Editor’s note: The Greenfield Recorder is publishing stories about what Franklin County residents can likely expect to see happening in their towns in 2024. Details about projects in the western part of the county were shared in two installments. This is the second.

MassWorks grants are driving the big projects of multiple West County towns as 2024 begins, while others are preparing for building repairs and new bylaws to take effect.

Colrain

Colrain’s biggest project heading into 2024 is fixing the Jacksonville Road (Route 112) slope failure that occurred about a year ago during a high-water event. The road has been limited to one-lane traffic since then, and thanks to a $1 million MassWorks grant, the town will be able to fix the slope by the summer, according to Town Administrator Kevin Fox.

Over the past year, the town has nearly finished the engineering, permitting and surveying work required to allow it to start construction by late spring or early summer. Fox said the grant received for the project will likely cover most of the costs, but it is likely to go over that amount.

Fox mentioned the town applies for the MassWorks grant every year and can complete one large project annually with the money. While he is not sure what infrastructure project the town will seek to tackle next, he said it will likely involve a bridge or culvert.

Additionally, the town will continue its search for a new town administrator this year, as Fox plans to retire in June. There is already an ad hoc committee searching for a person to take the position.

Monroe

Monroe is in a similar place as Colrain given that its biggest upcoming project is being paid for with a $1 million grant from MassWorks: a rebuild of Kingsley Hill Road.

The town first received a grant for the road in fiscal year 2017 and this second grant will finish the project. Town Coordinator Marcella Stafford Gore explained the town has applied for a MassWorks grant every year since it started the project, and this year it was able to secure this second round of funding. Work that still needs to be done includes installing a new drainage system, the addition of culverts and installing a guardrail for vehicular safety.

Kingsley Hill Road acts as the only road to the town’s public water supply and treatment facility. Failure of this road may impact the town’s ability to provide potable water to residents, according to Stafford Gore.

The town will also continue working on its broadband service with the possibility of adding fiber-optic cables to its system. Monroe currently receives internet through WiValley. Stafford Gore said there are many kinks in the system that she hopes can be resolved in the coming year.

Heath

Many different buildings will be the Selectboard’s focus in the coming year.

The town will continue to work toward finding a solution for the structurally compromised salt shed on Branch Hill Road. Heath just received a completed feasibility study looking at the construction of a new salt shed in its present location or on Bray Road, across from the fairgrounds.

“The Selectboard is now in the process of trying to get information about the difference in cost to compare one site against the other,” Town Coordinator Hilma Sumner said.

The town is also hoping to raise about $17,000 to put up the required match for a grant to restore the windows at Community Hall. The windows are on a long list of repairs needed at Community and Sawyer halls.

Heath will also continue working with the Mohawk Trail Regional School District about possible changes to the regional agreement.

In 2023, the district attempted to amend its regional agreement to align its funding formula with the one used by the state. The revised agreement was accepted by all but two member towns, one of which being Heath. Residents are opposed to changing the agreement due to the belief that it will add substantial costs to Heath’s assessment. However, the district and Heath residents are in disagreement about the added cost of changing the formula.

Ashfield

Aside from routine road repairs, the biggest project for Ashfield in 2024 is the reconstruction of the town’s tennis courts. The town will use a $96,100 Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities (PARC) grant and remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to complete the job. The existing courts will be torn up and replaced with multi-purpose tennis/pickleball courts.

There are no new capital projects for the coming year, according to Town Administrator Paul McLatchy III. In 2023, the town purchased a new fire truck, which was recently delivered. In 2024, the town will continue to put some money away for large future projects, including Highway Department vehicle replacements and Town Hall repairs.

The most contentious vote from the 2023 Annual Town Meeting approved two citizen’s petitions — one that would establish a noise ordnance and another banning single-use plastics. In the past month, the Attorney General’s Office approved both measures; they went into effect at the start of the year.

“Businesses will be most heavily impacted by the single-use plastic ban, but I have confidence that local officials will work with them to implement this,” McLatchy wrote in an email. “The noise ordinance will be reviewed by town officials to determine how best to enforce it by clarifying the roles of various departments to ensure compliance with local and state regulations, but also protecting the rights of residents to live their lives.”

Reach Bella Levavi at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.