to-go engineering? Here’s where the public interest and special interests diverge. You see, there is an entire cottage industry in Massachusetts of specialized, high-priced bridge engineering firms, some of which are owned by, wait for it, ex-Massachusetts officials, owners who make big bucks one-off designing these bridges. The Legislature needs to buck the special interests and embrace this commonsense reform.

Third, make money cheaper. Anyone who has ever financed a car knows that borrowing at 1%-3% is a much smaller payment than borrowing at 5%-7%. The state has reserves of $9 billion of your money in the bank. Your state government already allows for borrowing for water projects at interest rates well below 2%. Let’s expand this program to allow municipalities to borrow at similarly lower rates. Your annual taxes to keep your bridges open would be lower if your payments on the loan to fix them were lower.

Many of our problems seem intractable. They are not. They just need common sense, a commitment to the public interest, and bold leadership that never bows to special interests.

That’s why I am running to be your representative for the 3rd District.

Teaching a Class on Good Government This Fall at OLLI
Looking forward to teaching an OLLI class this fall with Town Administrator Michael Canales. There's an open house Tuesday, October 13 at 10am at the BCC campus. Stop by and say hi! You can register for the class on the OLLI website

Here's the course description
This course offers an exploration of the structure and functions of local government in the Berkshires, providing a foundation for anyone aspiring to contribute, whether as a volunteer, a candidate for public office, an employee, or an informed citizen. The course will emphasize issue advocacy and political considerations, as well as best practices for sound management, ensuring that learners understand the tools needed to make effective and efficient decisions in local government.

The curriculum bridges public management theory with real-world practice, covering topics such as effective advocacy, budgeting and financial management, human resources management challenges, and strategic leadership. Participants will learn how each municipal official's role is integral to the overall health and success of a community, fostering a holistic understanding of local governance.

Through case studies and interactive discussions, learners will understand how to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, making them assets to any municipality.

Patrick White is entering his fifth year on the Stockbridge Select Board. He has also served on its Conservation Commission, Community Preservation Committee, Cemetery Commission, Cultural Council, and Affordable Housing Trust. He has authored several town bylaws that were adopted at Town Meeting, chaired the state Municipal Vulnerabilities Program implementation, and served on the Regional School District Planning Board. He is a past entrepreneur and current Chief Financial Officer of the local nonprofit that is renovating Stockbridge’s Old Town Hall for use as a high school.

Michael Canales brings over 25 years of extensive municipal experience as a town and city administrator. Having served in Clarksburg, North Adams, and now Stockbridge, Michael Canales has demonstrated exceptional leadership and management skills, overseeing budgets ranging from $3 million to $45 million and managing teams of up to 150 staff members. He is a certified Assessor, Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official, Public Information Officer, and trained in Incident Command Systems. In his spare time, he has coached a number of sports teams as well.

Letters to the Editor
Thanks to everyone who wrote such great letters in support of my campaign. You can read them at this link:

https://www.patrickwhiteberkshires.com/letters.html

I also included some great ones that came in last year when I ran for reelection. Those heartfelt letters helped propel me to a historic win with the highest voter count and turn-out in my Town's modern history.

I am honored and grateful to receive Steven Marantz's endorsement in The Berkshire Edge. (https://theberkshireedge.com/berkshire-county-needs-patrick-whites-environmental-advocacy-in-the-state-house/)

Steven is a dedicated member of the Green Dalton Committee and a long-time advocate for environmental issues. Steven's confidence in my ability to address the critical environmental challenges in the 3rd District means the world to me. Thank you, Steven, for your support and all you do to protect our environment. Together, we will continue the fight for a more sustainable and resilient Berkshire community.

It's Time: Put the Berkshires on a Business Footing/August 12

Patrick White for State Representative
In This Issue:
Teaching a class on local government at OLLI

It's Time: Put the Berkshires on a Business Footing

Embrace Complexity

Writing the EMS Business Plan

Here's My Pledge to Voters

Letters to the Editor

It's Time: Put the Berkshires on a Business Footing
At its peak, the Berkshires had well over 150,000 full-time residents. We now have around 125,000. Berkshire Regional Planning has predicted that, without a course correction, we are likely to drop to 80,000 by 2060.

