By Mary Chasse, Neighb News Correspondent
At its meeting on Monday 1/10 the Fairhaven Board of Public Works discussed the Capital Plan and budgets to be discussed at the next BPW meeting, and discussed the new water meters, and Covid matters.
The board first discussed the cost of the installation of water meters being done by Tata and Howard. BPW Superintendent Vinnie Furtado explained that there have been three amendments to the contract and the price of the whole project has increased, but it is necessary to get the water meters installed properly.
The board voted unanimously to approve the amendment to the contract.
Vice-Chairperson Robert “Hoppy” Hobson asked if there will be an installation fee for the residents when the new water meters are installed.
Mr. Furtado said the town is paying for the new meters to be installed and there will be no extra cost to the residents.
Chairperson Brian Wotton said the new meters are being installed to save residents money. With the new meters the Water Department and residents will be alerted immediately if there is a leak in their home.
Mr. Wotton also said the new meters will save a lot of labor costs because employees will not have to go to every meter and read them manually anymore.
In another matter board member Steve Riley asked about how the departments are running with the latest Covid cases.
Mr. Furtado said they are being more cautious. If a town employee is positive they must quarantine for at least 10 days. If they are a close contact and vaccinated they do not have to quarantine, but the town employees are being tested.
Mr. Wotton asked if it was like the test-and-stay policy adopted at the schools, and Mr. Furtado said it was.
He said if an employee is a close contact and not vaccinated they must quarantine for five days and then test.
Board member Cameron Durant asked if positive employees need to test before returning. He said that he thought people could test positive up to 90 days after having Covid.
Mr. Furtado said that positive employees do not have to test to return to work, but their symptoms have to be much better and they have to continue to wear a mask.
In another matter Mr. Furtado informed the board that at the next BPW meeting the superintendents of each department will discuss the budgets for FY23 and they will also discuss the Capital Plan.
Board member Marcus Ferro said he was excited that the accessibility at Town Beach with the beach mats will be addressed in the budgets for next year. He asked what the plan looks like for paving the whole parking lot at Town Beach., and where it falls in the five-year plan for the town.
Mr. Furtado said that paving the lot is in the plan, but it looks like it could take five years before they can even consider having enough money for the project.
He explained that the drainage and paving for the Town Beach parking lot is estimated to be around $600,000, and he does not know if the town will ever get the money for it.
Mr. Ferro said the town let the School Department steal that much money for a football field. He said paving the beach parking lot would benefit all in town.
Mr. Wotton said if they ever have any extra money maybe they could use it to pave a small strip for handicap spaces, just as a start. Mr. Wotton said that if they have $10,000 leftover somewhere that money could pave 50 feet for some handicap spaces.
Mr. Furtado said he would look into it.
Mr. Wotton told Mr. Ferro that he could always stand up at Town Meeting to discuss paving the beach parking lot.
Mr. Ferro said maybe he would do that.
In another matter Mr. Durant gave an update on the search for a new Town Administrator.
He said the final candidates have been selected and are going through background checks right now. Once the background checks are complete the Selectboard will start the interviews and there will be between two to four candidates for the Selectboard to choose from.
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Click here to download the entire 1/20/22 issue: 01-20-22 FrozenMarsh
Click here to download the 4/28/21 Comment letter, 04-28-21 Comment Letter BOEM and here to download the 8/13/21 Response: 08-13-21 NBPA BOEM ResponseLtr
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