Town Of Bernardston

What Town Of Bernardston does

The Town of Bernardston is a small rural municipal government entity in north central Franklin County, western Massachusetts, incorporated in 1762 and originally settled in 1676 as Falls Fight Township. It operates under an Open Town Meeting form of government with a three-member elected Selectboard (Brian Hervieux, Chair; Kenneth Bordewieck, Vice Chair; Brian Keir, Clerk) and a Town Administrator (Louis Bordeaux), serving approximately 2,100 residents across 23.4 square miles on the Massachusetts-Vermont border.

Core services include law enforcement through a four-officer Police Department (Chief James Palmeri) shared with neighboring Leyden, fire and emergency management under Fire Chief Peter Shedd, highway maintenance, a Transfer Station serving both Bernardston and Leyden, the Cushman Library (Director Lori Novis), the Bernardston Senior Center, tax collection, vital records, licensing, and a network of conservation, historical, agricultural, planning, and recreation commissions. The town maintains seven fixed service locations and uses the CivicPlus government website platform plus UniPAY Gold (UniBank) for digital payments of taxes, permits, licenses, and recreation registrations.

Revenue mechanics derive from mandatory property and excise taxes on residents, supplemented by state aid, small departmental fees (e.g., $75 annual Transfer Station permit for Leyden residents, $25 for 10 transfer station bags), and licensing revenue. The town has no proprietary technology platforms, no product offering beyond statutory municipal services, and no commercial go-to-market motion — it is a tax-funded public-sector entity, not a commercial enterprise.

Name

Town Of Bernardston

Legal name

Town of Bernardston

Website

https://townofbernardston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1762

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Town of Bernardston is a small rural municipal government in western Massachusetts serving approximately 2,100 residents across 23.4 square miles under an Open Town Meeting form of government, delivering tax-funded public safety, public works, library, senior, conservation, and administrative services through a three-member Selectboard and shared regional partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Housing Development, Construction & Rehabilitation Programs (BPAIANAB)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Local government administration
• Public safety services
• Community governance
• Public works services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bernardston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Town of Bernardston is a municipal government providing local governance and a full suite of public services to approximately 2,100 residents across 23.4 square miles in northern Franklin County, Massachusetts. Core offerings include public safety (police and fire), public works (highway maintenance, solid waste and recycling, water services), administrative services (tax collection, licensing, vital records, property assessment), community services (library, senior center, recreation, conservation), and emergency management, all delivered through a three-member Selectboard with an Open Town Meeting form of government.