We are an aging population. The Berkshires are not attracting and retaining the young people we need to thrive as a community. We must embrace policies that stabilize and grow our population.

Here's a simple fact: good jobs stabilize a community. Larger businesses can be great employers, paying a living wage to raise a family. Small business formation is a tried-and-true method of growing an economy as well. We simply must let the private sector thrive. This is an area where government absolutely can be a force for good.

Here are three ways we put the Berkshires on a business footing:

1. Embrace tax incentives. Let's encourage business formation with tax incentives, regardless of business size. Towns need to know and understand incentives and the available grant/low-interest loan programs. Business owners need training in how to access those programs. The Legislature needs to strengthen these incentives.

2. Recruit next-gen tech. With the climate crisis, living in the south and west may become unbearably hot over the coming decades. The Berkshires' environment is projected to remain relatively mild. Let's use this fact to try and recruit one or two medium-sized employers in clean tech or software development. How about, as Doug Newman, the Chair of the New Marlborough Finance Committee, has suggested, we market the Berkshires to a tech firm for a campus? It's like a mall strategy: one or two anchor tenants can make all the difference in viability. Let's put in place a 20-year strategy to build out great jobs.

3. Continue the mall strategy. With a tech leader in place, we create new opportunities for small business. Create a hub of innovation and the market will foster smaller business formation, startups that can thrive in an ecosystem created by proximity to a leading tech industry player.

An investment in business is an investment in jobs. It puts folks to work. It is the only path to repopulating the Berkshires. Let's put the Berkshires on a solid business footing.

Embrace Complexity
I hear a lot about housing in this race. You can build all the homes and ADUs you want, but if there aren't middle-class jobs, we are mostly building more seasonal homes, not the workforce homes for, you know, the folks working in the jobs that keep the Berkshires strong. Of course, this does not apply to subsidized housing, but even with the big taxpayer investment in the Affordable Homes Act, the administration projects it will build just 20% of the homes needed statewide. And I for one don't want even more income inequality than we already have around here. I just don't.

We've got a short-term housing crisis for sure. We also have significant predictions for a drastic population decline. Which suggests a glut of empty houses, unless we embark on a significant course correction. Housing and jobs aren't two different strategies: they are all part of the same puzzle. We all need to recognize that sound bites aren't plans, and plans aren't results. These issues are all interrelated and incredibly complex. Let's roll up our sleeves, embrace the complexity, and solve this.

Writing the EMS Business Plan
This week, I'm helping two wonderful EMS professionals write their business plan. This is the first step to put the pieces in place to get an EMS training initiative launched.

These first responders want to create an organization to help train the next generation of EMS staff in Berkshire County. Our goal is to have a draft of the plan ready within several weeks. It's a tall order, but this one is important to me on a personal level.

You see, 15 years ago I got a pretty tough cancer diagnosis. I was being treated at Mass General for cancer that had spread to my brain, spinal cord, and heart. Between chemo, I would come out here and my wonderful dad Russ would take care of me, along with my awesome sister Kathy, who spent a week or two a month traveling out here to help me from her home in Los Angeles. The doctors told me if they didn't get it all, I'd be dead in six months, that I should get my affairs in order. Lucky for me they did!

Chemo is fraught with peril, as you become susceptible to infections due to impacts on your immune system. Sure enough, I was out here recuperating and I caught something. I woke up, if you can call it that, with a 104° fever. My family rushed me to the emergency room, and in consultation with the doctors at Mass. General, the decision was made to transport me back in Boston. One of the local ambulance services strapped me in and drove me to Boston. I even helped them with directions on Storrow Drive to Mass. General while staring at the top of the ambulance!

I lived to write another day.

For me, it's a pay-it-forward thing. Helping these folks with their business plan is the least I can do, after what EMS workers did for me 15 years ago: maybe they helped saved my life. Like these first responders do for countless others day after day, year after year. Thank you for your service. We're all relying on you.

Here's My Pledge to Voters
There's only one lens I will use when evaluating legislation before the General Court. Is the proposal in my constituents' best interest?

