Town Hall project awaits new estimate
Town Hall Building Committee Chairman Pete Jackson began his brief report to the selectmen this week warning: “All this could change in a few days,” alluding to potential fallout from revised cost estimates that are expected early next week. With construction costs rising in the past year, the new estimates are a matter of some concern.
Jackson showed six slides of the most recent interior and exterior plans, including one with what he called “subtle changes” to the exterior of the proposed addition. The committee would meet with the Harvard Historical Commission Wednesday, Jackson said, and respond to the HHC’s complaints about the addition (See story, page 1).
If nothing changes, the committee expects construction on the $3.9 million project to begin in September and take about a year to complete. The interior layout of the main building’s first floor could change slightly to provide a reception area, Jackson said, and to address other Town Hall employees’ concerns.
The THBC meets again June 25 and expects to have the new cost estimates by then.
State legislators get an earful
State Senator Jamie Eldridge and Representative Jen Benson came to the selectmen’s meeting to brief the board about state budget talks and the status of Harvard’s home-rule petitions, but got an earful about Devens and the endless construction on the Route 2 bridge. Both legislators expressed confidence that the Senate and House versions of the budget, now in conference committee, will be reconciled by the end of the month. The “wild card,” said Benson, “is what the governor will do.”
Town Administrator Tim Bragan and Council on Aging Director Deb Thompson had traveled to Boston earlier that day, when two of Harvard’s home-rule petitions were introduced in the House: one to allow Harvard police officers over mandatory retirement age (65) to work road details until they’re 70, and the other to change the mandated composition of the Elderly and Disabled Taxation Aid Committee to include the COA director. Bragan thanked Benson for expediting the process, joking that he and Thompson would still be in Boston without her help. For her part, Benson expressed confidence that those two petitions would be quickly approved.
Another Harvard petition, expanding the town’s capacity to issue liquor licenses, would take longer, but Eldridge and Benson predicted action on that one by the end of the year. Eldridge was not optimistic about a fourth petition that would exempt Harvard from prevailing wage laws for small projects. Informed that two other towns in the state had gained that exemption, Eldridge promised to look into it.
Turning to Devens, Selectwoman Lucy Wallace asked if there is any hope of getting help for the towns with the difficult transition when MassDevelopment gives up management of the former Army base, which is expected in the not-too-distant future. Eldridge said he’s heard nothing about it.
Then board member Ron Ricci brought up what he called his “pothole issue;” the fact that the Route 2 bridge in Harvard is still unfinished after a year and a half, and that now overweight trucks are being diverted from a bridge at Devens to the Harvard exit, and thence to Ayer Road and the Barnum gate. “Can somebody light a fire to get that bridge fixed?” Ricci implored.
Town audit finding reviewed
Several months after the annual town audit found significant problems with the Finance Department’s performance in reconciling cash, auditor Tony Roselli, of Roselli, Clark & Associates, explained his firm’s findings to the selectmen. Roselli was quick to point out that the problems highlighted in the audit appear to have been resolved. “Until 2010, everything balanced,” Roselli said. “Then things got much worse.” Roselli agreed with Finance Director Lorraine Leonard in attributing previous problems to inexperienced personnel, and accepted Leonard’s assurance that all accounts have been reconciled from the beginning of this fiscal year (FY2013) on July 1 to March.
Although he found no evidence of fraud, Roselli recommended that the town adopt a formal fraud policy, and that all employees be informed of the consequences of fraud, adding that many employees don’t know that using town property without authorization is a form of fraud. Roselli also suggested that Harvard consider having a data audit, noting that towns are easy targets for hackers.
Finally, Roselli said that as far as he knows, student activity accounts have never been audited, and that it should be done every three years.
Cell tower in Town Hall?
It is no secret that wireless service is weak in town center. The Town Hall Building Committee was recently asked to assess a suggestion to put a cell tower in the renovated Town Hall, a move Selectman Ron Ricci estimated could generate $50,000 to $60,000 a year in rental fees from Verizon.
According to Chairman Pete Jackson, any antennae would have to be contained in the cupola and any other equipment located somewhere in the building where the structure would support it. Once a proposal is available, the committee will be able to assess whether it is structurally and financially feasible.
General Store liquor license modifications approved
Although an ABCC clarification is not expected until later in the week, the selectmen unanimously approved changes to the General Store’s liquor license to accommodate future events on the store’s second floor.
“I’ll comply with whatever the ABCC rules,” said General Store owner Scott Hayward, who had requested the change.
The current permit allows off-premise sale and storage of beer and wine in controlled space in the basement and on the first and second floors. Hayward wanted to remove liquor sales from the second floor to allow him to use and to rent that space for events and functions. The question put to the ABCC at Selectwoman Marie Sobalvarro’s suggestion was whether or not beer and wine could still be stored on the second floor.
“Either way, I see it as an opportunity to rethink merchandising beer and wine,” Hayward said. Half of the store’s 200 beer and wine selections are already available on the first floor, and Hayward didn’t see any problems removing selections from the second floor. He does expect to have to add air conditioning in the basement.
People attending events on the second floor will be able to drink beer and wine on a BYOB basis.
More Route 2 woes
The Jackson Road bridge at Route 2 exit 37 is the latest addition to the area’s injured bridges list. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has reduced weight restrictions on the Jackson Road bridge over Route 2 at exit 37. Heavy trucks are advised to use Exit 36 at Shirley Road or Harvard’s already compromised Ayer Road bridge at exit 38. The Jackson Road bridge was already on MassDOT’s list to be replaced but was damaged last week when it was hit by an over-height truck.
The Ayer Road bridge has been reduced from four to two lanes since last March because of structural deficits. Selectman Ricci asked Sen. Eldridge and Rep. Benson, who were present at Tuesday night’s meeting, to look into why there appeared to be so little progress on bridge repair.
In March, construction was begun to replace the Taylor St. bridge over Route 2 in Littleton, according to MassDOT’s bridge projects page.
