Town manager updates: Everbridge signup low on Spencer Hill; Eversource outages and tree grant; Bachelor School status

Winchester — Town Manager Paul Harrington reported developments on emergency notifications, utility work on Main Street, a tree‑replacement grant and the status of the Bachelor School property purchase during his regular report Thursday.

Everbridge signups: Harrington said he geofenced Spencer Hill to test the town’s Everbridge emergency notification system and discovered only 13 unique residents in that area had signed up to receive texts and emails. "It does literally take a minute to register yourself," Harrington said, urging residents to subscribe through the town website so they receive outage or other emergency notifications.

Eversource utility work and Main Street impacts: Harrington said Eversource has been working on Main Street and on several occasions struck buried water lines, requiring town water department responses and emergency repairs. He told the board Eversource is reimbursing the town’s water department for time and materials related to those breaks and that the utility has acknowledged responsibility for damage and patching; one replacement light pole ordered by Eversource for the Town Hall frontage is on back order with an estimated two‑month wait. Harrington said the town applied for a $10,000 Eversource tree‑replacement grant through the 501(c)(3) Friends of Main Street to replace two recently removed trees and possibly additional Main Street trees removed over the years.

Bachelor School property: Harrington reported that the purchaser of the Bachelor School site expects to close on or before Oct. 30, 2025, and is "very confident" it will secure full funding by 2026 with construction to follow in 2026 and an opening targeted for 2027–2028, depending on conditions. He added the purchaser does not have all funding secured today but said they do not expect to collect rent before closing and that the purchaser will be responsible for property maintenance and vandalism costs once they take ownership.

Other updates: Harrington said union negotiations are progressing, the building inspector is testing for new certifications under an online testing regime, and the town has been using Everbridge for an automated property‑check alert service that successfully notified one resident when a mortgage was released.

Why it matters: The Everbridge signup levels and Eversource work affect emergency communications and Main Street accessibility; the Bachelor School sale has implications for an important vacant property and local redevelopment plans.