Here's what I've done: It takes money to run a campaign like this and I've raised some. That said, not a single donation came from someone with business before the town currently or to my knowledge in the future. Had I received one, I would have returned it. Why? To avoid a conflict of interest—or even an appearance of one.

I know of one developer who plans to bring business before the Stockbridge Select Board this summer. I told him in no uncertain terms that I would not accept a donation.

Builders build housing. They come before boards. I sit on two of the boards that review proposals, our Affordable Housing Trust and Select Board. The Select Board is especially consequential, because it takes just one vote out of three to scuttle a proposal.

I don't love the relationship between money and politics. The good news is I don't feel I owe anyone any favors. I'm not worried about choosing between special interests and the public interest. I've tried really hard to avoid the conflict.

Letters to the Editor
Thanks to everyone who wrote such great letters in support of my campaign. You can read them at this link:

https://www.patrickwhiteberkshires.com/letters.html

I also included some great ones that came in last year when I ran for reelection. Those heartfelt letters helped propel me to a historic win with the highest voter count and turn-out in my Town's modern history.

Campaigns are a team effort. We only have three weeks left until election day. I could use more help with phone calls, door knocking, and especially at the polls in all 18 towns on election day. And of course, write a letter if you have something to share! Let me know if you can help.

Please fill out this form linked here or reply to this email to sign up! Once you do, my campaign manager, Bridget, will set up a time to walk you through the process, answer any questions, and get you started.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra has offered complimentary tickets to OLLI members for David Pogue's Spotlight Series at Tanglewood, Saturday, August 17 at 5 p.m.

To request up to two tickets per person, email Lyndon Moors at [email protected] until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 16.

TLI Spotlight Series: David Pogue

Tanglewood Music Festival
Seiji Ozawa Hall, Lenox/Stockbridge, MA

Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, NOVA host, and former New York Times columnist David Pogue is the go-to expert on disruptive tech and science in a fast-changing world. Pogue brings his expansive knowledge, engaging wit, and an occasional song to center stage in a talk about Artificial Intelligence and the future of music.

The Spotlight Series is generously supported by Marillyn Tufte Zacharis.

While you are at it, sign up for my OLLI course this fall, Understanding Local Government!

https://berkshireolli.org/F101LocalGovernmentFall24

Join Us to Learn, Lead, and Make a Difference in Your Community!

This course is crucial today as it equips participants with the knowledge and skills to address our towns' pressing challenges. By understanding what's required to run local government efficiently and effectively, participants can help shape the future of their communities.

Watch a brief video explanation of the course by its instructors and register by scanning the QR code or visiting: https://bit.ly/UnderstandingLocalGovernment.

Berkshire OLLI - F101 Understanding Local Government Fall 24 OLLI: the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community CollegePartners in education with Williams College, Bard College at Simon's Rock and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts [email protected]

So honored to be teaching a class with my friend and Stockbridge Town Administrator Mike Canales on local government for OLLI this fall. You can read the course description and watch a short two-minute video at the link. The class is in person at BCC with a Zoom option.

Berkshire OLLI - F101 Understanding Local Government Fall 24 OLLI: the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community CollegePartners in education with Williams College, Bard College at Simon's Rock and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts [email protected]

Affordable Homes Act: Highlights/August 4

Patrick White for State Representative
In This Issue:
What Didn't Get Done: Climate and Economic Development Legislation

Photos from the Kamala Harris Event

Save the Date: The State's Forestry Conference in Stockbridge October 19

Letter of Endorsement: Bob Jones, Lee Select Board

Affordable Homes Act: Highlights

Affordable Homes Act: Encouraging Regional Trusts

Affordable Homes Act: Seasonal Communities

Affordable Homes Act: Accessory Dwelling Units By Right

Affordable Homes Act: Disincentives for Filing Nuisance Lawsuits

Affordable Homes Act: Support for Veterans

Affordable Homes Act: Repairs for Existing Housing Stock

Affordable Homes Act: Local Earmarks

What Didn't Get Done:
Climate and Economic Development Legislation
As great as the Affordable Homes Act is, it is just one of three landmark bills that were under consideration. For an in-depth analysis of the Affordable Homes Act, see below. The other two, climate legislation and economic development legislation, did not pass. I am hoping my strong portfolio of accomplishments in both environmental and climate issues, and my strong record as an entrepreneur and jobs creator, can help improve these bills in the next session and get them across the finish line for the Governor's signature.

