SOUTHWICK – At Monday night’s Select Board meeting, DPW Director Randy Brown requested the board give him a clear cut direction of what to do with his proposed Congamond Road sewer project.
In September Brown sent out an application for a Mass Works grant. If the state accepted Southwick into the grant program, the grant would cover $1.95 million of the expenses for the Congamond Road sewer project. The project would consist of two parts; reconstruction of Congamond Road and then installation of the sewer line that would go on that road and the other streets surrounding Congamond Lake.
The town wasn’t accepted into the Mass Works grant program prompting the creation of a warrant article for the annual town meeting in May 2017. But, just before the annual town meeting began, the article was pulled from the floor.
Southwick DPW Director Randy Brown. (WNG File Photo)
When Brown wanted to get direction from the Select Board on Monday, the Select Board quickly defended why it was pulled from the floor.
“I wouldn’t bring it to town meeting,” said Vice-Chairman Joe Deedy. “I don’t think it’ll pass, they (residents) don’t want to stomach it.”
According to Brown, the cost to install a dry sewer line along Congamond Road would be approximately $890,000. Since the town didn’t receive the Mass Works grant, the cost of the dry sewer line would have to come from town appropriated funds.
The Select Board was then informed by Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart that they would have to take a vote on the matter. The board then proceeded to vote unanimously against the Congamond Road project.
The DPW Director didn’t shy away from the fact that the proposal for the sewer project on Congamond Road was a difficult process.
“It is a tough sell and that was a big hurdle, selling it at the town meeting,” added Brown.
After the Select Board meeting on Monday evening, Brown did say that he will be meeting with the Sewer Implementation Committee and decide with them what the next steps could be for installing sewer lines in other areas of town.
“They have looked at other neighborhoods in town and we’ll continue that search,” said Brown.
The Sewer Implementation Committee is expected to meet in January, however the exact date hasn’t been announced yet.
