Select Board hears proposal to extend 12‑inch water main on Central Avenue using existing CDBG and town funds

John Cleveland, a consultant with Community Ideamics Corporation, and Neil Meltzer of the Water and Sewer District updated the Limerick Select Board on the town’s Deep Veil water and sewer project and proposed adding a 560‑foot extension of the water main on Central Avenue.

The consultants said construction on the existing Deep Veil work is effectively complete: 592 feet of new sewer pipe and more than 2,000 feet of new water pipe have been installed, the project added roughly 20 customer connections and two new hydrants, and paving has begun. Cleveland said the old Central Avenue main dates to the woolen‑mill era and is more than 100 years old; replacing the eight‑inch main with a 12‑inch trunk would both reduce the risk of contamination where sewer and water lines run close together and provide capacity for anticipated development.

Cleveland presented a cost estimate for the Central Avenue extension—about $331,000 for construction, roughly $5,000 in engineering and project‑administration fees, and a conservative contingency of about $30,000—bringing the project total to approximately $366,000. He told the board that roughly $250,000 of unspent CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds remain from the Deep Veil allocation and that a separate audit noted about $57,000 remaining from a prior Hollandville project that could be reallocated. Meltzer added the Water & Sewer District has indicated it could contribute about $15,000 if the contingency were needed.

Board members and residents pressed for fiscal clarity. One resident asked where the $57,000 audit balance was recorded; other speakers urged the board to confirm the reported fund balances before authorizing any contract amendment. Cleveland and Meltzer said they have been coordinating with CDBG administrators and that, if the board wished to proceed, the town could amend the existing grant scope and issue a change order to the current contractor rather than re‑bidding the work; the contractor indicated an ability to begin work in September if authorized.

The Select Board did not vote on the project at the July 14 meeting. Members directed staff to verify audit balances, confirm with CDBG whether the remaining grant funds are eligible for the Central Avenue extension, and return with a recommendation and any required paperwork before approving a change order. If the board approves the change order, the three items Cleveland listed as necessary are board approval, a CDBG scope amendment, and a contractor change order.

Why it matters: Replacing century‑old mains and moving water lines away from closely paired sewer lines reduces contamination risk and builds capacity for future development. The proposed schedule would leverage state and federal grant dollars already set aside for the Deep Veil project, avoiding a new competitive procurement if eligibility and accounting checks confirm availability.

Next steps: Staff will follow up with the town’s finance officer and the CDBG program to confirm available balances and eligibility. The board asked Cleveland to confirm CDBG willingness to amend the scope and to return with final numbers and a proposed change‑order language before any authorization.

Quotes: "For every dollar that the town puts in now, this is money that's already allocated," Neil Meltzer said, urging the board to use grant leverage while it remains available. John Cleveland warned that unspent CDBG funds would revert to the state if the town declined to proceed.

The Select Board did not set a vote date; members said they would act after staff confirms the accounting and grant eligibility.