SOUTHWICK – The school sewer project is at a standstill for the moment.
After the Sewer Implementation Committee (SIC) made its last recommendation of going forward with a school campus-only project, the question of how to proceed and how to fund the sewer mandate are being explored.
Board of Selectmen Chairman Joseph Deedy said this week that a meeting with the school department this week was postponed. The schools were looking into using leftover funds from the campus renovation project to fund a sewer connection at the three-school campus at Powder Mill and Feeding Hills roads.
Part of the school renovation project was a state mandate to connect the schools to the town sewer. A proposal was originally made by online casino the SIC to connect the schools at the same time as allowing for connections by residents of Powder Mill Road. Residents made it clear they did not want the sewers and the SIC changed its recommendation.
Now, the town and schools must fund the project, which would only connect the schools.
“There might be a little bit of money left over from the school project and they may be able to use that toward the school sewer project,” said Deedy.
Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said if those funds were used, the project would not have to go to Town Meeting for appropriation.
“But the selectmen would have to give permission to go down town roads [with sewer pipes],” he said.
Deedy said at this point it is a “stay tuned” situation.
