Town Notes: Franklin St. project approved, police cruiser crashes
Published on July 26th, 2000
• T.I.P.s - Franklin Street: The Massachusetts Transpor-tation Improvement Project Committee approved the reconstruction of Franklin Street in a July 25 vote.
The State Legislature has approved $43 million for local T.I.P.s projects, but communities statewide have asked for a lot more. The Franklin Street project will cost the state $2.5 million. Mass Highway must now decide which projects go this year.
Stoneham Public Works Director Bob Grover is optimistic.
"I think the state will advertise the project (put it out to bid) by the fall," Grover said.
• OSHA suit: AMG Construct-ion of Stoughton, the general contractor for the South School project, has sued the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, challenge fines stemming from reports by OSHA inspector John Yanovitch.
Yanovitch cited AMG in April for inadequate fall protection at the South School site.
The case is pending in federal court.
• Franklin Street:
The Public Works Depart-ment has completed the first section of the Franklin Street water main replacement.
Grover says the work is important for two reasons: the main must be fixed before the street is rebuilt by the state, and the new 12-inch main - replacing the 75-year-old 10-inch pipe - is necessary to ensure adequate water flow to fight fires.
Last week section one of the main, serving from Stevens Street to Weiss Farm, was super-chlorinated to kill all bacteria. Then this water was flushed, and water of the proper chlorination level was pumped back in and tested for quality and pressure.
On Monday, July 24, the homes along this first stretch of the project were switched from the external hose system to the new main.
Franklin Street resident John DeGeorge was happy with the work so far.
"All in all they're doing a good job keeping it going," DeGeorge said.
Grover and his crews are at work on section two.
"We should finish the next section in two to three weeks," Grover said.
• Meeting phone postings:
John DeGeorge of Franklin Street has asked the town to look into a 24-hour phone message system, accessible by rotary as well as push-button telephones, that lists public meetings and their agendas for the upcoming week.
DeGeorge said now is a logical time to set up such a message system because the town is in the process of installing new municipal phones.
Selectmen meeting 7/25:
The Northeast Metro Tech budget passed last week, despite a negative vote from Stoneham Town Meeting in May.
The town must pay another $23,000 to cover the difference between what the Finance Board had budgeted and the Metro Tech passed.
Selectmen will discuss finance, remediating the contaminated railroad right of way and police and fire staffing at their next meeting on Aug. 15.
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