Duxbury Approves $677,393 in ARPA Funding for Various Projects

Town Seeks Additional $5 Million for DPW Building as Costs Rise

DUXBURY, MA - October 21 - The Duxbury Selectboard has approved the allocation of $677,393 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for various town projects, while also considering a request for up to $5 million in additional funding for the Department of Public Works (DPW) building project.

At their Oct. 21 meeting, board members unanimously voted to support the use of ARPA funds for a range of initiatives, including water and sewer improvements, infrastructure upgrades, and community enhancements.

Finance Director Mary MacKinnon presented the funding requests, explaining the urgency behind the decision. "We have two deadlines. One... is set by Plymouth County for the allocation we've received through them and the other deadline is set by the federal government, the Treasury Department," MacKinnon said.

The county deadline is Oct. 24, while the federal deadline is Dec. 31. MacKinnon emphasized the need to reprogram funds quickly due to procurement issues with previously planned water and sewer projects.

Among the approved projects are a water sewer rate study ($65,000), additional funding for the McNeil dump design ($96,900), and various smaller initiatives under $50,000 each. These include infield rehabilitation at the Onion Field, equipment for the fire department, and improvements to town facilities.

"We are addressing issues that have been added onto the town's capital plan," MacKinnon explained. "We took a look at what has been declared as needs of the department and we are addressing needs that departments have communicated to us."

The board also discussed the ongoing DPW building project, which has faced significant cost increases since its initial approval in March 2022. Jeff Alberti from Weston & Sampson presented an update on the project, detailing efforts to control costs through value engineering.

"We've been trying to come up with savings without sacrificing the operation and the functionality and the longevity of this building," Alberti said. He highlighted changes such as modifying the salt storage structure, reconfiguring the building layout, and reducing the overall square footage from 38,189 to 32,600 square feet.

Despite these efforts, the project still requires additional funding. The town is considering requesting up to $5 million at the Nov. 18 Special Town Meeting to cover the increased costs.

Joe Sullivan, the Owner's Project Manager, explained the reasons behind the cost escalation. "There are different parts of this building that are going to cost differently. The vehicle storage is going to be a little less per square footage and the administration area is going to be a little bit more," Sullivan said.

He added that construction costs had risen significantly between 2022 and 2023, with some projects seeing increases of up to $820 per square foot.

The Selectboard approved a motion to submit a DE2 form to the Department of Revenue, allowing for the potential increase in the debt exclusion for the project. This does not commit the town to the full $5 million but sets an upper limit for consideration.

Board members expressed concern about the cost increases and the short timeline for decision-making. "I don't want to whip around $5 million of the taxpayer's money without being satisfied," said one board member.

In other business, the board adopted an order of layout for Cooper Hill Road, moving forward with the process of accepting it as a public way. This action follows a previous town meeting vote and will be presented again at the Nov. 18 Special Town Meeting.

The board also discussed the formation of a Powder Point Bridge advisory committee, with Town Manager René Read agreeing to prepare a charge for the committee for the next meeting.