Hello. >> Hey. How y'all doing? >> The dream >> keyboard. Oh, I can't get my keyboard thing open. Oh my goodness. >> Hammer.
>> We'll move on to the next one. I have two. All right. So, here's this And now I need something I can steal batteries from. >> Apparently I took the batteries out of it when I didn't need it anymore. Um,
usually have a couple sitting around here. All right, I'll just wing it. Oh, nope. I have to Y wasn't too small. Anyway, we'll just go we'll just go with the laptop one, I guess. Shall we call Oh, is Rita coming?
>> No, she's at the doctor's. >> Oh, yeah. That's right. I remember that. Thank you. Um, okay. Shall we call ourselves to order, Eric? Um, and then review the agenda, which I'll bring up real quick.
Um, basically it's to sign uh the GZA proposal after having our questions answered. Um so um uh Nate you are from GZA
Adrian you also um >> yes >> we had some questions from last night um and one of them was do you remember the line item I don't have it in front of me Haley that um Rita was asking about.
>> Yes. Um, one of our select board members is not able to be here tonight, but she did have a question as to why the Let me just check her message really quick. Um, why the oversight costs were so high
compared to the other items listed in the scope. um the oversight cost. Now we're talking about GCA services. >> Mhm. >> Okay. And the the
uh let's see we get to that. Okay. So, it's really an estimate based on um you're talking about the designer services during construction. Is that test five? >> Yeah. >> Yep. >> Um it's based on
just a a kind of a a guess that this could be a 14-day project. So to have somebody out there um um every day for 14 days of work.
>> Okay. >> Um I believe there's some reporting. That's another task. >> And so that you know that could change. This is a um a time and materials proposal. So, >> Mhm. >> any of these things could come out
hopefully less than what we've estimated. >> Okay. And so when you say the 14 days, so I'm assuming that includes like nights, weekends, >> and that I think we're talking weekdays, I'm presume most contractors are not
working weekends and we generally don't. Um if if it's extenduating emergency conditions then you know we c certainly would. >> Okay. >> Eric did you have any questions uh related?
>> No that was really it and I think Nat answered those questions. Okay. >> I didn't I didn't have any. Only after that Rita had mentioned that um queued in. Haley, did you have any other questions?
>> Um I think it might be helpful just to have GCA either Adrian or Nat if one of you can just kind of explain this process and what's involved just so that like you know for the recording so people want to look back and get a more complete picture while we have.
Um, are you talking about the construction process? >> Yeah. And maybe Yes. And maybe if you can just kind of touch on how we got to this point. >> Oh, sure. Yeah. Well, um,
uh, let's see. Well, we we've been working for the town for what, almost what, three years now, I think. um providing you know maintenance services and permitting services on on the dam. Um
and uh last year or earlier this year the town updated its emergency action plan um on their own without our assistance really. Um and and so they uh the the
personnel um named for the town's engineer was GZA. So, um, when Chief Sirwanic, um, um, learned about the issue at the dam
on on the 28th, the day after Thanksgiving, he called me. Um, and I was fortunate because I'm I live in Northampton, so I was able to get up there easily. Um, and so I I met with
him and and Howard Kinder and Walter Tibbitz and we all took a look at the issue. Clearly there are holes forming in the upstream face of the dam and there was water entering them. Um, and then Walter informed us that the the
trash rack, which is kind of a a bar rack on the upstream end of the low-level outlet pipe, was uh was replaced with some of the repairs that were done in 2007208. Um, and since then, that trash rack has
blinded up or gotten clogged with debris quite frequently. and he's the lucky one that gets to dawn a wet suit and go in there and clean it out. Um what it turns out was happening um and we we've known and the previous engineer
Morris Root had known that there was leakage going um through the dam around the low-level outlet pipe that was inserted there in 2007. So it's a it's an old stone uh rectangular or square culbert. the
original um outlet through the dam and um it was they sleeved a a plastic a PVC pipe up through it and um they were supposed to seal it around the outside
of the pipe. Um that didn't really get done properly. Um, and so water leaks around the pipe as well as goes through the pipe. When the slide gate in the gate house is opened, when it's closed,
it seals off any water going around or into the pipe, which is which is good. It's intended to do that, but as soon as it's open, water can go around both sides of it. And for some reason when that happens and you have the the great
clogged, it creates a pressure differential between the lake and the gate the water in the chamber in the gate chamber. And so that forces puts more pressure on the face of the dam on the upstream face of the dam and water was getting forced through some weak
points in the in the embankment fill material, the soil material that's piled up against the dam. And um that started eroding internally and Howard had noticed that in the discharge channel
downstream you and there was there was sand in the channel. It's light colored sand. It matched the sand that he was seeing and he saw the holes upstream. And so we um we conferred about this and
figured out what was going on. Um, I contacted Bill Saloma, the director of the office of dam safety, and he he and I decided that we should draw the dam down immediately. Um, and that um,
you know, our estimate was that those holes were probably within two to three feet of the surface. So, we we we instructed Howard and and Chief Sirwanka to draw the pond down three feet from
there. from from the current pool which is the winter draw down is two feet below the spillway where it was normal pool. So that's what's been happening. Um that that target um was met uh last Saturday.
