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Date: 4/22/2020
SOUTHWICK – The Southwick Select Board met for a regularly scheduled meeting on April 14 to approve funds from the state to help the Board of Health fight COVID-19, approve a contract amendment for the Fire Department’s roof renovation project, among other business.
The first order of business at the meeting was to discuss and approve Gov. Charlie Baker’s request to use the Town’s Code Red system to send messages, which the board unanimously approved with little discussion.
After approving the request, the next order of business was to accept additional funds from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to help the Board of Health.
Chief Administrative Officer Karl Stinehart said, “In the last day we were fortunate enough to receive an additional amount of funds from the state government the local regional planning agencies and the purpose of those funds is to help support the Boards of Health.”
Select Board Chair Russ Fox then asked Stinehart if the funds could go to paying for PPE for first responders, but he explained local organizations were already working on that. “They’ve been supporting the efforts of the town nurse, and the first responders have been taken care of under separate applications to MEMA that have already made deliveries of equipment to our police and fire. Our chiefs have also been able to procure things in other places,” Stinehart said.
The board unanimously approved the motion to accept the funds from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.
In preparation for next week’s interviews for the open building inspector, the board also agreed to submit two questions each to ask the candidates.
The final order of business was to approve the use of $67,950 to execute contract amendment one with Russo Barr of the project to fix the Fire Department’s roof. Stinehart explained that because the design phase had finished, it triggered the first contract amendment. While the bidding process was supposed to be $10,000, because of a change order it ended up costing more.
He said, “Everything is still within the $300,000 appropriation that Town Meeting did lastMay in that barring authorization, so that remaining part won’t happen until there is a decision by Town Meeting to approve the project.’
The board unanimously approved the $67,950 contract amendment.
The Southwick Select Board next meets on April 21.