Watch and Decide for Yourself
Candidates' Forums
I attended both the Sheffield Candidates' Forum and the League of Women Voters' Forum in Lee last month. This link is to the Sheffield Forum, where the questions weren't supplied in advance. Watch and decide for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsHg6pd_24o

Bob Jones Endorsement Letter
To the editor:

I am writing in full support of Patrick White’s candidacy for our state representative for the 3rd Berkshire District. I have known Patrick for many years, long before this endeavor, and before he sat on the Stockbridge Select Board. He is a consummate professional with a background in finance. He is willing to take on challenges that face us as individual communities and those that will impact us as a region. While sitting on the Stockbridge Select Board, he has reached across town lines to address shared problems, offered suggestions and solutions, and encouraged dialogue between towns. Patrick White is a man who will take on an issue, spark essential dialogue, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable it may be.

His list of accomplishments is lengthy and impressive: working to redistribute tax burdens for local residents; creatively managing and minimizing budget increases while still implementing infrastructure improvements; procuring grant monies and other funding through his diligence and in-depth research; residential-housing initiatives; work-force housing; environmental initiatives including conservation measures, land grants (Patrick is one of three Berkshire individuals to sit on the state’s climate advisory board.) The list goes on, too lengthy to detail in a brief Letter to the Editor. For details, visit Patrick’s campaign website.

For those of us who are concerned about the deeply flawed Rest of River agreement, Patrick again stepped up when no one else would. The Town of Lee endeavored to open a dialogue with Sheffield, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and Lenox to address the open-ended agreement that will impact residents in all these towns and beyond. Patrick White was the only select board member in all four of those towns who advocated for an open-meeting discussion to address the ongoing problems with the plan. He was, and is, an advocate for residents of Lee, and all of those towns. After all, it is the residents in the river corridor that will be most impacted this agreement. Patrick stood alone in his quest to bring the facts to them.

I hope my friends and neighbors in the 3rd Berkshire District will join me in voting to send Patrick White to represent us in Boston. He is tireless in his endeavors to make small-town government effective, productive, and to best serve the interests of the citizens it represents. Let’s give him the opportunity to go east and bring that message to Boston. Patrick White has our backs.

Bob Jones
Lee

NOTE: Bob Jones is a member of the Lee Select Board; however, he writes the above on his own behalf and not on behalf of the Select Board.

Still Doing the Job I Already Have
I’ve been working hard to do the job I already have as a Select Board member, even while I run. I filed both written and oral testimony as a DPU intervenor on behalf of residents who are on the Housatonic Water Works system. I launched a major initiative, with sign offs from both the Stockbridge and Lenox Select Boards, to make the neighborhoods in the Tanglewood area more pedestrian friendly. I’ve been working with our awesome Agricultural and Forestry Commission to plan the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Annual Forestry Conference, which will take place in Stockbridge on October 19.

Save the Date:
The State's Forestry Conference in Stockbridge October 19
Stockbridge has been given the honor of hosting the State's annual forestry conference, to be held October 19 at Town Hall. It will feature a number of speakers in the morning and field trips in the afternoon.

* * * * *

Affordable Homes Act: Highlights
With overwhelming and bipartisan support, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate passed the Affordable Homes Act and sent this landmark bill to Governor Healey. I took the time to read the 181-page final bill this weekend. I've excerpted some noteworthy sections and added my commentary. The smaller serif text is directly from the bill; the larger sans-serif text is my commentary.

Encouraging Regional Trusts
My Commentary. The Legislature is encouraging communities such as ours to regionalize our trusts. This is a great idea. I would suggest we go one step further: amend our regional agreements as they related to school districts to create regional incentives to build housing and remove the disincentives. An example of a disincentive is basing the apportionment of school funding per town that is based on foundation enrollment. This in effect penalizes towns that embrace housing solutions in the annual appropriations necessary to fund schools. We have available seats in our classrooms that can be filled at almost no marginal cost per student. How about we align our housing goals with how we apportion school funding to the taxpayers in the individual towns that are in a regional school district?

