Town Meeting on May 20 voted against an amendment that would have removed $1,894,016 from prior-authorized capital funds and held them for general annual road maintenance; the main motion to reappropriate prior-year funds to allow immediate award of a construction contract for the Surfside Area Transportation Improvements project was adopted.

The contested line item was money originally authorized for prior sidewalk, bike path and cobblestone projects that, the Department of Public Works said, was not fully spent and could be applied to the multi-road restoration package that includes Lovers Lane, Orkawa Road and Monahansett Road. DPW Director Drew Padno told the meeting the project includes two miles of new bike paths, full-width paving and stormwater infrastructure sized for 100-year storms and that bids came in substantially below estimate. Padno warned that without reappropriation the town would have to rebid, risking higher prices.

Resident and Town Meeting member Thomas Barreta proposed an amendment to instead redirect $1,894,016 to annual road repair and maintenance rather than to the Surfside project. Barreta argued the town’s road network shows deferred maintenance in many locations and said the change would restore a prior-year maintenance balance that had not been spent; he outlined local pothole and drainage failures as evidence of need.

DPW Director Padno and other supporters said the funds are necessary to award a timely contract for the Surfside project and that state Chapter 90 money and other appropriations left a gap the reappropriation would fill. Finance staff and town counsel explained that the rescinded borrowing authorization cited in a different article could not be repurposed because those borrowing authorizations had not been executed.

On the amendment vote the tally was yes 191, no 533 and the amendment failed. The planning board/finance committee main motion reappropriating prior-year funds for the Surfside project was adopted (yes 655, no 61); the moderator noted the vote met the required majority. DPW said awarding a contract could proceed and that the town had one asphalt supplier and one paving contractor on-Island, making timing and contract continuity important.