Select Board questions add‑ons and funding for Gay Road paving project
July 02, 2026 | Brookfield, School Boards, Massachusetts
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The Brookfield Select Board spent the largest portion of its July 1 meeting reviewing final work and funding for the Gay Road paving project, flagging scope add‑ons and multiple funding sources that need reconciliation before the project is closed out.
Board members reviewed the project history and figures presented by staff: the original contract was described at about $959,000; later additions and work brought current invoices and projected totals discussed in the meeting into the roughly $1.05 million range, and a separate add‑on figure of about $187,787 was raised during the discussion. Staff also told the board the federal grant associated with the project was roughly $1 million and that the town had committed approximately $400,000 in Chapter 90 funds; the board discussed using available ARPA funds (approximately $114,000) and other Chapter 90 fair‑share dollars (approximately $102,000) to close gaps.
Members pressed staff to separate work that was clearly grant‑eligible from work done under the contractor’s ad alternate or other contract changes. One board member said the town “went beyond the scope of the grant before we ever finished the grant,” urging caution in labeling work as grant‑funded without documentation. Staff and the town accountant described steps already taken to submit Chapter 90 reimbursement paperwork and to identify available balances with the state.
The board asked staff to provide a clear accounting of remaining Chapter 90 funds and any other state or local sources available before finalizing payments and closeout. The board also discussed using on‑site material (millings) to offset some costs and whether particular paving sections should be finished under the existing state bid for economy.
What happens next: the board asked staff to follow up with the state and with the consultant/engineer to produce a more detailed funding reconciliation and to return with a recommendation. No formal change to the contract or project scope was made at the meeting.
Board members reviewed the project history and figures presented by staff: the original contract was described at about $959,000; later additions and work brought current invoices and projected totals discussed in the meeting into the roughly $1.05 million range, and a separate add‑on figure of about $187,787 was raised during the discussion. Staff also told the board the federal grant associated with the project was roughly $1 million and that the town had committed approximately $400,000 in Chapter 90 funds; the board discussed using available ARPA funds (approximately $114,000) and other Chapter 90 fair‑share dollars (approximately $102,000) to close gaps.
Members pressed staff to separate work that was clearly grant‑eligible from work done under the contractor’s ad alternate or other contract changes. One board member said the town “went beyond the scope of the grant before we ever finished the grant,” urging caution in labeling work as grant‑funded without documentation. Staff and the town accountant described steps already taken to submit Chapter 90 reimbursement paperwork and to identify available balances with the state.
The board asked staff to provide a clear accounting of remaining Chapter 90 funds and any other state or local sources available before finalizing payments and closeout. The board also discussed using on‑site material (millings) to offset some costs and whether particular paving sections should be finished under the existing state bid for economy.
What happens next: the board asked staff to follow up with the state and with the consultant/engineer to produce a more detailed funding reconciliation and to return with a recommendation. No formal change to the contract or project scope was made at the meeting.
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