379 a resource for public housing eligible residents; (ii) encourage proposals that demonstrate regional collaborations among housing authorities;

Seasonal Communities
My Commentary. This is a big deal. For the first time, the Legislature has recognized the challenges specific to the Cape and the Berkshires related to tourism and seasonal communities. Nearly half of the communities in South County will meet this designation by definition; the others can petition the secretary.

1315 (b) The secretary may designate a municipality as a seasonal community; provided, however, that all municipalities in the counties of Dukes and Nantucket and all municipalities with over 35 per cent seasonal housing units in the county of Barnstable, as determined by the executive office in consultation with the Cape Cod commission established in chapter 716 of the acts of 1989 and all municipalities with more than 40 per cent seasonal housing units in the county of Berkshire, as determined by the executive office in consultation with the Berkshire regional planning commission, shall receive such designation. The executive office may...

My Commentary. Planning and Select Boards will be really busy over the next few years digesting all of their new options, including:

Evaluating year-round housing restrictions
Creating housing options for public employees
Permit tiny homes on undersized lots
Evaluate the residential exemption, which has been expanded from 35% of averaged assessed value to 50%
The last point echoes something I've been saying for five years: Sure, we need more affordable housing, but the much greater opportunity for our communities is if we focus on all areas of affordability. This new option gives us a powerful expansion of the tool, already in our toolkit, to improve affordability for working families and seniors alike. I am the only candidate in this race who has supported this option to lower residential property taxes. The Legislature, through this expansion, has just provided every Berkshire County Select Board so designated with an even more powerful option to lower your property taxes. It's quite a validation of my position, IMHO.

1363 (d) A seasonal community may: (i) acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions for rental or other housing; provided, however, that any such year-round housing occupancy restriction held by a city or town shall be construed as a restriction held by a governmental body with the benefit of section 26 of chapter 184; (ii) acquire and develop housing units with preference for housing seasonal community public employees that are necessary to the health and safety of maintaining a year-round community, including teachers, public works employees, public safety employees, first responders, town administrators and other employees essential for municipal operations as described under section 42(g)(9)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code; (iii) expend funds to develop, on a biannual basis, a comprehensive housing needs assessment; (iv) establish a Year-Round Housing Trust Fund, individually or with other seasonal communities, to provide for the creation and preservation of affordable and attainable housing in seasonal communities for the benefit of year-round residents; provided, however, that the executive office of housing and livable communities, in consultation with the seasonal communities advisory council established in subsection (c), shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the membership, powers and duties of the trust; and (v) expend funds designated for the creation and preservation of year-round affordable and attainable housing for individuals who, by vocation, produce or support artistic and literary activities. (e) For the purposes of this section, “tiny house” shall mean a detached structure containing a dwelling unit containing 400 square feet or less in floor area, excluding lofts. A seasonal community shall: (i) adopt by-laws or zoning ordinances to permit undersized lots to be used for the creation of attainable year-round housing; provided, however, that the lot, at the time of recording or endorsement, shall be located in a zoning district that allows for single-family residential use; provided further, that any single-family residential structure constructed on said lot shall adhere to the municipality’s floor area ratio by-laws and shall comply with all laws governing wastewater and sewer systems; and provided further, that any residential housing built upon undersized lots shall not be used as a seasonal home or short-term rental of less than 6 months and shall be used as year-round housing; and (ii) adopt by-laws to permit the construction of tiny houses provided that such tiny houses are designated for use as year-round housing units and meet all requirements of the state building code and local building code. A movable tiny house shall be registered with the registry of motor vehicles, as applicable. (f) A seasonal community may increase the exemption established in section 5C of chapter 59, at the option of the board of selectmen in a town or the mayor, with the approval of the city council, in a city 50 per cent of the average assessed value of all Class One, residential parcels within such city or town; provided, however, that the exemption shall be applied only to the principal residence of the taxpayer as used by the taxpayer for income tax purposes.

