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Berkshire regional planners report progress on Sheffield CDBG home‑repair program
Summary
A Berkshire Regional Planning Commission representative told the Select Board the town’s CDBG-funded home-repair program has about eight projects in process, a first bid walkthrough is set in two weeks, and the earliest home should be finished by September.
Brett of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission updated the Sheffield Select Board on July 1 on progress in the town’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) home‑repair program. "We're going to have the first bid walkthrough for a home upcoming in two weeks," Brett said, and he added the board should expect the first completed house by September.
Brett told the board the program is off to a productive month for the town and that "altogether we have about eight projects right now of our total 15 that we want to achieve by the end of next July." Staff are processing income‑eligibility for several applicants and coordinating with the Board of Health on one property with habitability problems that must be addressed before work can proceed.
He described the upcoming bid walkthroughs as the step that allows licensed, insured Massachusetts contractors to inspect sites and decide whether to submit bids. Brett said the program already has two bid‑walk dates in July and two in August and encouraged the board to share bid notices with contractor contacts.
The board asked about contractor availability; Brett acknowledged contractors are in short supply and said the program works closely with several reliable contractors but welcomes any licensed, insured bidders. He also asked the Select Board to confirm appointments to a citizens advisory council tied to the program; the board said it would follow up by email.
Next steps: the planning commission will proceed with the scheduled walkthroughs and continue income‑eligibility checks; the Select Board will provide names for the citizens advisory council and coordinate on properties requiring public‑health review.
