WELCOME to the Town Administrator's webpage. This page is used to provide information and updates to the public about various programs and projects the Town has undertaken. Please check the "Reports and Updates" link above to see bi-weekly reports to the Selectmen and miscellaneous reports filed by the Town Administrator.
This page also provides quick access to: bylaws and schedules to reduce the number of trips residents have to make into Town Hall.
PROJECT UPDATES (Updated 5-3-10)
The Town is involved in a number of infrastructure projects, the following is a summary update on all projects:
Town Hall/Center Office Renovation - The Selectmen created a Town Hall Study Committee in 2004 which brought forward a proposed project to renovate the Town Hall and Center Office buildings to ease overcrowding and provide additional community meeting space as well as to address the structural and accessibility issues with both buildings and to approve the appearance of these two buildings,which are both on the National Register of Historic Places. Town Meeting voted on April 30, 2007 to approve a debt issuance of $3,368,000 from the General Fund and $952,000 (total of $4,320,000) from the Community Preservation Act Fund to renovate the Town Hall and Center Office Building. The Town Hall Study Committee was disbanded and a Town Hall Building Committee created to provide recommendations to the Town Administrator
throughout the design and construction phases. Netco is the Owner's Project Manager and J. Stewart Roberts is the Architect.
Update - Construction of the project is approximately 85 percent complete with a mid-July target date for returning municipal offices to the renovated buildings.
Burgess Elementary School - In 2005 the Town Meeting authorized debt in the amount of $375,000 to study the feasibility and develop a plan to renovate Burgess Elementary School and created a School Building Committee. Since that time the feasibility study and an initial plan design has been developed that would renovate the "open space" classroom area into closed classrooms, add a two story addition and demolish the older section of Burgess. The estimated cost of this proposal was $42 million. The Town submitted a Statement of Interest to the new Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and was assigned status as an "assessment for potential regionalization" for the elementary school. The School Building Committee appealed this determination to the MSBA and has been subsequently
assigned for full feasibility study in 2009 and has been placed on the funding list with a minimum of 51% being funded by the State.
Update - The School Building Committee has selected Lamoureaux Pagano Associates (LPA) as the Owner's Project Manager and subsequently retained Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. as project architects. In May 2010, construction design documents and specification will reach the 60 percent threshhold. The project will go before the Planning Board for site plan review, and before the Conservation Commission for wetlands review, in May 2010. Pre-qualification of bidders is currently underway and it is anticipated that the project will be put to bid in the summer of 2010.
Wastewater Treatment Plant - The Town hired Tighe & Bond Engineers to conduct a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) which was completed in 2008 which has been submitted to the Massachusetts DEP for review. The recommendation from the plan was that the Town would need a 1.4 million gallon per day wastewater treatment plant capacity to handle the potential flow from the existing and future sewer shed (as determined by the Selectmen). Town Meeting approved a $20 million debt issuance at the 2008 Annual Town Meeting to fund the construction of the wastewater treatment plant. During 2008 the Town piloted a new technology referred to as "Bio-Mag" which uses magnetite in the biological treatment process which increases the effectiveness of the treatment process.
Update - R.H. White was awarded the bid and serves as general contractor. The balance of this update is pending.
Well #4 - In 2001 the Town Meeting authorized debt in the amount of $3.8 million to construct a new well due to the potential contamination issues involving Well #1 (MTBE). The Town settled its lawsuit against Mobil, Shell and ARCO for the potential contamination for $1.5 million and set this money aside in the water fund.It took several years to obtain the permit from the Massachusetts DEP to develop the new well. During this period the Town purchased the land off Shattuck Road for the well and decided to approach this project as a well and second water treatment plant (as a back-up to the existing water treatment plant).
Update - This update is pending.
Route 131 Sewer Force Main - In 2008 the Town of Southbridge terminated the intermunicipal agreement between the two Towns in regard to the sewer flow that flows by gravity to Southbridge. As a result Sturbridge had to act quickly and authorized debt in the amount of $3.6 million at the 2008 Annual Town Meeting to construct a sewer pump station and sewer force mains in Route 131. The Town had to move quickly to get this project out to bid and construction completed so that it did not interfere with MassHighway's reconstruction plans for Route 131.
Update - The project is complete, however, the contractor (Ludlow Construction) has been requested to repair uneven trench pavement / compaction in advance of the full resurfacing of Route 131 by the Commonwealth (beginning in May 2010).
We hope you find the information on the website useful and that it improves communications with town departments. Please do not hesitate to forward and comments or suggestions for improvement to my email address.
The Town of Sturbridge is an Equal Opportunity Organization. To file a complaint of discrimination write
USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC 20250-9410
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