New Ipswich Select Board members made the first approvals for spending federal American Rescue Plan Act grant funding on town needs Tuesday, including safety improvements for the Department of Public Works and new equipment for the New Ipswich Police Department.
New Ipswich has been granted $568,000 in ARPA funds to be used on various community improvements, and the first round of approved purchases is based on town department recommendations.
A wish list of department requests for various items, from building upgrades to new equipment, provided to the board included a potential $1.3 million in potential uses for the funds. Board members spent time last week and this week reviewing the requests and narrowing down the most-crucial items before making their first votes on how to spend the funding.
Chair Shawn Talbot made multiple motions for spending funds, supported by fellow Selectman Lou Alvarez, while Selectman Jason Somero, who has expressed qualms about using federal funds, voted no on all motions put forth. All motions passed with a 2-1 vote.
Talbot first moved to use up to $35,000 for new air cleaners for the Department of Public Works shop, and up to $25,000 for electrical work for the department’s cold storage. Though there were several other requests made for new highway equipment, Talbot said those two issues should be addressed first.
“I think those should be done before any other projects. It seems like a safety issue,” Talbot said.
Alvarez agreed, and also voted to approve the expense, though he said he was also interested in purchasing a new equipment lift for the department, a $30,000 expense. The board did not vote on that item Tuesday.
The New Ipswich Fire Department made about $222,120 in requests, including new sets of firefighter gear, new radios and chargers, a generator and building repairs. Talbot proposed tabling any discussion on Fire Department equipment, as Chief Meredith Lund indicated she would be seeking grants for some of the requests. Talbot suggested the board consider the department’s requests after it was clear whether other grant funding was available, and Somero and Alvarez agreed.
The board also agreed to use $25,000 for development of a revision of the town’s Master Plan, a process led by the Planning Board. The Select Board approved that expense in a 2-1 vote.
The board agreed to several requests put forth by the New Ipswich Police Department, including $13,107 for four portable radios, $18,627 for mobile radios and $4,941 for ballistic armor.
Talbot explained that the department’s radios are aging, and no longer supported by the manufacturer, so it would be difficult to repair them or get replacement parts.
“What they have is what they have,” Talbot said.
Alvarez noted there were communications issues that troubled the emergency services.
“We have a number of dead spot locations here in town, and that makes conditions very difficult,” he said. “There was an incident with a resident while back that happened in a dead spot and that put all the officers in a precarious situation.”
Alvarez said he was in favor of replacing the radios, but added the town should also look into solutions for resolving those dead zones.
Alvarez and Talbot approved the expense for the radios and the body armor in two separate votes, with Somero opposed both times.
Talbot also proposed using $30,000 to convert the former town highway garage, located on Turnpike Road, across from Boynton Middle School, into a community center for the town.
Somero expressed concern, as the town had recently been intending to auction the building, but had pulled it from the market due to concerns of contamination on the grounds. Alvarez said the idea had merit, and he would be in favor of further discussions on the topic, but was not prepared to vote on it on Tuesday, and the matter was tabled.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.