The Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission held its July 6 public meeting in anticipation of the July 10 realization of hoped-for bids from contractors for the job of stump grinding and grubbing out of the stretch of the Point Road Path between Joanne Drive and Jenna Drive.
The theory presented by MOSAC Chairman John Rockwell is to time out that project with the town’s planned resurfacing of Joanne Drive and Jenna Drive. The milling part of that project will presumably create loose asphalt that MOSAC might be able to access for use as a base or surface of the path.
Meantime, frustration on the part of Point Road residents was expressed by Shaun Walsh in the form of a philosophical disagreement.
“I feel like we took one step forward and you’re taking maybe two or three steps backward,” said Walsh, who referenced May meeting minutes and, based on comments include those from MOSAC members, came away believing it would be a “100% bid, design, built project.”
Walsh asserted that the town administrator was under the same impression as he.
“What I’m hearing now is the Open Space Acquisition Commission, whose primary mission … is to acquire open space in town, it appears that MOSAC is now in the process of engineering and building paths,” he said.
Walsh acknowledged Rockwell’s expertise and experience as a builder but said, as a town resident, he feels “uncomfortable with a committee of this nature now trying to figure out retaining walls and the amount of material that’s going to be needed. … If the bid specs would have been developed and published as a 100% design-build project, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
“It sounds like this project is getting chopped up into smaller and smaller segments, and I’m really concerned that not only does that add to the already-lengthy amount of time that this relatively straightforward project has taken …”
In light of 2019 Town Meeting’s appropriation of $268,000 for the project, Walsh said his frustration is shared by others who live in the Point Road area and have no safe area to walk, run or bike. He asserted that all of the details being explored in MOSAC meetings this year should have been included in one bid that would have better motivated prospective bidders.
In reference to a question that came in via the chat function of the Zoom meeting, Rockwell acknowledged the time that has passed and predicted that the path will not open this summer.
“We want to see it completed, too, and as I explained at the last meeting, there’s a cost and a timeframe issue, both of which are important in terms of getting this out … so you could bid it out in state contract over $50,000,” said Rockwell, adding that engineering and permitting comprise 30% of a project cost.
Resident Kate Cooney asked if the amount approved by voters four years ago is not enough to complete the project. Rockwell said it would not be known until the project is completed. He clarified that MOSAC does not have the money to complete the project “soup to nuts” as suggested by Walsh.
“If we do a project that costs over $50,000 … you have to do it under the provisions of the state Procurement Act … which requires us to write up bid specifications – they’re very specific – and would require us to hire an engineer to do so,” said Rockwell. “That was not in our budget to have an engineer design bid specifications.”
Walsh argued that $10,000 to $15,000, the amount he says Rockwell estimated for engineering services during a prior MOSAC meeting, “is not a significant amount of money … why can’t that occur at this point?” Walsh argued that since the stretch between Jenna and Joanne Drive can be completed without complication, MOSAC should focus on getting the stretch completed.
Beyond tree work done by Dave Jenney and Grimes Tree Service amounting to no more than a few thousand dollars, Rockwell said there has been no significant spending of the allotted funds as of the July 6 meeting. He said he spent some out-of-pocket money for stakes that he did not plan to bill the commission for. Eversource took down trees in the course of its own purposes.
Rockwell qualified, however, that $117,000 of the $268,000 approved for the project in 2019 was allocated to “in-kind services” such as the Notice of Intent he filed with Jeff Oakes to plot the wetlands line and a match involving contract supervision and design work.
“The problem is you need money at the end of your project to finish it, and … many times it’s too late to save the money when you’re at the end,” he said. “You have to try to save at the beginning too.”
Rockwell said it was not MOSAC’s grant to do a 100% project as suggested by Walsh, who wanted to know if, at this point, there would be any blockage to MOSAC putting out bid specifications for a 100% project just from Jenna to Joanne Drive.
Rockwell disagreed with Walsh’s assertion that the 2019 funding could be thusly applied in keeping with the intent of the appropriation.
“We were given money for construction,” said Rockwell, clarifying that engineering costs were not built into the $268,000 awarded at Town Meeting.
Walsh openly wondered about another source of funding to hire an engineer. He also wondered if DPW engineer Meghan Davis would be able to put bid specifications together.
Rockwell said then-DPW Director David Ouellette offered help but that did not materialize. He also noted that MOSAC unsuccessfully tried on multiple occasions to obtain grant funding for the engineering piece.
Upon seeing that a retaining wall had been built at Cushing Community Center, Rockwell inquired with the DPW about the wall needed for the Point Road path but reported having been told the property has to first be surveyed with the project included, a time and money-consuming process.
“We’re actually doing the path of least resistance to get this done,” said Rockwell. “Last year, we were stumped for a while on this project because of the pushback we got from DPW, and so far we’ve got all the trees taken out for nothing.”
Rockwell said bids are due July 20 to do the clearing and grubbing.
“So I think we’re doing okay,” he said. “In terms of project value that we’re adding to the construction value by getting this done, yeah, we can hire somebody. But we don’t have any money. And to try to get money … that takes longer and is more frustrating than actually just doing the work yourself.”
MOSAC member Deb Ewing asked if Town Administrator Geoff Gorman could play a diplomatic role in helping MOSAC get help from the DPW in building the retaining wall. Rockwell encouraged her to approach Gorman on the matter.
Rockwell noted that the DPW does work at Silvershell Beach and Washburn Park, which are Recreation Department areas, and Island Wharf, which is run by the Marine Resources Commission. Meantime, he says it has been a challenge to get Grassi Bog mowed.
Citing new people in the town administrator and DPW offices, Walsh encouraged MOSAC to re-engage the town for assistance.
Final bids on the current phase of the project were due July 10.
The Town of Marion plans to repave Joanne and Jenna drives, the first action being to mill the road, which will create material that MOSAC wants to use for base or topping for the new roadside path.
The next meeting of the Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission was not scheduled upon adjournment.
Marion Open Space Acquisition Commission
By Mick Colageo