Selectman’s Corner

By Matt Riiska

In my May column I wondered where April went, but really what happened to June? Suddenly, it’s summer.

The projects in Town are progressing as planned, with the exception of River Place Bridge. Reviewing the River Place Bridge project with the engineers, we knew this was not going to be easy. I would love to say everything will be back to normal soon, but unfortunately not. Thank you for your patience.

We will be scheduling a Town Meeting for Monday, July 18th, to vote on the town entering into a contract with Lodestar Energy to develop a solar installation at the town Transfer Station site. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Town Hall. The Planning & Zoning Commission has provided their recommendation to move forward with the project after receiving letters of approval from the Norfolk Wetlands Agency and the Norfolk Conservation Committee. This project has been a long time in development and is a fantastic opportunity for the town.

We are installing speed bumps on some of our roads again this summer. Last summer they were installed on Golf Drive and Emerson Street, where they will be installed again. We have received two additional sets of speed bumps this year for other locations around town. Unfortunately, we cannot put speed bumps on all our roads, so please drive carefully this summer and do not speed. We have a lot of projects going on and there is a lot of construction traffic. Please keep our kids safe and slow down.

The Senior Little League ball field is having a much-needed make over. Using funds provided by the Evan Hughes Charitable Trust, Brooks Belter and a group of volunteers are making a proper baseball field from a field that was neglected over the years. We will be posting information on future games. I hope you can get out and take in a game this summer. 

I am excited to say that Robertson Plaza will be completed in mid-July. Thanks to the City Meadow Committee for all their hard work and dedication for almost 10 years. The plaza is going to be a terrific spot to sit and relax, enjoy the beautiful views and hopefully listen to some music. The current committee has been meeting with other dedicated residents to take the meadow and the plaza to its next step. A “Friends of the Meadow” group is being created to provide the guidance for the maintenance of the meadow, decks and plaza. They will also be developing plans to control the invasives and to develop and maintain new plantings. Another portion of their duties will be to plan music and other cultural events for all to enjoy. A ribbon cutting at the plaza will take place during WIN Weekend. More to come on this. 

Take care, stay healthy & enjoy the summer.