Dalton Select Board Directs Town Manager to Pursue Sewer Infiltration Federal Grant

DALTON -- June 22, 2026, Dalton Select Board backs sewer infiltration grant pursuit over town hall elevator funding in split priorities debate. The board directed Town Manager Eric on Monday to pursue a Collins Center design grant for a sewer infiltration reduction program rather than a competing application for a town hall ADA-compliant elevator, after a divided discussion in which member John argued the town has "virtually denied access to the town hall to a section of our population" while members Bob and Tony cited the fiscal return of reducing groundwater entering the system ahead of a costlier new treatment contract with Pittsfield, estimated at roughly half a million dollars annually. Separately, a motion by member John to withhold FY27 reappointment of the building commissioner and zoning enforcement officer failed, with three members opposed and one abstaining. Residents Craig Wilbur and Catherine Koenberger pressed the board on conditions at 27 Mountain View Terrace, vacant since 2003 and now undergoing a $160,000 receivership clean-out, describing unsecured openings, debris-covered lawns, and active rodent infestations spreading to neighboring properties.