Published: 10/20/2018 1:13:49 AM
Modified: 10/20/2018 1:14:04 AM
PHILLIPSTON — A church in Shrewsbury donated video equipment worth thousands of dollars to the town recently. The Selectboard met this week to discuss a variety of topics including permission to apply for three grants, and the donation of video equipment.
Chuck Kolbenson, clerk of the Cable Advisory Committee, was present at the meeting and relayed to the board a donation from St. Mary’s Parish in Shrewsbury of various video equipment including five cameras and mounting hardware. Kolbenson said the donation consists of over $10,000 worth of equipment.
According to Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Flynn the town is aiming to coordinate installing the equipment with the new elevator installation.
“That doesn’t happen every day and it takes your breath away when someone offers that kind of gift to you. They were more than happy to donate it and we are very pleased it is going to a good home and to people who are able to make use of it,” he said.
In other news, Flynn said the board renewed their contract with Hampshire Power for another year. “The Selectboard voted again to go with the green option, which costs $100 more a year,” he said.
There were three requests to apply for grant funding. Fire Chief Richard Stevens requested permission to apply to the Assistance to Firefighters Grant to receive funding to replace the department’s Jaws of Life. The current Jaws of Life is about 30 years old. If the town receives the grant, Phillipston would provide a five percent match of funds toward the equipment, said Flynn.
The town is also applying to receive funding from the Massachusetts Historical Commission in order to complete design work for restoring the Town Hall’s auditorium area. Flynn said Phillipston received funding from the commission in order to repair the Town Hall’s roof and aims to continue their relationship with the organization.
“We would love to do the interior of the upstairs, which has changed over the years,” said Flynn. “We’d like to put it back to what it originally looked like.”
Lastly, the town hopes to improve various culverts throughout Phillipston damaged by this year’s heavy rainfall by applying to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.
“There are older culverts that have taken a lot of beating over the years and are in a bad state… they need to be replaced so we are asking for some funds to undertake those projects,” said Flynn.
A joint meeting is set for Monday Oct. 15 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Narragansett Regional High School Library between Phillipston and Templeton’s Board of Selectman and both town’s Finance Committees to discuss the upcoming budget cycle.
“They will be reviewing where we are right now in Fiscal Year 2019 and then there will be a discussion about the procedure we will follow and where we think we are headed in Fiscal Year 2020,” said Flynn.
The Board of Selectman’s next scheduled meeting is Monday Oct. 22 at Town Hall.