Blackstone selectmen rescind Bellingham Road allocation, redirect ARPA funds to park and paving projects

The Town of Blackstone Board of Selectmen on Oct. 8 unanimously rescinded an unexpended allocation for the Bellingham Road drainage project and approved a series of reallocations that move federal‑aid and town funds toward local park and paving projects.

The board voted to rescind the unexpended OPER allocation for Bellingham Road while preserving amounts already spent on engineering, a motion introduced and seconded during an extended discussion of remaining ARPA/OPER balances. Selectman Mary, who moved the rescission, described the change as a way to free funds for projects that can be completed within the program’s timeframe; the board confirmed the drainage work is not abandoned and that engineering remains funded.

Why it matters: The board said roughly $308,000 was available at the start of the discussion and that redirecting unspent allocations will allow the town to complete near‑term projects, including park access improvements and lighting, rather than risk unspent funds being reclaimed by higher levels of government.

Key allocations approved included a $67,000 authorization to pave and stripe the Tabizi parking lot and an approximately $210,000 package for Roosevelt Park that covers paving, striping, a 30-by-60 pavilion slab and related site work. Selectmen said the Roosevelt package will use remaining money from a broad Warren warrant article first, with the remainder paid from ARPA; board members described that split as preserving dedicated warrant funds and avoiding unnecessary ARPA use. A motion to allocate funds for Tabizi and to approve the Roosevelt spending package passed unanimously.

Town Administrator Chad Lovett and the public works superintendent briefed the board on project specs and procurement. Officials stressed the Roosevelt Park figure includes contingencies for tonnage and striping and noted that the pavilion will require procurement and engineering for footings and slab work, which may change final costs.

Board members also approved reducing an originally planned $60,000 grant‑writer allocation to $30,000 after concluding the larger amount was unlikely to be expended in the available period.

Next steps: The town will proceed with procurement for the listed projects, prioritize finishing Canal Street lighting work already in progress, and return to the board with specific vendor estimates for the Jesse Deacon Overlook and any portable lighting options. The board asked staff to keep ARPA/OPER items on the agenda until the projects are complete.

Quote: “We do not want to leave anything on the table for the state or federal government to reclaim,” the chair said during the discussion, summing up the board’s rationale for reallocating the funds.

The board recorded all the funding votes as unanimous.