On February 28, before the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee opened its meeting, Town Administrator Mike Gagne said the town had been awarded several grants.
The town received a much sought-after U.S. Economic Development Administration grant, totaling $735,000. Gagne said he had been learned of the award on February 28. The grant is earmarked for infrastructure and roadway improvements to Industrial Drive.
Adding to the big payday, Representative Bill Straus’ office announced two grant awards known as Coastal Community Grants. Straus stated, “Mattapoisett will receive two separate awards. Improvements at Long Wharf will benefit from a $216,000 coastal-infrastructure grant, and the town will also receive a $120,000 planning grant for the development of a municipal waterways plan.” That’s a stunning total of $1.071 million, Gagne said.
Continuing on with good news, school facility director Gene Jones had some to share when he met with the Capital Planning Committee. He shared that a whopping $1.2 million had been spent by Eversource to upgrade lighting throughout the schools located in Mattapoisett. “This means a savings of about $8,000 a month,” he said of energy-cost savings from the retrofit program.
Local schools’ capital needs were also discussed with Jones saying it was necessary to advance a request for telephone upgrades in the amount of $30,000 from FY23 to FY21. He said copper telecommunication lines are not functioning properly and that an internet-based system was mandatory to ensure that security systems and interagency communications were functional.
Gagne inquired if the Old Rochester Regional District School Committee was ready to present its capital needs. Jones responded that in two weeks that plan would be ready for review. Gagne acknowledged that funding of capital needs for the ORR schools still needed to be worked out between among the Tri-Town communities, but having the plan was critical towards understanding short and long-term funding requirements, he said. Jones said the ORR report would include a breakdown for each town indicating their portions.
Jones also reported that the roof system at Old Hammondtown School was at the end of its warranty and that cost estimates were $1.3 million. However, he said that a program offered by the Massachusetts School Building Authority would offset that figure. Jones stated that he would draft a letter to MSBA outlining the need for the building’s roof replacement. He said the letter was a prerequisite before applying for funding.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee is scheduled for March 5 at 6:30 pm in the Town Hall conference room.
Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee
By Marilou Newell