Sandisfield Select Board Approves Order of Taking for 207 Sandisfield Road at $299,000

SANDISFIELD — January 12, 2026 — Sandisfield Select Board unanimously approves $299,000 order of taking for 207 Sandisfield Road. The board voted 3-0 Monday to accept a draft order of taking prepared by town counsel KP Law, with the appraised value set at $299,000 — below earlier estimates — due to a failing septic system, a failing heating system, and the absence of commercial zoning that would otherwise require special permitting. Town Clerk Douglas Minor briefed the board on the independence of the elected clerk's office and the workload of Records Access Officer Amanda Leavenworth, who works nine to 15 hours weekly and is currently devoting two to five of those hours to an active state-level records dispute with independent journalist Alexander Russo, who addressed the board in public comment and disputed the town's characterization of his November records requests as an undue burden. Fire Chief Guerrillo reported the department has received 15 OEMS complaints since taking over, with the state indicating the complaints "appear retaliatory in nature," and announced the launch of the department's Community Connect online permit portal at sandisfieldfire.com, with burn permits opening January 15.