ATHOL — After a flurry of rescinded votes and a discussion on money transfers, Athol’s Capital Planning Committee managed to spend just about all of the $600,000 set aside in Town Manager Shaun Suhoski’s proposed FY20 town budget this week. The bulk of the cash, some $395,000, is targeted for the Department of Public Works. The spending plan will be voted on at the upcoming annual town meeting.
At a previous meeting, the committee had already approved spending nearly $27,000 for a vehicle to be used by the health inspector, around $41,000 for a new police cruiser, and approximately $134,000 for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the Fire Department.
The new SCBA equipment will replace apparatus that Chief Joseph Guarnera explained in a previous Athol Daily News interview is outdated and provides oxygen for much less time than the newer equipment.
The committee also agreed with DPW Superintendent Doug Walsh’s request for $150,000 for the purchase of two one-ton dump trucks, along with $48,500 for a flail mower attachment. The mower attaches to a tractor boom, allowing for the cutting of grass, brush and small trees. It’s generally used to clear brush along the side of town roads.
The CPC also recommended spending $46,500 for non-Chapter 90 roadwork. Chapter 90 is a state program that provides funds for municipal road repair and construction. The money approved by the committee would be used for items those state funds will not cover. Another $40,000 will be used for a grant match.
The sum of $110,000 was committed to paying the third year of a four-year bond that covers the cost of an engineering study for the reconstruction of what is known locally as the Five Points. The area is where Chestnut Hill Avenue meets Laurel, Brattle, and Crescent streets. Crescent Street carries a small portion of state Route 32.
The engineering study is being conducted by CHA Consulting, which is headquartered in New York, with a local office in Keene, New Hampshire.
One item deleted from Walsh’s original request was $35,000 to conduct a study of the Newton Reservoir Dam. Walsh explained that he will take the money from another portion of his general operating budget for this.
At last check, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Office of Dam Safety classified the Newton Reservoir Dam as “low hazard.”