Funding for the Council on Aging’s new home is in place. By a scant 11 votes, Special Town Meeting voters Monday night approved the $530,000 needed to relocate the COA/community center from the Bluffs to the former St. Michael’s Church. “It didn’t pass by an overwhelming amount, but I’m very pleased,” Selectmen Chairman Kenneth Furtado said. The vote on the latest bonding expenditure was 141 to 55, with 130 needed for the required two-thirds approval, Town Moderator Paul Burke said. After a hectic past week when raccoons invaded and forced evacuation of the beloved but run-down COA Bluffs building, selectmen hope to award the church renovation contract by Friday, Furtado said. He said they would seek short-term Bond Anticipation Notes immediately, and hoped to finish the work by Christmas. Expedited state approval is still required to award the total $1,116,600 million contract to renovate the 12,000-square-foot building to Northern Contracting Corp., Canton. Northern was the lowest of eight bidders. A half-hour of discussion and limited opposition allowed the town to improve what had been seen as a $780,000 project, including a $200,000 state grant for a wellness center. The original design lacked two major needs, Furtado said, introducing the centerpiece of four warrant articles. A fire suppression system and full elevator — replacing a small lift — were recently recommended by the town’s Senior/Center Facilities Committee. ...
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Funding for the Council on Aging’s new home is in place. By a scant 11 votes, Special Town Meeting voters Monday night approved the $530,000 needed to relocate the COA/community center from the Bluffs to the former St. Michael’s Church. “It didn’t pass by an overwhelming amount, but I’m very pleased,” Selectmen Chairman Kenneth Furtado said. The vote on the latest bonding expenditure was 141 to 55, with 130 needed for the required two-thirds approval, Town Moderator Paul Burke said. After a hectic past week when raccoons invaded and forced evacuation of the beloved but run-down COA Bluffs building, selectmen hope to award the church renovation contract by Friday, Furtado said. He said they would seek short-term Bond Anticipation Notes immediately, and hoped to finish the work by Christmas. Expedited state approval is still required to award the total $1,116,600 million contract to renovate the 12,000-square-foot building to Northern Contracting Corp., Canton. Northern was the lowest of eight bidders. A half-hour of discussion and limited opposition allowed the town to improve what had been seen as a $780,000 project, including a $200,000 state grant for a wellness center. The original design lacked two major needs, Furtado said, introducing the centerpiece of four warrant articles. A fire suppression system and full elevator — replacing a small lift — were recently recommended by the town’s Senior/Center Facilities Committee. ...