Adams Selectmen Approve Reserve Fund Transfer for DPW Truck
ADAMS, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen has approved an $80,000 reserve transfer request for the Department of Public Works to purchase a dump and plow truck.
The truck, a 2022 Ford F550, will replace a 2008 Ford vehicle in disrepair. Town Administrator Jay Green explained that the town needs to decommission the 2008 truck by July because of deterioration.
"It has 80,000 miles. It now has suffered from a cracked frame, structural rot and electrical harness failure," he said. "The mechanics have repaired the vehicle to keep it in service. However, those repairs are not sustainable in the vehicle not meet Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection standards at its July inspection."
Green said the new vehicle is on the state bid list and could enter service for the town immediately once purchased. Using reserve funding to get the truck now, according to Green, would avoid a wait time as long as a year in obtaining a new vehicle.
"We know that there are supply chain delays, and we assumed that we are not going to get this truck for a minimum of a year," he said. "In light of the fact that truck 20 will not pass inspection, we will be down to one vehicle. So that's why we decided to take this approach in order to do that."
The Finance Committee voted on the reserve transfer on Thursday.
In other business, the town will be holding a public outreach meeting on Wednesday, March 23 discussing a redesign of Howland Avenue. Community Development Director Eammon Coughlin said the redesign will limit the road to two vehicle lanes and should improve the safety and aesthetics of the road.
"Next week, we're really looking to get public feedback and comments on the conceptual design. We have sent out a mailer to all the property owners that directly abut the roadway from the roundabout north to the town line," he said.
Art Babayan, principal of cannabis cultivator LC Square LLC, plans to begin operation in April after several years of first coming to Adams. Babayan first presented before the board in 2018 and was approved by the planning board in April of last year.
Green thanked Babayan for sticking with Adams through the previous several years.
"You've just been consistent on Adams the entire time," he said. "It's great to welcome new companies, but I think it's important for us to thank you for just sticking with Adams."
• The board voted 4-1 against a motion to enter the local farmland of importance designation, a federal program that designates certain farmland as being locally important. Board members who voted against the measure said they were not against the program but wanted more information before voting.
Selectman Joseph Nowak was the lone dissenting vote. He said environmental preservation is one of the most crucial causes for the town to support in the future.
"Protection of property like that comes an environment that protects our watersheds, protects wildlife habitat, and things like that," he said. "So there is many clear-cut advantages of putting land in protection."
• The board approved a Sunday entertainment license for the Adams Agricultural Fair at Bowe Field, 371 Old Columbia St. The board approved a weekly public entertainment license for the fair.
• The board approved a change of alcohol manager application for O'Geary's Package Store at 60 Commercial St.
