North Adams School Project on Track, Under Budget

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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The Colegrove Park Elementary School project is so far on time and nearly $3 million under budget.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Colegrove Park Elementary School project is so far on track and under budget.

"We're $2.8 million under budget, that's taking into consideration our contingency budget also," Kenneth J. Guyette, senior project manager at Strategic Building Solutions, owner's project manager, told the School Building Committee on Monday.

"The building is essentially gutted so we can see where there would be a lot of unforeseen in the building right now."

Mayor Richard Alcombright said any surprises would likely be in the roof.

"If there's anything under the roof, that hasn't been foreseen," he said. "But then that's been poked, prodded and everything else six ways to Sunday ...

"But you never know."

In other business, Dorrie Brooks of Margo Jones Architects said the historical preservation continues with repairs to the school's medallions. A number of them have been removed for conservation but the Hoosac Tunnel one is being restored in place.

The demolition has also uncovered the original brick walls and their arches, which would be in the technology classrooms.

"They would be on the inside of those classrooms," said Brooks. "Those rooms have that potential to have that exciting ... that's the kind of subjective choice we're having."



There was also discussion of whether and how to salvage bricks uncovered by site work, many marked from the old North Adams Brick Co.

Brooks said the hard-fired bricks in the ventilation tunnels are in good shape. "The mortar dissolved, and we have lovely bricks," she said.

Historical Commission Chairwoman Justyna Carlson said she would check how many are archived. The mayor suggested they could be used in Colegrove Park, perhaps for walkways. They could be dug up with the payloader and taken to the city yard until needed.

Alcombright also reported that an agreement had been made with Carver Family Dentistry for an easement to build a new retaining wall.

He estimated the total cost at no more than $7,500, including purchasing the easement and paying all legal costs for the transfer.

The price would be $6,000, on par with the percentage of the property, which would also be reassessed to reflect the reduction. Employees will get a parking pass for the Center Street parking lot during construction.

The mayor expected the agreement to be signed Tuesday and work to begin soon afterward. The construction should be completed within three to four weeks.

City officials and press will get chance to see the work at the school close up in early October, once the first floor slab is poured and dried.


Tags: Colegrove Park,   Conte School,   school building,   school building committee,   

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Clarksburg Gets 3 Years of Free Cash Certified

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town officials have heaved a sigh of relief with the state's certification of free cash for the first time in more than three years.
 
The town's parade of employees through its financial offices the past few years put it behind on closing out its fiscal years between 2021 and 2023. A new treasurer and two part-time accountants have been working the past year in closing the books and filing with the state.
 
The result is the town will have $571,000 in free cash on hand as it begins budget deliberations. However, town meeting last year voted that any free cash be used to replenish the stabilization account
 
Some $231,000 in stabilization was used last year to reduce the tax rate — draining the account. The town's had minimal reserves for the past nine months.
 
Chairman Robert Norcross said he didn't want residents to think the town was suddenly flush with cash. 
 
"We have to keep in mind that we have no money in the stabilization fund and we now have a free cash, so we have now got to replenish that account," he said. "So it's not like we have this money to spend ... most of it will go into the stabilization fund." 
 
The account's been hit several times over the past few fiscal years in place of free cash, which has normally been used for capital spending, to offset the budget and to refill stabilization. Free cash was last used in fiscal 2020.
 
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