Adams Streetscape Project Goes Out to Bid

Town Administrator Jonathan Butler, right, updated the board on the progress of a number of capital projects.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Park Street streetscape project should have a contractor by the end of the month.

The project, first envisioned in 2003, has been in the planning stages for four years. The town last year received a $900,000 Community Development Block Grant toward the project.

The project went out to bid Thursday morning, with bids due by April 10. Town Administrator Jonathan Butler told the Selectmen on Wednesday night that the construction should start soon after the bids are opened.

The construction will run into the summer. Butler added that there will be forums where concerned citizen can ask the contractor questions.

The project includes replacement of curbing, sidewalks and paving, as well as making the town's main street handicapped-accessible and with updated sewer and storm management systems. Park Street will also get decorative planters, benches, pavers and other amenities.

The streetscape progress was one of several capital improvements discussed at Wednesday's meeting.

Butler reported that the Memorial School roof replacement project was awarded to Titan Roofing Inc. out of Chicopee. The total contract amount will be $516,800, which comes out of grant funds.

The town has received Berkshire brownfields program funds for two environmental assessments of town projects. An estimated $16,600 has been awarded for a hazardous building materials survey for the Memorial School building. Also, the town will be awarded $3,500 for preparation of phase one of the environmental assessment of the garage at 350 Commercial St.

"We have been wanting to come up with a plan for that property, and we have been anxiously awaiting brownfields funding to start the process," Butler said. "We are in the queue with that, and it’s a good thing."

The library Board of Trustees will meet with the architects to discuss the final project scope of the library renovation project Monday, April 7, at 4 p.m. Town meeting authorized nearly $1 million in borrowing last month for the renovation.

The Selectmen were also updated on event related to the closing of North Adams Regional Hospital and VNA & Hospice of Northern Berkshire.

"We are trying to be a strong neighbor with North Adams and help them with their efforts to restore as many services to the hospital as we can," Butler said.

Butler added that first responders are up to date on the current protocols, and Berkshire Medical Center has set up a Northern Berkshire CareLine for general inquiries at 1-855-262-5465.

In addition to this service, Butler said the Adams Council on Aging held a forum last week and discussed how the closing of the hospital affects the elderly community.

"It was a good conversation, and we were able to get some good information out," Butler said.

He said people can call 413-743-8330 with inquiries about the closing of the hospital and its effect on the elderly.

In other business:

• The Maple Grove Civic Club will hold a candidate forum at the PNA on Sunday, April 13, at 3 p.m.

• The board approved and scheduled the annual town meeting on Thursday, June 19, at C.T. Plunkett School at 7 p.m.  The warrant closes May 1 at 3 p.m.

Adams Welcomes New Officer; Appoints Housing Authority Board Member

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:44AM / Friday, April 19, 2024

Officer Cole Desroches recently graduated from the Police Academy. 

ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen welcomed the newest member of the Adams Police Department, Officer Cole Desroches, on Wednesday evening. 

 

Desroches graduated from the Police Academy on March 22 in the top tier in his class. He's currently in the field training program and assigned to Sgt. Curtis Crane. He attended Hoosac Valley High School and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. 

 

"He's going to serve and protect the town of Adams very well," said Crane, who with Sgts. Matthew Wright and Gregory Onorato stepped in to introduce the new officer while Chief R. Scott Kelley was on vacation. 

 

"We don't often get an opportunity to kind of talk about, frankly, some of the positive things that are happening in town and one of the many things that I feel are positive with are the Adams Police Department," said Town Administrator Jay Green. "We are right now at full staff. We have a full complement of officers. We have a chief who just resigned a three-year contract. ... We have four very capable sergeants (including Donna Malloy)."

 

The force consists of the chief, the four sergeants, a full-time detective and 11 patrol officers. It also has a new position in Cpl. Joshua Baker who is responsible for training and keeping staff equipped. 

 

"We're on the cutting edge of ensuring that we have proper training in a very changing environment with law enforcement," continued Green. "And we have a nice complement of officers and we have a well-respected detective who handles some very complicated cases."

 

He called out the half-dozen officers who attended the meeting for the work they're doing as well as the K9 unit.