Berkshire Communities Awarded FY25 Chapter 90 Funds

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BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation at an event in Melrose which authorizes $200 million for fiscal year 2025 to fund bridge and road maintenance and other infrastructure projects in municipalities across the state under the Chapter 90 program In addition, the legislation will fund a total of $175 million more for six transportation infrastructure grant programs. 
 
The Chapter 90 program provides municipalities with an annual funding source for improvements to and investments in local transportation networks. Every municipality in the state is allocated a portion of total program dollars, which allows them to evaluate their unique transportation needs and goals and allocate funding dollars accordingly.  
 
In Berkshire County:
  • Adams: $284,946  
  • Becket: $233,920 
  • Cheshire: $195,993 
  • Clarksburg: $73,345  
  • Dalton: $214,429 
  • Egremont: $150,037  
  • Everett: $696,953 
  • Florida: $159,304 
  • Great Barrington: $400,670  
  • Hancock: $66,837 
  • Hinsdale: $152,640  
  • Lanesborough: $212,254 
  • Lee: $284,382  
  • Lenox: $274,945 
  • Monterey: $194,808 
  • New Ashford: $42,533  
  • New Marlborough: $337,028 
  • North Adams: $414,871  
Chapter 90 funding helps cities and towns compete for new levels of federal grant opportunities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as proof of available matching funds is generally required as a condition of applying for a federal award, and showing the availability of dedicated funds for this purpose dramatically strengthens applications to any such federal program. 
 
"We know that residents' quality of life and our state's economic strength depends on people being able to get where they need to go safely and on time," said Healey. "These Chapter 90 funds and millions more for six grant programs will help us deliver on critical road, bridge and infrastructure projects that communities and the traveling public need. We're proud to sign this bill into law today and grateful to the Legislature for their partnership." 
 
The funding will facilitate longstanding and newly identified projects and improvements, including bridge repairs and reconstruction; roadway, bike path, sidewalk, and curbing construction; accessibility improvements; milling and paving; and lighting and traffic signal improvements. 
 
In addition to the $200 million total in Chapter 90 funding, the Rural Roadway Funding program and six transportation infrastructure grant programs will each receive a total of $25 million: 
  • Municipal Pavement Program, which focuses on the improvement of municipally-owned state-number routes. Projects are selected based on pavement condition data, the proportion of state numbered routes in poor condition in a municipality, and geographic equity. 
  • Municipal Small Bridge Program, which provides financial assistance to cities and towns for small bridge replacement, preservation, and rehabilitation projects. To be eligible, bridges must be on a local public way and must be on the State Bridge Inventory with a span between 10 and 20 feet. 
  • Rural Roadway Funding Program, which distributes funds to all 351 municipalities using a formula based on local road mileage, municipal population, and rurality.  
  • Complete Streets Funding Program, which provides funding for municipalities to build infrastructure for "complete streets" projects that support travel for everyone whether they walk, bicycle, take public transportation, or drive. 
  • Municipal Bus Enhancement Program, which provides grant funding to build out infrastructure related to mass transit by bus. 
  • Mass Transit Access Grant Program, which provides grants for design and construction improvements to access commuter rail stations or other mass transit stations, such as parking lots, drop-off and pick-up zones, bicycle storage infrastructure, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. 
  • Municipal/Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Electric Vehicle (EV) Grant Program, which provides grants to RTAs and municipalities for the purchase of electric vehicles and related charging equipment. 
The governor signed the bill in Melrose alongside Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz, Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt, and Mayor Jennifer Grigoraitis.
 
 

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Hinsdale OKs Police Department Audit After Fatal Shooting

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

HINSDALE, Mass. — The town has approved $25,000 for an administrative review of the police department, more than two months after police fatally shot 27-year-old Biagio Kauvil during a mental health crisis. 

Town Administrator Robert Graves said the shooting on Jan. 7 is not the only focus of the audit, and it will be several months before the Select Board receives a final report. 

During a special town meeting on March 11, an article appropriating $25,000 from free cash for an independent consultant to conduct a professional evaluation and audit of the Town's Police Department was approved. The audit includes a review of the department's policies, protocols, operations, and procedures, and concludes with a written report. 

"The Berkshire County District Attorney's Office and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the shooting, and we await their conclusions.  As we look to move forward, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, our insurance company (MIIA/Cabot Risk), and our legal counsel have recommended that the town hire an independent law enforcement consultant or firm to conduct a comprehensive administrative review of our police operation," Graves wrote in an email to iBerkshires on Friday. 

"This event is not their focus; they will assess the overall operation. We want a written assessment of our police operation's strengths and weaknesses to help Hinsdale make future changes and improvements." 

He said after completing the procurement process and signing a contract with a reputable consultant or business, it will most likely be several months before the Select Board receives the final report. 

"Still, it will help the town and police department move forward," Graves wrote. 

Last weekend, family and friends of Kauvil stood in Park Square asking for justice. A flier for the standout reads "Biagio was killed by police while experiencing a mental health crisis. Now, over seven weeks later, authorities have not yet provided any updates.

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