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Legislature Looking at $200M in Chapter 90 Funds; $7.2M for Berkshires

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BOSTON – Some $200 million in Chapter 90 road funds have been approved in both houses of the Legislature for fiscal 2019, with about $7.3 million headed for Berkshire County. 
 
The funds are part of a three-year, $600 million Chapter 90 apportionment that passed the State Senate. The House the week before passed a single-year $200 million bill and both houses are now working to resolve differences in the two bills in order to get legislation to the governor's desk so that the funds can be released for this construction season.
 
"This legislation allows the current Chapter 90 program to continue and guarantees future funding in FY 2020 and FY2021," said state Sen. Adam G. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, in a statement. "Our hope is that this change will allow for predictability and a quicker turnaround between MassDOT's calculation of each municipality's annual Chapter 90 apportionment and the ability for local construction projects to go out to bid."
 
In total, the legislation authorizes $11,647,078 in fiscal 2019 for communities in Hinds' Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin & Hampden Senate District to support local road and bridge transportation projects.
 
"Cities and towns strongly advocated for a multi-year financing plan so they can appropriately schedule and prepare for projects," said Hinds. "Today the Senate provided that predictability. Western Massachusetts has severe regional transportation infrastructure needs – especially after this long, tough winter – and local budgets are impacted as municipal officials try to maintain roads and bridges in a state of good repair."
 
State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli said more than $4 million had been allocated in the House bill to the 4th Berkshire District, which also includes the towns of Blandford, Russell, and Tolland.
 
"This funding could not be more important to our small communities," said Pignatelli. "There is a great need to maintain and improve the infrastructure in our district, and Chapter 90 funds have always been a real lifeline for these towns. I am thrilled we got this bill passed [April 5], and I'm looking forward to the Senate doing the same."

 

Town Amount
ADAMS $288,050
ALFORD $71,539
BECKET $237,936
CHESHIRE $199,633
CLARKSBURG $75,194
DALTON $222,934
EGREMONT $150,850
FLORIDA $162,970
GREAT BARRINGTON $409,828
HANCOCK $68,333
HINSDALE $155,974
LANESBOROUGH $221,803
LEE $288,250
LENOX $284,116
MONTEREY $197,534
MOUNT WASHINGTON $69,811
NEW ASHFORD $43,294
NEW MARLBOROUGH $338,245
NORTH ADAMS $436,172
OTIS $179,187
PERU $144,586
PITTSFIELD $1,372,682
RICHMOND $165,547
SANDISFIELD $326,482
SAVOY $198,126
SHEFFIELD $357,922
STOCKBRIDGE $199,892
TYRINGHAM $102,775
WASHINGTON $170,142
WEST STOCKBRIDGE $151,511
WILLIAMSTOWN $301,104
WINDSOR $251,128

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: Chapter 90,   fiscal 2019,   road work,   state budget,   

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North Adams Regional Reopens With Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff

BHS President and CEO Darlene Rodowicz welcomes the gathering to the celebration of the hospital's reopening 10 years to the day it closed. 
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The joyful celebration on Thursday at North Adams Regional Hospital was a far cry from the scene 10 years ago when protests and tears marked the facility's closing
 
Hospital officials, local leaders, medical staff, residents and elected officials gathered under a tent on the campus to mark the efforts over the past decade to restore NARH and cut the ribbon officially reopening the 136-year-old medical center. 
 
"This hospital under previous ownership closed its doors. It was a day that was full of tears, anger and fear in the Northern Berkshire community about where and how residents would be able to receive what should be a fundamental right for everyone — access to health care," said Darlene Rodowicz, president and CEO of Berkshire Health Systems. 
 
"Today the historic opportunity to enhance the health and wellness of Northern Berkshire community is here. And we've been waiting for this moment for 10 years. It is the key to keeping in line with our strategic plan which is to increase access and support coordinated county wide system of care." 
 
Berkshire Medical Center in Pittsfield, under the BHS umbrella, purchased the campus and affiliated systems when Northern Berkshire Healthcare declared bankruptcy and closed on March 28, 2014. NBH had been beset by falling admissions, reductions in Medicare and Medicaid payments, and investments that had gone sour leaving it more than $30 million in debt. 
 
BMC was able to reopen the ER as an emergency satellite facility and slowly restored and enhanced medical services including outpatient surgery, imaging, dialysis, pharmacy and physician services. 
 
But it would take a slight tweak in the U.S. Health and Human Services' regulations — thank to U.S. Rep. Richie Neal — to bring back inpatient beds and resurrect North Adams Regional Hospital 
 
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