Williamstown Board of Health Explores Joining Regional Mosquito Control District

WILLIAMSTOWN -- June 29, 2026, Williamstown Board of Health hears pitch for regional mosquito district membership as West Nile pressure rises. Superintendent Chris Horton of the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project told the board June 29 that the town could join the district through a town meeting warrant article, with membership taking effect July 1, 2027, the start of fiscal year 2028. The district operates on a $325,000 annual budget across 10 towns, with each town's share calculated by the state Department of Local Services based on population, land area, and property values; Pittsfield pays roughly half. Horton reported the district's first-ever West Nile virus positive in neighboring Clarksburg the previous week and said West Nile is now detected somewhere in the county every year. The board, led by Chair Devan Bartels, MD, MPH, also directed Health Inspector Ruth Russell to press property manager Hearthway for confirmed remediation dates at 330 Cole Avenue, where dehumidification, bathroom ventilation verification, and a kitchen wall inspection remain outstanding after an April compliance deadline passed without full correction.