Product overview

The Town of Bernardston operates a municipal government website that serves as the primary digital portal for residents, providing access to government services, department information, public records, online transactions, meeting schedules, and community resources. The website is built and hosted using CivicPlus® government website platform and offers various online services including tax payments, dog licensing, vital records requests, recreation program registration, and transfer station payments through the UniPAY Gold system. The site integrates with external services such as the C/WMARS library catalog system, Kanopy streaming video service, and OverDrive digital content platform to extend library services to residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Police Department Services Law enforcement, emergency response, traffic enforcement, and crime investigation provided by a four-officer rural police force led by Police Chief James Palmeri, serving both Bernardston and Leyden with coordination to the Northwestern District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police for major crimes.
• Fire Department Services Fire protection and emergency response for the town, led by Fire Chief Peter Shedd with a staff including a Deputy Chief, 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, Radios & Communications, and IT personnel, reporting to the Selectboard.
• Solid Waste and Recycling (Transfer Station) Solid waste disposal and recycling facility on Nelson Drive open Thursdays and Saturdays 7am-5pm, serving Bernardston and Leyden residents with an annual permit fee of $75.00 for Leyden Residents and pay-as-you-go bag pricing at 10 bags for $25.00, plus bulky items disposal.
• Highway Maintenance and Operations Roadway maintenance and infrastructure operations under Superintendent Brian Miner, committed to maintaining safe, hazard-free roadways, snow removal, and street entrance permitting for the community.
• Cushman Library Services Public library services at 28 Church Street led by Library Director Lori Novis with staff including a Senior Library Technician and two Library Assistants, offering access to C/WMARS library catalog, Kanopy streaming video, and OverDrive digital content platforms for residents.
• Senior Center Programs Programs and services at the Bernardston Senior Center (20 Church Street) under Director Pam Parmakian, supporting the independence of adults 60+ through fitness classes, food pantry access, donations, and Council on Aging services.
• Recreation Programs Recreation activities, youth sports programs, special events planning, and programming options for town residents, including events like the Jeep Show & Shine, overseen by the Recreation Commission chaired by Jennifer Stennes.
• Licensing and Vital Records Town Clerk services including issuance of dog licenses, marriage licenses, fuel storage licenses, raffle/bazaar permits, business certificates (D/B/A), birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage certificates, with online payment through UniPAY Gold.
• Tax Collection and Property Assessment Property tax collection for real estate, personal property, and excise taxes, plus property assessment through the Board of Assessors chaired by Melissa Murphy, with Massachusetts law requiring listing and valuation of all real and personal property subject to ad valorem taxation.
• Emergency Management Services Emergency preparedness, response, and mitigation services from the Bernardston Emergency Operations Center at 167 Northfield Road, led by Director Peter Shedd, coordinated with MEMA and regional partners to protect residents during emergencies.
• Conservation and Open Space Management Conservation services including protection of wetlands, rivers, streams, and wildlife through Conservation Agent Sarah Fortune and the Conservation Commission, plus management of the 89-acre Charity Farm Lot recreational and conservation area with trails.
• Cemetery Management Cemetery management and maintenance for the Center Cemetery on Depot Street and Burke Flat Cemetery, administered by the Bernardston Cemetery Corporation, a non-profit organization managed by a Board of Trustees under President Paul Palazzo.
• Tree Warden Services Shade tree management including pruning, removal, identification of planting sites, and planting new trees, performed by elected Tree Warden Bradley Bordewieck.
• Zoning Administration Zoning administration and enforcement through the Zoning Board of Appeals chaired by Dan Devine, reviewing and deciding appeals regarding zoning regulations including variance and special permit requests.
• Agricultural Commission Support Agricultural support services under the Agricultural Commission chaired by Clarissa Coffin, representing the farming community, encouraging the pursuit of agriculture, promoting agricultural economic development, and protecting farmlands.
• Community Choice Power Supply Program Municipal electricity aggregation program bringing together more than 2,100 consumers to negotiate electricity rates, developed and implemented with Colonial Power Group (CPG) as aggregation consultant in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG)coreOthersThe town contracts with FRCOG for multiple services including the Franklin County Cooperative Inspection Program (building, plumbing, electrical inspections, zoning enforcement), Cooperative Public Health Services (public health nursing, environmental health inspections, communicable disease investigation), community health programs, and regional planning coordination.
• Cooperative Public Health Service (CPHS)coreOthersBernardston has contracted with CPHS of FRCOG to provide comprehensive public health services including septic systems, environmental health inspections, communicable disease investigation and prevention, code enforcement, education, wellness, and special programs. CPHS staff includes Public Health Nurses and Community Health Educator working with the Town Board of Health.
• Franklin County Technical SchoolmoderateOthersJoint participation in technical school programs with Bernardston represented on the FCTS School Committee. The town also participates in FCTS Building Task Force meetings. Students from Franklin County attend the technical school.
• Pioneer Valley Regional School DistrictcoreOthersJoint school district serving multiple communities. Bernardston has representatives on the PVRSD School Committee. The district includes Bernardston Elementary School as part of its school system.
• Six Town Regionalization Planning Board (STRPB)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning board supporting collaboration among six towns for shared services, planning coordination, and regional initiatives.
• Franklin County Solid Waste Management DistrictmoderateOthersRegional partnership for solid waste management coordination, recycling programs, repair/fix-it events, and household hazardous waste management. Bernardston participates in district-wide waste reduction initiatives.
• Franklin Regional Transportation Authority (FRTA)minorOthersRegional transportation services available to Bernardston residents for transit needs.
• Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment AuthorityminorOthersRegional housing authority providing housing and redevelopment services for Franklin County communities including Bernardston.
• Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans Services DistrictminorOthersJoint veterans services district with Greenfield providing veterans benefits and services to Bernardston residents.
• Pioneer Valley Mosquito Control District (PVMCD)minorOthersRegional mosquito control program administered by Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
• Franklin Regional Retirement SystemmoderateOthersRegional retirement system providing pension and retirement benefits for municipal employees of member communities.
• Bernardston Fire & Water DistrictcoreOthersSpecial district providing fire protection and water services to portions of the town. The Fire & Water District holds its own meetings separate from town government.
• Colonial Power Group, Inc. (CPG)moderateOthersMunicipal aggregation consultant retained by the Town of Bernardston to develop and implement the Community Choice Power Supply Program. CPG consults with the town and Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to negotiate electricity rates for aggregated consumers.
• Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)coreOthersState agency coordinating with local emergency management. MEMA coordinates with federal, state, and local government agencies, non-profits, and businesses to prepare, respond, and recover from emergencies and disasters.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Town of Leyden: Adjacent Franklin County, MA town with similar small-rural profile (~700 residents) that shares Police Department coverage and Transfer Station access with Bernardston. Operates under identical Massachusetts Open Town Meeting framework.
• Town of Northfield: Neighboring Franklin County town of comparable size (~3,000 residents) that participates in Pioneer Valley Regional School District with Bernardston and is covered by BNCTV community television. Direct functional peer in municipal service delivery.
• Town of Colrain: Small Franklin County town with comparable population (~1,700) sharing FRCOG cooperative services, highway/public works delivery model, and rural western Massachusetts governance structure. Direct peer for regional service sharing and scale.
• Town of Gill: Adjacent Franklin County town (~1,400 residents) with similar rural profile and Open Town Meeting government. Participates in same regional school and service networks as Bernardston.
• Town of Buckland: Small Franklin County town of comparable population (~2,000 residents) sharing FRCOG cooperative inspection and public health services. Operates similar Highway Department, Transfer Station, and library functions.
• Town of Warwick: Tiny Franklin County town (~750 residents) operating under the same Massachusetts municipal framework with extremely lean staffing, providing a useful benchmark for the lower-bound of small-town municipal operations.

Regional players

• Town of Greenfield: Larger Franklin County town (~17,500 residents) that serves as the regional hub for Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans Services District, transit (FRTA), and Chamber of Commerce. Peer at the county level where Bernardston accesses regional-scale services.

Others

• Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG): Regional intergovernmental body that delivers building inspections, public health (CPHS), planning, and cooperative services to Bernardston and other member towns. Not a competitor but a structural peer as a public-sector service-delivery organization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Town Of Bernardston