Erving Assessors Approve Joint Northfield Mountain Appraisal, Utility Study

ERVING -- April 28, 2020, Erving assessors approve joint appraisal of Northfield Mountain and a $7,000 utility valuation study. The Board of Assessors voted unanimously Tuesday to pursue a shared appraisal of the Northfield Mountain LLC hydroelectric facility with the town of Northfield for fiscal year 2022, citing new state Department of Revenue guidance that bars municipalities from acting as sole intended users and reselling appraisal reports to neighboring towns. Board members Mark and Dan both voiced skepticism about the arrangement, with Mark warning that "there's nothing more important to this town's fiscal financial well-being than the valuation of this one property," but acknowledged the DOR's changed position left no practical alternative. The board separately declined a request from the town of Gill to join the partnership and voted to spend $7,000 on a shared utility valuation project covering assets of Mass Electric, NEON, Eversource, and New England Power, prompted by recent court decisions requiring a blended income-and-net-book-value appraisal approach. The board also processed several batches of motor vehicle abatements and invoked the rule of necessity to approve a $40.69 abatement belonging to member Mark's wife, Melanie Brunette.