Council approves $152,000 elevator fix

Select Board · Meeting of September 3, 2026

NORTHAMPTON — The Northampton City Council approved a $152,000 emergency elevator repair at Northampton High School and voted to refer a proposed 365-day data center moratorium to committee. Councilors suspended their own rules to pass the elevator funding, drawn from the stabilization fund, on two readings in one night after a state five-year load test found a hydraulic leak that left the lift unable to safely reach the second and third floors. Councilor Rebecca Robbins said "students who depend on that elevator to get to class" had classes relocated to accessible floors.

On data centers, sponsors Lori Loiselle, Rachel Maiori and Gwen Nabod moved a 365-day construction moratorium to committee unanimously, with Councilor Stratton proposing a 500-kilovolt-ampere threshold to exempt small business computing and Councilor Robbins pushing to add quantum computing facilities, citing a $5 million state grant for Holyoke. The council also approved a five-year, bid-out assessment services contract and referred a Housing Authority appointment 8-0 with one abstention amid tenant-notification concerns.

In the full story:

• Public Hearing: National Grid/Verizon Pole Petition, Milton Street
• Public Comment
• Consent Agenda and Routine Appointments
• Five-Year Assessment Services Contract
• Housing Authority and Agricultural Commission Appointments
• Emergency Elevator Repair at Northampton High School
• Senior Services Transportation Gift Funds and Prior-Year School Invoices
• Small Clean Energy Infrastructure Facilities (SCEIF) Permitting Package
• Data Center Moratorium and Select Committee
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,965 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of September 3, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.