By Pattie Pacella, Neighb News Correspondent
The Acushnet Selectboard met on Tuesday, September 8, 2020 in person in the town hall meeting room and discussed the cost on the Acushnet Elementary School Roof Project.
Chairperson Kevin Gaspar stated that Acushnet had been awarded $1,334,232 from the Mass. School Buiilding Authority; which leaves $1,236,527 to be funded by the town. The board discussed borrowing the additional money and paying it out of the solar fund.
Mr. Gaspar stated that the Selectboard has continued to work with the Board of Health and the management team at P.J. Keating. He said, “of the ten or so issues, we have multiple resolved.”
Mr. Gaspar said the town was doing everything it could to accommodate PJK employees.
Department of Public Works Superintendent, Dan Menard attended the meeting to discuss the sale of loam to Acushnet residents. He said he looked into buying the loam from Roseland Nurseries, then the town would sell to residents at $40/yard, $60 for 3 yards.
Joking, Mr. Desrochers said, “I’ll put in my order now, you know where I live.”
Mr. Menard also requested a revolving fund to have the sale of the loam and other things put back into the SEMASS fund to help pay for SEMASS in the future.
Mr. Gaspar stated that the money currently goes back into the general fund and a revolving fund needs to be voted on by Town Meeting members. He said they could add it to the next Town Meeting warrant.
The Selectboard also discussed a proposed project by the Buzzards Bay Coalition fo new sidewalks along Slocum Street. Mr. Gaspar expressed his concerns that the BBC was looking at a stormwater project there but not giving the town any feedback on what they were proposing.
“Give me an idea of some kind of plan,” Mr. Gaspar said. “Give me a piece of freaking paper with a plan on it. I hate being out of the loop. We are the Selectboard and we don’t even know what’s going on.”
Town Administrator Julie Hebert said that Acushnet was one of four Towns that the BBC may do projects with, and the Slocum sidewalks was the intended project. She said if they became a finalist, it would be then that the organization would work with the town for grant funding and would keep everyone in the loop.
In her TA report, Ms. Hebert stated that the town was awarded a $12,000 Shared Streets Grant along with a Green Community Grant for $153,358.00. She said the money would be used to upgrade the lighting at the school. She told the board that the Police and Fire also received a little less than $32,000 for PFE.
Ms. Hebert also sang the praises of the Council on Aging, saying they a wonderful job with their “USDA Farm to families pickup food program,” that served 637 families, 575 of them Acushnet residents.
Under the Selectboard announcements, Mr. Gaspar encouraged residents to buy produce and fruit locally from Acushnet farmers, especially since the Apple-Peach Festival had been canceled.
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