CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town will schedule a special town meeting to transfer funds from stabilization to make emergency repairs to the fire station roof.
Selectwoman Carol Francesconi told her colleagues Tuesday that they need to schedule a special town meeting before snowfall to allocate possibly $90,000 to make the repairs.
"This is the only way we are going to be able to fix this," she said. "Even if we wanted a new fire station we aren't going to be able to do that overnight. We still need to have a fire station we need a town meeting."
The town originally hired Douglas J Wooliver & Sons Inc. to make repairs to a portion of the roof over the kitchen area but extensive rot was found when the roof was removed. Work stopped and, in early August, a portion of the ceiling collapsed over the women's bathroom and over the chief's office.
The town was hesitant to make any repairs without knowing what condition the other two sections of the roof were in. Wooliver inspected the remaining sections and found no issues.
However, the first section needs to be completely rebuilt and Francesconi said this is slated to cost between $70,000 and $90,000 – far more than the original simple repair.
"Those two sections are fine, but the first section is going to have to be rebuilt," she said. "They have to rebuild the structure underneath the roof."
Town Administrator Mark Webber said the town has a solid level of stabilization (just under $600,000) and the town has annually allocated money for such emergency capital repairs.
"You have been setting aside money for capital stabilization just for this reason," Webber said. "You guys are healthy."
Selectman Robert Ciskowski said the town has been responsible with stabilization.
"We always put money in it we never take anything out," he said. "We have been good, and we haven't tapped it."
Francesconi agreed and said they have only used stabilization once during her tenure but noted it wasn't an easy sell to town meeting.
The Selectmen will likely schedule the meeting sooner than later to ensure the project is completed before winter.
In other business, the Selectmen opened six bids from contractors interested in fall paving projects.
Last month, the selectmen voted to use $250,000 from Chapter 90 to pave Maple Drive, a section of Wells Road, and West Mountain Road. These roads were considered the worst in the town.
Unfortunately, the town had to nix Maple Drive from the list because it is not on the state's list of accepted roads therefore ineligible for Chapter 90 reimbursement.
"Maple Drive has been deleted," Ciskowski said. "We really don't have a choice."
Although town meeting voted to accept the road in the 1970s, this information never made it to the state.
Ciskowski said Maple Drive will be a priority next year.
The project includes paving and full-depth reclamation but only two contractors bid on both the paving and reclamation.
Warner Brothers came in with a low lump sum bid of $145,247.50 while Delsignore came in a bit higher at $175,153.
Lane Construction bid $131,150, HMN Construction bid $131,760, and J H Maxymillian bid $126,819. Theses bids did not include reclamation.
Conversely, Garrity Asphalt Reclaiming only bid on the reclamation at $5.25 per square yard. The highway superintendent will review the bids and make a recommendation next week.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
Your Comments
iBerkshires.com welcomes critical, respectful dialogue. Name-calling, personal attacks, libel, slander or foul language is not allowed. All comments are reviewed before posting and will be deleted or edited as necessary.
No Comments
Cheshire Tag Sale and Bazaar
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Cheshire Community Association (CCA) announced the return of the Cheshire Community Tag Sale and Bazaar for its second year.
Scheduled for Saturday, May 11, 2024, from 9 AM to 1 PM, the event offers a day of treasure hunting, local craftsmanship, and treats at the Cheshire Community House located at 191 Church St, Cheshire.
Attendees can explore a variety of offerings, including handmade crafts, antiques, collectibles, and food options. The hot food truck, operated by the Berkshire Lodge of Masons AF & AM, will be stationed in the courtyard, serving up treats throughout the event.
One of the highlights of this year's event is the fundraising raffle, with all proceeds set to benefit the Cheshire Food Pantry. Participants can purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win prizes, supporting a worthy cause that serves the local community.
Registration for vendors interested in participating in the bazaar is currently open, with fees ranging from $10 to $30. Cheshire residents looking to showcase their items from home can have their locations advertised on the event map for a fee of $10. The deadline for registration is set for Friday, April 26, 2024.
Registration forms can be obtained from various locations across Cheshire, including A to Z Printing, Cheshire Community House, Cheshire Library, Cheshire Glassworks, Cheshire Senior Center, the Cheshire Community Association Facebook page, and the Cheshire Town website.
For more information about the event, including vendor registration and sponsorship opportunities, interested parties are encouraged to contact Jenny Gadbois at (413) 841-0844 or via email at jlgadbois@icloud.com.
Taylor Garabedian scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Abby Scialabba scored 16 points for the ‘Canes, who got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Ashlyn Lesure. click for more
On Saturday afternoon at Lowell’s Tsongas Center, the Hurricanes will take aim at Division 5 State Championships in girls and boys basketball. click for more
Pittsfield High's Matt Dupuis and Lee's Bella Kotek Sunday completed a Berkshire County sweep at the State Bowling Championships at Bowlero.
click for more
Emily Holian’s strike to open the 10th frame of the Wildcats’ second game against Worcester Tech all but assured Lee a team title at Bowlero Chicopee.
click for more
Hoosac struggled to get into rhythm on the offensive end until Joey McGovern got the 3-ball working. McGovern finished the game with 21 points including a triple in the fourth quarter that cemented him in the record books. It took him nearly the whole game but he was able to join the 1,000-point... click for more
Pittsfield High's Eliza Mullen won state title and in the giant slalom and slalom, winning the former discipline by 1.6 seconds and the latter by nearly 2.7 seconds.
click for more