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Conservation commission approves up to $7,000 to retrofit failing rail‑trail bollard lights
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Summary
The Milford Conservation Commission authorized a contract up to $7,000 with AutoMACC Incorporated to rewire and retrofit rail‑trail bollard lights so they can use rechargeable batteries, after lengthy discussion about maintenance, vandalism risk and spare parts.
The Milford Conservation Commission voted March 12 to authorize a contract with AutoMACC Incorporated for up to $7,000 to rewire and retrofit trail bollard lights so they can use rechargeable batteries and spare assemblies.
The decision followed extended discussion about ongoing failures of the existing bollard batteries and a volunteer proposal to convert the bollards to rechargeable packs. Committee members described persistent problems with the current design, including frequent battery failures in cold weather, sensitivity in the electrical detection circuitry, and vandalism risk at exposed solar panels. Committee member (S3) summarized the technical problem, noting that the non‑rechargeable cells currently used cost about $11 apiece and that frequent replacements had become burdensome.
Committee member (S4) pressed the group on long‑term maintenance: “If the amount exceeds $7,000 it should come back to the conservation commission for review again,” a condition the motion included. Commissioners debated whether the town’s Department of Public Works should assume long‑term responsibility, but agreed the retrofit was a practical near‑term fix given current volunteer capacity.
The motion to approve the contract (with a hard cap of $7,000 and a requirement to return to the commission if costs exceed that amount) passed by voice vote and was recorded as unanimous on the floor. Commissioners said the rail‑trail fund contains the needed resources and that volunteers would continue to support charging and spare‑part swaps. The commission also asked the mover to clarify the contractor’s spare‑count line items and component list before work begins.
Next steps: the commission will instruct the contractor to incorporate access ports and tamper‑resistant covers where feasible, confirm whether quoted spares cover four bollards (with two spares each), and schedule regular battery swaps rather than waiting for failures.
