ADAMS — The Adams Fire District has outgrown its quarters built in 1960 and the Prudential Committee is beginning to hunt for a new space in town.

At the same time, district officials are again raising the possibility of restructuring two elected positions — a move they say reflects the increasing professional and regulatory demands placed on fire districts.

This week, for the second time, the district will revisit the idea of changing the fire chief’s position from an elected, part-time role to a full-time appointed one. For the first time, officials are also considering professionalizing the clerk-treasurer’s position by making it appointed rather than elected.

These personnel changes were suggested in a consultant's report.

The district is holding an informational meeting about these proposed changes at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Council on Aging.

Created in 1873 by an act of the Legislature, the Adams Fire District has supplied the area comprising the district with water, fire protection and street lights.

The district has 2,949 active service connections serving most of Adams with water. There are 150 properties in Adams outside the district.

As it stands, Chief Engineer John Pansecchi, who has close to 40 years of service, earns an annual stipend of $29,989.49.

If the chief’s position is made full-time, the cost would jump to at least $75,000 per year — with 15 steps — plus benefits.

In 2019, district voters rejected a proposal to professionalize the chief's position.

“Always the cost,” Thomas Satko, chair of the Prudential Committee, said, by way of explaining that vote.

Still, Satko says professionalizing the role is needed, pointing out the increased paperwork and tightening regulatory environment fire chiefs face now.

If the Occupational Safety and Health Administration adopts a proposed Emergency Response Standard, fire chiefs expect increased regulatory demands, something some Berkshire County chiefs say volunteer chiefs would struggle to meet.

As to the clerk, Allen Mendel, who is elected, is paid $2,104.29.

The plan is to make that position full-time with someone highly versed in municipal accounting.

The administrative office would undergo a restructuring if the clerk’s position becomes full-time.

“Currently, we have a clerk treasurer, a bookkeeper, an assistant clerk-treasurer, and an administrative assistant,” bookkeeper Victoria A. Lassonde said. “And so we want to absorb the bookkeeper within three positions. So we would only have a clerk treasurer, assistant clerk-treasurer and administrative assistant.”

She said the total amount spent on salaries in the administrative office isn’t expected to change, but would be shifted differently among the three positions.

Concerns about the district’s aging headquarters at 3 Columbia St. have also prompted action. The building has faced ongoing issues, including a leaking roof, failing windows and a sagging floor. The district recently spent $73,150 to shore up the garage floor after a new fire truck with a shorter wheelbase placed additional pressure on the structure.

The building has Federal Pacific breaker/fuse boxes, a known fire hazard; no smoke detectors in the fire station, carbon monoxide detectors or sprinklers. It also contains asbestos, according to officials.

The bay doors are a tight fit for the bigger trucks of today and there’s no room to expand beyond the two existing parking bays.

Lassonde said the district is seeking a downtown location for a new station.

“Central because of our fire response,” she said. “But it’s very limited with what’s available.”

The district is now forming a building committee to begin a needs assessment.

"We're getting by," Satko said, "but it would be nice to have a bigger station."

Victoria A. Lassonde, the district's bookkeeper, calculated what those in the district will pay to fund a full-time chief based on the current year's assumptions.

She estimates it's less than a cup of coffee — $2.24 to $3.05 — on a monthly basis.

Residents and businesses served by the district now pay 87 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation to the district. Depending on the new salary, Lassonde said the rate would increase from 11 cents to 15 cents per thousand to fund the new fire chief.

With the average single-family home valued in Adams at $243,000, she said the average homeowner now pays $212.13 for water, fire protection and street lights. The total bill would rise by a range of $26.82 to $36.58.