Federal Omnibus Spending Bill as $1M for Greylock Glen

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ADAMS, Mass. — A $1 million earmark for the Greylock Glen is in the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill that cleared Congress on Thursday.  
 
U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means voted to pass the funding legislation that he said includes transformative investments that will help working families with the cost of living, create American jobs, and support the vulnerable.
 
"In this pivotal moment, the Congress has risen to meet some of the most pressing challenges at home and abroad," said Neal. "This legislation will create good-paying jobs, lower costs for families, and support those in need. This is the latest major deliverable in our ongoing work for the people. I am proud to vote for this legislation, which will lower costs for working families, create American jobs, and support the vulnerable."
 
The bill contains $8 million in spending for Neal's 1st Massachusetts district, including $350,000 for Berkshire Community College's nursing program. 
 
The long-planned Greylock Glen development project is moving forward with construction of an outdoor center this year. The state has committed $9.3 million to the project and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation invested nearly $3 million in the trail system that connects the 52-acre glen into the larger Mount Greylock State Reservation. The town of Adams was named developer of the state-owned parcel more than a decade ago. 
 
The measure, now on President Biden's desk, unlocks infrastructure investments already been authorized by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and removes the prospect of government shutdowns through the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30.
 
"I am particularly pleased to have secured nearly $8 million in Community Project Funding to address some of the most pressing needs in western and central Massachusetts," Neal said. "These investments support and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of so many in our community."
 
Community Project Funding for Western Mass includes the following: 
  • $740,000 for the Town of Agawam's Main Street sewage main and slope stabilization project
  • $450,000 for Springfield Urban League's Camp Atwater, The Next Century Campaign – Facilities Modernization and Stabilization Project
  • $350,000 for Berkshire Community College's nursing simulation upgrades
  • $100,000 for Rick's Place
  • $250,000 for Mount Holyoke College's Professional and Graduation Education Department
  • $200,000 for the Franklin County Opioid Task Force
  • $2,000,000 for the City of Springfield's Forest Park Horticultural Plan
  • $850,000 for the town of Sturbridge's Maple Street water line project
  • $1,000,000 for the town of Adams' Greylock Glen project
  • $2,000,000 for the city of Westfield's Operations Center Building at the water treatment plant
Under guidelines issued by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees, members of Congress requested Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding for projects in their state for fiscal 2022. CDS requests were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities were permitted to receive CDS funding.

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Adams Starting Administrator Search in New Year

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
ADAMS, Mass. — Town officials hope to start the search for a new town administrator by January. 
 
Vice Chair Christine Hoyt said last week that she was preparing a request for quotes for consultants to aid in the search. 
 
"The chairman did appoint me to put together a request for quotes to hire a consultant for our upcoming town administrator search," she said at Wednesday's meeting. "I've received a number of different RFQs from a number of communities who have just done this in the last year, and I'm just writing it up so that is tailored to the town of Adams."
 
She expected to have the document ready this week to distribute to the board in advance of the regular Nov. 20 meeting. The goal is to get it approved and posted by Nov. 22, and review any responses prior to the Dec. 18 meeting. 
 
"Which would give us the opportunity to post the job for the town administrator in the month of January, which lines up with the MMA's Connect 351 conference," Hoyt said. "I think it would be to our best interest to have something in place in regard to a posting by that conference rolls around." 
 
The Massachusetts Municipal Association's annual conference takes place on Jan. 23-25. Hundreds of elected officials and administrators attend the gathering. 
 
Officials anticipate some time before getting a new administrator in place. Current administrator Jay Green,  was selected as the new Lenox town manager, replacing Christopher Ketchen. 
 
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