NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The city is going to have a very busy road project summer. 

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey updated the Finance Committee on Tuesday about some of the work being planned, including Berkshire Gas' plans to replace pipes along West Main Street. 

 

"We're working with Berkshire Gas on our project for West Main Street," she said. "The gas company to be laying new gas lines, which is going to be a disaster, from Brayton Hill to Brown Street. 

 

"However, we received a grant to pave after they're done, from Notch Road all the way up to Ed's Variety (on Union Street). We haven't really announced it yet, because we've been waiting for the state to say we're ready to do it."

 

The mayor said it's something of a shell game with Berkshire Gas on what lines they have to repair, how it impacts the neighborhoods, and following behind them. 

 

The city meets with utility a couple times a year to map out their strategies because they have a threshold that they have to get to by a certain date, she said. 

 

"I don't really care about what they have to do. I just want to know that we're going to have quality streets when they're done," Macksey said. "But the paving for Route 2, from Notch Road, basically the Ed's Variety to the five roads is going to be cool. Construction will be crazy, but it will be cool."

 

The mayor said the priority street list is based partly on Berkshire Gas and also by their condition and how a construction company can be kept within a neighborhood. 

 

The city has awarded LV Corp. with the summer pavement improvements on Ashton, Barbara, Bliss, Church, Davidson, Rickard and South streets. Also in the loop are Montgomery, Beacon and Tremont, she said, "so that will pretty much finish off that neighborhood." 

 

Work is expected to start around April 14, dependent on weather and asphalt production.

 

Some of that work is coming out of Community Development Block Grant funds, with an eye to target Sperry and Lincoln streets in the next grant round and, possibly, a couple demolitions. 

 

"Back in the day, we used to be able to do 10 roads at a time. Now we're lucky if we can do four, because cost," she said.

 

We have recently awarded our chapter 90 summer pavement improvements to LV corporation in the amount of 470,000 and change this program. This project is aimed to enhancing road rate conditions over several streets. Those streets are Ashton, Barbara, bliss, church, Davidson, Montgomery record and South streets. 

 

The city will also be evaluating the water and sewer lines on the Main Street, Eagle Street, and all the substreets through a MassDevelopment grant. 

 

"The thought is, do we start at in the middle and work outward, which I think has always been kind of the philosophy, or do we start on the West End and work in?" said the mayor. "The way it works is we go to where we have our highest problem areas."

 

Finance Chair Lisa Blackmer asked if the city could replace the lines on Ashland Street before that project started. Macksey said it was a project designed years ago that didn't include water and sewer and the city has a limited time to complete it. 

 

"The good news, I guess, is the gas lines will be updated, and because of the gas line update, we've discovered some water issues and we've addressed them, but I totally agree with you that water and sewer should have been included in that project eight years," she said. 

 

Blackmer wondered if it would be worth borrowing "to fix now so that we're not digging up the road in five or 10 years."

 

Macksey agreed "with the philosophy" but didn't know how long it would take to put in the water and sewer lines. 

 

"If we had planned it last year, could we have it done in time for the road? I don't know," she said, adding that the scope of projects don't always allow some things. "The interesting part about that will come in once we get this analysis done of the downtown, what our next ask is going to be, or availability of grant funding to do the actual construction."

 

Committee member Lillian Zavotsky asked if there was a plan to put aside percent or two of revenue to build up reserves. 

 

Macksey said the city meets with regularly with its state and federal representatives to find more funding but a lot of work has to happen as needed, such as the leaky gate on the water lines on State Road. 

 

"I would love to be able to sit here and say, every year we're going to take 2 percent of what we get in state aid and put it in stabilization. And then in 10 years, we're going to, you know, do this big water works project," she said. "It's about availability of funds, and it's really about emergencies. ...

 

"I know everyone, I'll just say this, is hung up on the capital plan. It's a great tool, but the reality of us funding it sometimes changes according to what opportunities we have."