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Westborough finance committee endorses ARPA package; recommends $87,000 to remediate lead at police range
Summary
The Advisory Finance Committee recommended a slate of ARPA awards to the Select Board on Nov. 18, 2024, including $87,000 for lead remediation at the police firing range, $85,000 for a Piccadilly Brook bridge replacement, and smaller allocations for IT, public-safety equipment and recreation projects.
The Westborough Advisory Finance Committee on Nov. 18 recommended that the Select Board approve a package of American Rescue Plan Act allocations to cover a range of town projects and equipment needs.
The committee’s recommendations — prompted by a December obligation deadline for ARPA funds — include $87,000 to fund lead reclamation and soil remediation at the town’s police firing range, $85,000 for replacement of the collapsed Piccadilly Brook pedestrian bridge, $17,000 to complete a base dog-park installation at Chauncey Park, $7,500 for interim community-center security cameras and panic buttons, and a block of other technical and facilities upgrades. Town Manager Christy Williams told the committee the town received roughly $5,722,272.37 in ARPA funds and that accrued interest had added roughly $49,000 to the available balance.
Why it matters: the committee’s vote is a recommendation to the Select Board, which has final authority. The ARPA allocations aim to obligate federal funds before the statutory deadline while addressing public-safety equipment, ADA- and code-compliant infrastructure, IT and building systems, and language-access services for youth and family counseling.
Votes at a glance (committee recommendation totals and recorded outcomes): - Police firing-range lead remediation: recommend $87,000; motion passed 9–0–0. (Mover: McMahon; second: Bradley.) - Piccadilly Brook bridge replacement: recommend $85,000 as part of a bundled motion; block motion passed 9–0–0. - Dog park base-scope shortfall (Chauncey Park): recommend $17,000; motion passed 5–4–0. - Community center security features (cameras and panic buttons): recommend $7,500; motion passed 9–0–0. - Fire station alarm repair: recommend $7,001.36; EMS stair-chair replacement and Lucas CPR devices included in block motion (amounts listed in committee packet); block motion passed 9–0–0. - IT/Forbes building server-cooling and Avaya phone upgrade: included in block motion; committee recommended funding to upgrade HVAC server interface and phone software to a supported revision. - Block funding motion: the committee bundled multiple project recommendations (including school parking-lot repairs, server-room cooling, BMS migration, and youth & family services language-equity funding) and voted 9–0–0 to recommend the package to the Select Board. - Final catchall motion: the committee recommended allocating all current and future remaining ARPA funds to the Department of Public Works for lead service-line inventory work; motion passed 9–0–0.
Town Manager Christy Williams emphasized the review process: departments submit proposals, a finance team evaluates them, and the Advisory Finance Committee forwards recommendations to the Select Board. The committee repeatedly framed several items as phased: the police range work was split into immediate environmental remediation and a larger, later capital ask for an advanced target/decision-making system supported in part by a pledge from the Westborough Police Foundation.
What’s next: these are recommendations; the Select Board will consider the package and may adjust or approve individual items. Several projects (notably larger capital items) may still require Town Meeting votes or additional appropriations.
