DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board last week approved utilizing $7,500 in American Rescue Plan Act funds for the appraisal of three easements. 

 

Two of the easements are located on Orchard Road and the other is on West Housatonic Street, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said. 

 

The purpose of the appraisals is to determine the property's loss in value resulting from the taking of a permanent drainage easement so the town can compensate the owners accordingly. Each of the appraisals cost $2,500 a piece. 

 

Unless the owners agree to donate the easements, the town has to get them appraised and pay fair market value, Hutcheson said. 

 

The owner of the West Housatonic Street parcel is not interested in donating the easement. 

 

The town easement for West Housatonic is overdue and should have been done when the town did the street's reconstruction, Hutcheson said. 

 

He is awaiting responses from the owners of the other two properties regarding donating the easements. 

 

The easements on Orchard Road are so the town can work in the area while doing the Orchard Road reconstruction.

 

The town hopes to start construction by summer. The road, which is often used as a connector to Route 9, has had flooding for many years because of undersized drainage pipes. 

 

The new drainage system will replace the piping and catch basins with new and bigger pipes and move them to the center of the road. 

 

Hutcheson wanted the board to allocate the cost of the appraisals for the Orchard Road easements in case the owners are not interested in donating it. 

 

The appraisal could take five to six weeks but Hutcheson is hoping it will only take four to five due to the tight timeline.  

 

"It's a tight timeline for getting the amount of money onto the motions and an explanation sheet for town meeting and we won't have the figures until then either," Hutcheson said. 

 

"For diligence in order to get started, I thought I would ask at this select board meeting so we can get going this week so  we have the information for the residents." 

 

In other news: 

 

• The board approved the Dalton Carnival which will take place from Thursday, May 30, until Sunday, June 2. The carnival will have fireworks on Friday and Saturday night and will include vendors from local nonprofits. The Community Recreation Association will be working with the Police and Fire Departments for coverage of the event. 

 

The Dalton Carnival Committee will be meeting in early May to review the plan and discuss any concerns or issues. 

 

• The board approved the appointment of John Curro to the Americans with Disabilities Act Committee.

 

• The board approved three grants for the Council on Aging and Senior Center amounting to $78,947. 

 

The Senior Center received a formula grant for $28,404 and a Massachusetts Council on Aging Supplement Formula grant for $150, which will help fund its wheelchair accessible transportation program. 

 

It also received a $50,393 Executive Office of Elder Affairs Hybrid Programming grant that will allow the center to provide "hybrid learning opportunities to the community," Executive Director Kelly Pizzi said in her letter to the Select Board. 

 

"We hope to narrow the digital divide in our community and not leave our over 60 population behind."