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Clarksburg Applying for Housing Rehabilitation Grant Funds

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
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CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The town is applying for about $300,000 in federal money that can help some residents fix up their homes. 
 
The Select Board on Wednesday voted to sign on to a Community Development Block Grant application with the towns of Lee and Lenox for housing rehabilitation. The application is due on March 6. 
 
"This is a competitive grant application ... the most amount of money for one town would be $800,000 and for several towns going together, it's up to $1.3 million," explained Patricia Mullins, community and economic development program manager for Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Administrative and program delivery costs would leave about $900,000 — or $300,000 for each town. "By the three towns going in together, the application is stronger because number one, it shows that it's a regional grant and that basically you're sharing and the administrative services that would be provided."
 
CDBG grants are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and apportioned by the state's Department of Housing and Community Development for use in economic and community development, housing, social services, preservation and conservation and recreation. Cities are generally entitled to annual grant funding but smaller communities' applications are not guaranteed. BRPC has overseen a number "regional" grants, including for a similar housing rehabilitation grant for Cheshire and New Marlborough
 
Mullins estimated that the grant would cover seven to 10 homeowners. Homeowners must be income eligible and apply for the projects that would want covered. Applicants must be current on their taxes and have appropriate insurance. The income limit for a household with just one individual is $49,700, for example, and for a family of eight, it's $93,700.
 
When BRPC applies for a grant, Mullins said the process begins a couple months in advance and will take four to six people to make out the paperwork. The commission will also begin advertising the grant so as to have a list of applicants ready if it is approved. 
 
Applicants will be taken on a first come, first served — the first to get their applications and documents in and be approved. The grants are zero percent, interest free forgivable loans. The homeowner will not have to pay back anything if they hold the property for 15 years; if they do so prior to the 15-year lien, they will have to pay back the balance of what is left on the loan. 
 
"We have a list of prequalified contractors, and we follow 30-day procurement up to a point," Mullins said, because the homeowner's identity is not publicly revealed. "Then we do a pre-bid walkthrough and we have a bid opening and we expect the homeowner to take the lowest bid unless they want to make up the difference."
 
One caveat, however, is that the home must be up to code and sometimes dealing those issues, such as lead paint, can eat up the grant funds. 
 
"The projects are up to $40,000 per household, DHCD will occasionally grant a single case waiver if that isn't enough," she said. "Any house that was built prior to 1978 has to have a lead paint test. And we may have to do some remediation of lead paint, which is very costly."
 
The funds can be used to bring properties up to code, for energy efficiency (such as insulation, doors and windows), improve handicapped accessibility, emergency repair such as leaking roofs, and weatherization.
 
Laura Dorr, BRPC program associate, who attended the meeting with Mullins, said she would be developing a waiting list and would be ensuring that the word got out to residents, such a mailing to every resident and setting up a box at Town Hall or the Senior/Community Center. Interested residents can also contact her at 413-442-1521, Ext. 23. 
 
Chairman Ronald Boucher asked if the town would have any fiscal responsibilities and Mullins assured him it wouldn't. Lenox would be the fiscal agent for the grant and BRPC would be the administrator. 
 
Select Board member Jeffrey Levanos said his only hesitation on signing a memorandum of agreement with BRPC was that fellow member Danielle Luchi was not in attendance. He and Boucher, however, decided that the opportunity was to good to pass on. 
 
"I think it's a great program," said Boucher. "I think there's enough checks and balances along the way that it makes sense."
 
In other business, 
 
Boucher was voted as the alternate representative on the BRPC for Clarksburg. The town also needs a permanent representative. 
 
• The date of the presidential primary was set for Tuesday, March 3, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Community Center.
 
• The board discussed the budget process with Town Administrator Rebecca Stone, who inquired how it is usually been done. The board had been very involved in years past and met with the Finance Committee regularly. Over the past decade, that burden largely has been taken up by the Finance Committee, although Levanos requested that the Select Board be looped in. 
 
"I'm not use to having the finalized budget in front of me," he said. "Maybe just an update to keep us apprised."
 
Stone said she would speak to the Finance Committee about having a joint meeting in February and in March, when there was more to show in the budget's progress. 
 
• Boucher read a proclamation for School Choice Week, which is Jan. 26 through Feb. 1.
 
• Stone updated the board on several fronts, including that governor's office has informed her that there will not be a visit to Clarksburg School. The town has been trying to get the attention of the governor to release $500,000 in earmarked funds to repair the roof. Stone said she wants the building inspector to give her a professional opinion on the status of the roof. 
 

Tags: CDBG,   Housing program,   

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EPA Lays Out Draft Plan for PCB Remediation in Pittsfield

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Ward 4 Councilor James Conant requested the meeting be held at Herberg Middle School as his ward will be most affected. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — U.S. The Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric have a preliminary plan to remediate polychlorinated biphenyls from the city's Rest of River stretch by 2032.

"We're going to implement the remedy, move on, and in five years we can be done with the majority of the issues in Pittsfield," Project Manager Dean Tagliaferro said during a hearing on Wednesday.

"The goal is to restore the (Housatonic) river, make the river an asset. Right now, it's a liability."

The PCB-polluted "Rest of River" stretches nearly 125 miles from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the river in Pittsfield to the end of Reach 16 just before Long Island Sound in Connecticut.  The city's five-mile reach, 5A, goes from the confluence to the wastewater treatment plant and includes river channels, banks, backwaters, and 325 acres of floodplains.

The event was held at Herberg Middle School, as Ward 4 Councilor James Conant wanted to ensure that the residents who will be most affected by the cleanup didn't have to travel far.

Conant emphasized that "nothing is set in actual stone" and it will not be solidified for many months.

In February 2020, the Rest of River settlement agreement that outlines the continued cleanup was signed by the U.S. EPA, GE, the state, the city of Pittsfield, the towns of Lenox, Lee, Stockbridge, Great Barrington, and Sheffield, and other interested parties.

Remediation has been in progress since the 1970s, including 27 cleanups. The remedy settled in 2020 includes the removal of one million cubic yards of contaminated sediment and floodplain soils, an 89 percent reduction of downstream transport of PCBs, an upland disposal facility located near Woods Pond (which has been contested by Southern Berkshire residents) as well as offsite disposal, and the removal of two dams.

The estimated cost is about $576 million and will take about 13 years to complete once construction begins.

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