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Peabody Finance Committee approves grant-match transfers for cybersecurity and dam repairs
Summary
The committee approved transfers to match grants for a $185,000 cybersecurity upgrade at the city’s two water treatment plants and engineering/repair work on Spring Pond and Suntaug dams; the package included three appropriations carried on a 5–0 roll-call vote.
The Peabody City Finance Committee on June 11 approved transfers to match outside grants for three water-related projects, including a $185,000 cybersecurity upgrade and engineering and repair work on Spring Pond and Suntaug dams.
William Palmisano of the Department of Public Services told the committee the cybersecurity project had secured the maximum MassDEP grant of $50,000 and that the project total is $185,000, leaving a city share of $135,000. Palmisano said the other two projects are FEMA-funded dam projects with an approximate 60/40 match.
"We have secured the maximum match for the first one. The maximum match was $50,000, but the project is $185,000," Palmisano said. He described the cybersecurity work as updates to computers, software and programming at the two water treatment plants to reduce the risk they could be hacked.
Palmisano said the dam projects are for two of the larger dams in the city — Spring Pond and Suntaug — and involve engineering and construction to address items identified in state-required private inspection reports that occur every two years.
Councilor Gamache moved the appropriation requests, which the motion recorded as: $135,000 to account 300-33015-57447-2026-411 (city share for the cybersecurity project), $106,400 to account 300-33015-57447-2026-412 (bond premium reserve), and $55,125,000 to account 300-3301557447-2026-413 (FEMA grant match as recorded in the motion). After no discussion, a roll-call vote recorded Stegel, Gamache, Turco, Manning Martin and Peach voting yes; the motion carried 5–0.
The Department of Public Services said the dam work responds to inspection findings intended to keep the dams in compliance with state requirements. The committee did not alter the funding sources or amounts during the meeting.
The committee moved on to the next agenda items after the vote; no further public comment was recorded on the grant matches.
