ASHFIELD — Voters will be asked at the town election Saturday to consider a Proposition 2½ debt exclusion to help the town pay for its share of grant costs pertaining to dam repair and maintenance projects at Ashfield Lake.
Polls will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Town Hall, where COVID-19-related precautions, such as face masks and social distancing, will be in place.
The condition of the dam, located on South River, was downgraded by Tighe & Bond, an engineering, design and environmental consulting firm, in 2018 from satisfactory to fair, according to a ballot question explanation provided by the Selectboard. The company listed 21 reasons for the downgrade, primarily citing the trees and brush located near the downstream side of the dam and the deteriorated mortar of the stone masonry spillway. The town aims to address these issues and a number of others largely through securing grants.
However, as was the case with the $34,400 grant provided through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program — which the town applied to and received funding from for the project — many grants could require the town to provide a match or other contribution.
An affirmative vote on the ballot question, the explanation states, would improve the town’s ability to secure those future grants. An article on the warrant for the Annual Town Election, which will run concurrently with the election, asks voters to authorize borrowing up $250,000 if the town was to receive grants.
Further downgrade to the dam would increase town costs due to more frequent inspections and would also likely affect the town’s insurance premiums, according to Town Clerk Bridget Rodrigue.
“(The town) wants to show that we’re continuing to progress in the maintenance noted in the report,” she said.
Also on the election ballot is a contested race between incumbent Donna M. Sarro and Ronald R. Coler for a three-year term on the Board of Assessors.
Sarro, who has lived in Ashfield for more than 30 years, is seeking a third term on the board.
“One of the reasons why I decided to run is I think it’s important to be involved in town politics,” she said. “Since I retired, I have more time to dedicate to the position. We’ve made some good strides during the last six years, myself and the other two assessors. We work as a team.”
Sarro, who earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is a retired finance director of both profit and nonprofit organizations, most recently serving in the role at Hospice of the Fisher Home in Amherst.
In the midst of the challenges presented by the pandemic, Sarro said continuity, consistency and knowledge are assets.
Coler, who served on the Selectboard until 2018, was unavailable for comment as of press time. He is also a longtime resident of Ashfield.
Incumbent Todd Olanyk is running unopposed for another three-year term on the Selectboard. Other positions and candidates on the ballot include:
■Moderator, one-year term — Stewart Eisenberg
■Tree warden, one-year term — Thomas M. Poissant
■Finance Committee, three-year term — Carol J. Lebold and Thomas J. Miner Jr. (two seats)
■Board of Health, two-year term — Evelyn Resh
■Board of Health, three-year term — Duncan B. Colter
■Constable, three-year term — John A Labelle
■Park Commission, three-year — John T. Nawrocki
■Mohawk Trail Regional School District School Committee, three-year term — Gregory Alan Lilly
■Sewer Commission, three-year term — Christopher Rawlins
■Planning Board, five-year term — Alan D. Rice
■Library trustee, five-year term — Sandra J. Carter
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263. Twitter: @MaryEByrne