EAST LONGMEADOW – State Sen. Eric Lesser updated the East Longmeadow Town Council on June 14 about what it can expect financially from the state.

Lesser said that, in the current version of the state budget, East Longmeadow will receive $13 million in Chapter 70, which supports schools. While the total is comparable to last year’s Chapter 70, and therefore, essentially level-funded, Lesser said, “I appreciate it’s an environment where it’s not level cost.” Another $1.7 million is expected in unrestricted aid for the town and Lesser said he hopes a supplemental budget will be passed later this year.

The state Senate was also expected to debate what Lesser called, “ARPA 2.0,” the second round of funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The money debated by the legislature is separate from the funding given directly to municipalities.

Councilor Connor O’Shea asked Lesser how much ARPA funding is left to allocate from the first round. The state senator told him there was about $2 billion of the $5 billion that the state received left to allocate.

“It’s not a blank check,” Lesser said. There are stipulations and criteria that must be met for a project to be eligible for ARPA funding.

The state’s General Government Bond Bill, which was recently passed by the Legislature, is designed to pay for capital investments. Lesser included an amendment for $250,000 to address the water main on Nelson Avenue. He cautioned that the governor’s office had to act on the bond before work can begin.

Lesser also co-sponsored two amendments concerning crumbling concrete foundations in the state Senate’s fiscal year 2023 budget. The first amendment would require quarries to be tested for the mineral pyrrhotite, which reacts chemically with air and water and, when mixed with concrete, damages the material’s structural stability over time. The second amendment would require homeowners to be reimbursed for core sample pyrrhotite testing.

Councilor Marilyn Richards asked Lesser how many homes in the town have been affected by contaminated concrete. He explained that homeowners will not know they are affected unless they test their foundations, but also urged people to not become panicked. He said the state knows the timeframe in which affected homes were built and the general radius from the pyrrhotite source in Stafford Springs, CT, in which affected home would have been built. The application for core sample testing can be found at https://www.mass.gov/doc/crumbling-foundation-testing-reimbursment-application/download.

Councilor Kathleen Hill asked for an update of east-west rail, a proposed high-speed rail project connecting Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester and Boston. Lesser explained that the feasibility study for the project was completed last year and there is money for the project in the federal infrastructure bill passed in the spring. He said the legislature is working on a “legal vehicle” to allocate the funding.

Town Council Vice President Ralph Page asked Lesser about Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding reimbursement. Lesser advocated for use of the CPA program, which supports open space, recreation and historic preservation. He said it makes a “glaring” difference in communities. The state is moving toward the promised 100 percent match of funds municipalities use for CPA, but so far has not reached it, Lesser said, adding that it is an “obligation” the state needs to fulfill.

Trash Pick-up

Town Manager Mary McNally addressed the irregular trash pick-up issues residents are facing. She said she is “more than mindful” of the problem. She explained that the contract with Republic Services, the town’s outgoing vendor, prohibits the town’s incoming waste vendor from operating in town before the end of June.

In the meantime, Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Bruce Feeney, DPW Deputy Superintendent Tom Christianson and Highway and Utilities Manager Darrell Keane picked up trash from several streets that had not been serviced on June 14 and June 15. Two disposal sites at the transfer station have been made available Monday through Friday and trash bags are available at no cost to residents until the end of the month.

“We are on it,” McNally said. “We are doing our best.”

Other Issues

Moving to the topic of roadway conditions, McNally estimated the town receives $580,000 per year in Chapter 90 state funding. “It doesn’t go far,” she said. This year, East Longmeadow was awarded an additional $327,000 in grant funds for roadwork, but McNally said it will likely be absorbed by inflationary material cost and contracted work.

One major street in town, Maple Street, will be under construction during the summer, with milling and grading scheduled to be completed. McNally warned residents to seek other routes or expect delays caused by the “major disruption.”

McNally reported to the council that the bids for capital projects were coming in higher than expected. Another issue she highlighted was how the lack of desks and office space hindered the new hire process. The First Congregational Church has offered to rent the town some unused space for a short-term solution.

Veteran Service Officer (VSO) for the Eastern Hampden County Veterans’ Service District, Michelle Barrett has resigned, citing family reasons. McNally said Barrett accepted a low salary when she was hired but that if the district wishes to attract a new VSO, it will need to offer more in compensation.

The Town Council voted to establish a municipal light plant (MLP), an entity required by the state for towns and cities that wish to own or operate utilities. Council President Michael Kane explained that the MLP will allow the town to have alternative cable providers.

The council also voted to revoke the 1943 adoption of a civil service police department. The change was made as part of the police union contract terms.