Clarksburg Awards Police Station Contract
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The bid by Five Star Remodeling and Construction of 17 East St., Easthampton, was approved by the Selectmen last week.
Only two companies bid on the estimated $80,000 project, both out of the area. Five Star's bid was $68,399, beating out Interior Concepts of Manchester, Conn., which bid $68,433.
Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this fiscal year, in June. The town received a $40,000 grant from the state last year; it was matched by $20,000 approved at last year's town meeting and another $20,000 at a special town meeting in December.
The current police station is little more than a hallway and cramped office used by Police Chief Michael Williams. The new station will include a reception area, evidence locker, offices and interrogation rooms. It will also bring Town Hall in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Acts by providing a new office on the ground floor so that those who can't manage the stairways in front can meet with town officials comfortably and privately.
Selectmen's meetings will continue to be held on the ground floor but town meetings will now be held at the Clarksburg Elementary School.
The Selectmen also awarded a contract to monitor the town landfill to Stantec Inc., formerly known as Dufresne & Henry
Inc., for $4,250.
No Salt to Spare
Town Administrator Michael Canales said the town has been getting only sporadic deliveries of road salt, a problem that has plagued towns throughout New England as salt companies struggled keep up with demand.
"We're at the bare minimum," said Canales, adding that the town will continue to make salt orders in hopes of getting at least some what it needs. "Everybody is so far over budget with salt it's not funny. [The companies] are about 100,000 tons behind in orders."
Chairwoman Debra LeFave commended the town's Highway Department for doing such a good job on the roads during the frequent snowstorms, especially considering the lack of salt.
The town is working on its budget for fiscal 2009 but Canales warned that it could be facing a crunch based on Gov. Deval Patrick's budget plans. It will depend on what the House and Senate have in their versions, he said.
Patrick's budget would give the town more education aid, but his budget is based on casino licensing revenue that doesn't yet exist.
"I think a lot of people thought that the lottery money was going to be in there," said Canales, continuing that a lot of people were assuming that the casino funds would be used for extra programs, "not pass it or you're going to be cut."
It was like basing a budget on selling off a police cruiser, said Selectman Carl McKinney.
"Oh well, it didn't sell ... I guess we'll have to cut," responded LeFave.
Canales said if the casino bill doesn't pass, "Obviously, we would be looking at severe cuts."
"Thirty-thousand to $40,000 is the low end," said LeFave. "If we're going to lose that kind of money we should have a plan in place."
Canales said it was a good idea that as the budget was being put together to consider what might have to be cut. With heating costs and salaries rising, "it's scary," he said.
In the meantime, the town may be able to save some money through a business cost analysis provided by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.
By changing phone systems and using a state contracts, the town would see an immediate savings of $200 a month in communications. Half the initial savings for the first year would go to the cost-analysis group; after that, all the savings would go to the town.
"Our pagers would go to $11.92 [a month] to $4.89," said Canales. "We'll be saving $7 each on pagers, that's a hundred bucks right there."
"We're continuing to find cost-saving measure," he said. "Everything we can do to bring the cost of operating the town down ... and we'll continue to do that."
