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Hubbardston committee presses contractor insurance and plans to refine project details for CPC requests
Summary
Committee members said haying work is continuing without a current contract and asked the contractor to provide a certificate of insurance and sign a one-year contract; members also agreed to refine the town open-space plan into detailed annual projects to support CPA/CPC funding requests.
The Town of Hubbardston Open Space Committee on Thursday discussed contractor oversight and next steps to translate its open-space plan into project-ready CPC/CPA applications.
Members said haying on town land has continued without a renewed contract. Committee discussion focused on risk management: several members urged that the contractor provide an up‑to‑date certificate of insurance and that the town secure a signed one‑year contract before continuing work. “We should ask him for a certificate of insurance so we know what insurance he has,” one member said; the committee agreed the town administrator or contract manager should keep the certificate on file.
The group noted past practice had required contractors to provide current insurance certificates when signing contracts and asked that same practice be reinstated. One member suggested offering the contractor a copy of last year’s contract for signature, with a chance to negotiate payment if desired.
Separately, committee members focused on improving the specificity of the open-space plan so funding requests would meet CPC requirements. The committee agreed to refine the plan’s broad 10‑year goals into annual project proposals with line‑item budgets, attachments and maps so that applications to CPC could be submitted on an expedited timeline. Members discussed which projects would be prioritized for the near term, including scout trail hardening, Malone Grove accessibility improvements, and several small bridge/post purchases.
Committee members noted CPA/CPC funding procedures and deadlines: applications require a clear project description, cost estimates, and supporting documents and typically must be submitted to CPC by mid‑July to be eligible for the fall town meeting warrant. The committee delegated follow‑up tasks: update the draft funding letter to show where the MassTrails grant offsets project costs, itemize funding requests, and present the refined materials to parks commission and CPC as required.
The meeting closed with scheduling the next meeting for July 30 at 7:00 p.m.; a motion to adjourn was then made, seconded and approved unanimously.