Accessory Dwelling Units By Right
My Commentary. This legislation allows Accessory Dwelling Units by right. It also prohibits municipalities from limiting them to full-time residents.

1684 SECTION 8. Section 3 of said chapter 40A, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
1686 No zoning ordinance or by-law shall prohibit, unreasonably restrict or require a special permit or other discretionary zoning approval for the use of land or structures for a single accessory dwelling unit, or the rental thereof, in a single-family residential zoning district;

Disincentives for Filing Nuisance Lawsuits
My Commentary. This is in response to meritless lawsuits that are designed to use the courts to thwart housing production. Bad faith lawsuits are now subject to attorney's fees.

1733 SECTION 13. Said section 17 of said chapter 40A, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the sixth paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-
1736 Costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, in an amount to be fixed by the court may be allowed against the party appealing from the decision of the board or special permit granting authority if the court finds that the appellant or appellants acted in bad faith or with malice in making the appeal to court.

Support for Veterans
My Commentary. I am proud to say I wrote and got passed Stockbridge's Residential Inclusionary Bylaw. Veterans are absolutely welcome in Stockbridge, and I applaud the Legislature's recognition of their service by preferencing them in housing lotteries. Veterans make great town employees and coupled with the above provisions, this will help us strengthen local communities.

1742 Section 18. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a city or town that permits or adopts inclusionary zoning, incentive zoning, a density bonus ordinance or by- law pursuant to this chapter or a housing production plan submitted to the executive office of housing and livable communities may enter into an agreement with a housing developer or residential development owner to provide a preference for affordable housing to low- or moderate-income veterans, as defined in clause Forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4. The

Repairs for Existing Housing Stock
My Commentary. Stockbridge and Williamstown are the only two communities in the Berkshires who have met the state's 10% affordable housing requirement in Berkshire County. Even having met its state obligation, the voters of Stockbridge embraced the creation of an Affordable Housing Trust two years ago. With our aging stock of affordable housing units, this gives us, and other Berkshire communities, new funding to maintain existing affordable housing built decades ago. Thank you, State House!

2376 SECTION 38. Section 2 of chapter 121F of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (a) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:-
2378 (a) There shall be within the department a separate fund to be known as the Housing Stabilization and Investment Trust Fund. The department shall administer the fund and shall ensure that funds are distributed among urban, suburban and rural areas with a particular emphasis on the development of alternative forms of housing and local and regional needs.

Local Earmarks
My Commentary. The following earmarks made it into the final legislation that is awaiting the Governor's signature. Thanks to Sen. Mark and Rep. Pignatelli for funding these projects in the Berkshire 3rd District and in Pittsfield.

546 sites to be used for affordable, senior, or mixed-use housing in the town of Orange; provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended for the renovation of Cassilas Farm for affordable housing units in New Marlborough; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for a feasibility study of St. Martin Hall on the property of Shakespeare and Company located in the town of Lenox; provided further, that not less than $5,000,000 shall be expended for seasonal supportive housing for the non-profit creative economy in Berkshire county;

801 improvement projects and upgrades; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for a site identification feasibility study for artist housing for the Barrington Stage Company, Inc. and Berkshire Theatre Group, Inc. in the city of Pittsfield;

861 provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended to Berkshire Natural Resources Council, Inc. for the construction of new workforce housing and conservation of land and natural resources in the town of Egremont on the 225-acre former Egremont Golf Club property; provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended to the Community Development Corporation of South Berkshire, Inc. for the redevelopment and remediation costs of new housing projects at the former Thornewood Inn and 100 Bridge street in the town of Great Barrington; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended to Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, Inc. for the creation of affordable housing projects in Berkshire county in collaboration with local communities; provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended to Hilltown Community Development Corporation for the creation of new housing and redevelopment of vacant properties in the rural hill towns of Berkshire, Hampden and Hampshire counties; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended to the North Adams Housing Authority; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended to Westside Legends, Inc. in the city of Pittsfield for the construction of new affordable homeownership units in 5 multifamily residential buildings constructed on a currently vacant lot;

949 Housing Authority; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended to the Dalton Housing Authority;