LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board plans to partner with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and Northern Berkshire Community Coalition for the management of its opioid settlement funds.
Last week, members voted to begin discussion about a memorandum of agreement with BRPC that would facilitate the exploration of programs through NBCC, as well as regional partnerships.
To date, Lanesborough has seen as much as $90,000 from the nationwide financial settlements from various drug companies to address the harms caused by the opioid epidemic. Between July 2022 and March 2024, the town received more than $53,000 in abatement payments.
“We serve the 10 municipalities that we consider Northern Berkshire, so Lanesborough to the Vermont border, Savoy to Williamstown, and everything in between,” explained Amber Besaw, executive director of NBCC.