Adams Approves Borrowing for Emergency Infrastructure Repairs
ADAMS, Mass. — Town meeting members approved the emergency appropriation of up to $2.5 million to fund repairs to infrastructure damaged by September flooding.
The town meeting vote came swiftly and with no opposition Thursday with 81 votes in favor of allowing the town to deficit spend to address immediate concerns left in the wake of two September storms.
"On Sept.12 and the following week we were hit with the remnants of tropical storm Florence," Selectmen Chairman John Duval said. "For a lot of us it was pretty much just a rainstorm, same thing in the rest of the county, but as we went throughout our lives that day there were many people who were suffering."
These two storms were within a week of each other and rain cascaded down the mountain overwhelming the town's flood control system.
Flooding affected Lime, Davis, North Summer, and Charles street areas, in particular, damaging private properties and causing more than $2 million in damage to public infrastructure.
Because the storms only affected Adams the town cannot receive federal or state Emergency Management Agency funds because the storms only affected Adams.
"When it is just us it is not as easy," Duval said.
The town reached out to its state representatives who are trying to secure $1.9 million to make these repairs, however, with winter around the corner, the town needed to make quick repairs — specifically the Glen Street sinkhole and the deteriorating East Road.
This prompted the town to declare a state of emergency allowing them to deficit spend right away. Although the town did not immediately need town meeting approval to start spending, it was the last piece of the puzzle.
Duval said the two initial emergency repairs are largely complete.
"We are pretty close to fixing the two emergency situations that we had to deal with," he said. "They were a safety concern and were only going to become more costly."
Glen Street was estimated to cost $113,643.75 and East Road was slated to cost $113,906.25.
No one approached the microphone when the floor was opened and none of the 86 town meeting members present stood up in opposition.
The vote was met with applause and the meeting was completed in a half hour.
Tags: infrastructure improvements, municipal borrowing, road damage, special town meeting,
