By SARAH ROBERTSON
Staff Writer
PHILLIPSTON — Upgrades to the dam on Queen Lake are complete and the dam will be operable throughout the winter, as was announced at a Phillipston Select Board meeting Monday night.
As a safety precaution a new hand-powered crank mechanism replaced the old concrete spillway controlled by adding and removing of thick wooden planks. New guidelines put forth by the Massachusetts Office of Dam safety prompted the upgrades. Construction on the dam started in July, according to Select Board member Kim Pratt, after three years of planning and seeking a contractor.
The total construction contract was $319,069, raised by a local debt exclusion on all property owners in town. Come springtime the only remaining repairs will be cosmetic, according to the Board.
Only Highway Department superintendent Richard Tenney and designated members of the department will be authorized to operate and access the dam controls. Other Select Board members discussed keeping the crank locked and posting no trespassing signs around the dam to discourage anyone from tampering with the controls.
Additionally, the town received a notice from the Office of Dam Safety with instructions to write and implement an Emergency Management Plan in case of dam failure. The Select Board’s chief administrative officer Kevin Flynn said that the University of Mississippi shares model regulations with other municipalities’ engineers to help draft the emergency management plan, and the town would reach out to the school for guidance.
Sarah Robertson can be reached at srobertson@atholdailynews.com.