Marlborough Finance Committee rejects $1 million water main bond

MARLBOROUGH -- April 14, 2022, Marlborough Finance Committee kills $1 million water main bond, citing available ARPA money. The committee voted 1-4 to reject the bond Thursday and split 3-2 on a separate $500,000 Sligo Hill water tank bond, with Council President Michael Ossing arguing the work should be paid from the city's American Rescue Plan Act allocation rather than borrowed at interest he estimated at roughly $742,000 over 40 years on the water main alone. The panel unanimously approved a $5.175 million street reconstruction bond, a $1.448 million free-cash transfer for pools, cemetery exploratory work, school HVAC, the Reservoir Street bump-out and DPW equipment, and the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation's $589,691 operating budget. The committee also voted 5-0 to recommend filing a Massachusetts School Building Authority statement of interest for Richer Elementary School, where Superintendent Michael Bergeron said K-5 enrollment has already passed 2,500, exceeding MSBA's projection for 2026. Principal Dr. RJ Skaza said converted library and custodian's-closet spaces show how "space causes stress" at Richer.