I was last out there um >> with Chief Sirwanka. We did a little measurement with a with a a level and determined that we were just at five feet below the spillway. Um, as you know, Haley, we met with the
conservation commission last Thursday and they approved the emergency certification for the draw down. So, going forward, um, we prepared a draft uh, preliminary plan, which is one of the things required by well, that's
let me back up. On December 3rd, you were issued um an a dam safety order, an emergency action order with a number of requirements in it um that that you're supposed to meet. Um it the letter comes
off a bit threatening. Um but uh DCR is is pretty forgiving if they know you're working on it. They know people don't have piles of money sitting around >> ready to throw into a a hole in in a dam. So, um
>> so um one of the requirements on that letter is um within seven days you're supposed to submit um a plan of action, a plan for repair. So, we quickly threw
together a preliminary plan which um is just a a temporary solution to this problem to allow you to raise the lake back up um to at least the winter pool
level until more exploration and more uh and a and a permanent solution can be um developed for fixing this leakage around around the low-level outlet pipe.
Um, one of the things we expect DCR to to um require is what's called a phase 2 engineering evaluation and alternatives analysis. And it's and it's an extensive
and expensive study of the dam that requires um soil and in this case you know borings through the masonry core of the dam. Um doing a hydraologic and hydro hydraulic analysis a detailed analysis
um doing a stability analysis to see if the dam is prone to sliding under high flow conditions. um or if it's just uh prone to possibly
collapsing under a high flow condition. To to my knowledge, none of those kinds of analyses have ever been done on Lake Wyola Dam. Um so we we expect uh the Office of Dam Safety to order that
because they've downgraded the condition in the dam to unsafe. Um, and so what this plan, this preliminary plan that we've developed is intended to do is to bring the dam up to I guess like a poor
condition. So at least it's not in in such a critical state that um that you know that an unsafe condition is is really um is really kind of an emergency situation.
Um, so, uh, we submitted that plan last Friday, so we're a couple days past the seven days. Um, I've spoken to Bill Saloma. He says he has an engineer working on
reviewing it. We'll get us an answer soon, I hope. Um, I'll check in with him tomorrow on that. Um and uh and then they say in the letter in 14 days you're
supposed to have a contractor out there making your repair. Um that was Wednesday this this week. So, and um so we're uh and that's why u we we put
the together a quick uh kind of very rough estimate um probable opinion of potential costs for this repair um for for you to discuss in last
night's meeting. and um >> welcome to ask questions about that now if you'd like. Um so that's that's kind of where we are. Um I think uh we as you know the the funding that you're
considering you know approving our proposal under is being funded by the executive office of energy environmental affairs dam levy and seaw wall repair and removal program. um and you've been
awarded a a grant um for the original um deficiencies repairs that we identified in in our inspection in in May um for and that was for identified for our
services to design and permit those repairs and then we the plan was to turn around and go back to EA and ask for construction funding for that. Um, this event has kind of turned that sideways. So, we we've talked we've spoken to Nick
Bowlins at EA and he's he's all on board with repurposing those funds for this emergency situation. Um so um we we we have a message into him to
see if there's other monies available and if so how does he want us to apply for them? Um, and you know, we're hoping that he's going to say, "Yeah, you know, other projects have come in under budget, so
there's some money available and you can you can um apply for it." Adrien, is there anything to add there? >> Um, unfortunately, no. So, I did submit to him um the pre-contracting form today
with a couple of questions just to make sure we're providing the documentation that he needs to be able to put it into his system and issue the actual contract um to administrator Bolton and then that will allow the state to actually
disperse funds to the town. Um, and I did in that email tell him that, you know, the the necessary the costs are in excess of what the grant was because it's now a construction project and not a design
project. Um, I called him this afternoon to follow up on my email and I did get his voicemail. So, I did leave him a voicemail. Um, and I've not yet heard back. So, I'm hoping to get in touch with him soon, like Nat said to see if
there's maybe additional funding available um for the town. So, no firm update, but we are seeking uh funding where we can to offset these costs. >> We we really appreciate that. And I it's
nice to hear like from an engineer's perspective, you're much more articulate about certain things than I was when I was conveying some of this information. Um I do have a couple questions that you know as you were talking I was kind of thinking about. So is any part of the
original plan like are we totally abandoning that or can any of that be incorporated into this construction project? >> The the original repairs? >> Yeah. Um well the original repairs were going to include some
uh exploration well just sort of visual and uh maybe some die testing just to try to deter to confirm what we thought was the leakage around the outside of the pipe and then to include that in a in the plan to
>> to be repaired. Um, but now that this is developed, I we think that some there's going to be probably a more significant repair that's and I don't really have a vision
for what that is, but yes, to answer your question, I think all those all the repairs which were fairly minor. There were, you know, some vegetation removal, a lot of uh masonry repairs in the spillway. Um
um trying to figure out what to do with this weird this monitoring weird box, this seepage monitoring weird box that was just kind of plunked down in standing water which and there's no real uh source for where where to put that
you to in terms of source of leakage coming out that you can actually measure. So, um, but anyway, there's a number of things in there that, yeah, we're really relatively minor. This is this is significant and I think all this this funding is going to need to go
toward that. Um, >> so, so my question would be, are we anticipating more expense? I mean, other words, how how the word how complete will these repairs be? The the amended repairs, the
ones that you're advocating we do. Are they something that solves the problem or are they something that says, "Okay, now we go to condition poor and now we now we really spend money." I mean, I >> unfortunately, Eric, I think that's exactly where you're going is that this
is this is leading to uh well, it's it's a bit of an opportunity because the state's got their eye on this now and they want this fixed. So, um,
this this is going to be a temporary repair and it's going to allow basically what's happening is the water is being drawn through the dam when the gates open. Uh, if if a if a low-level outlet pipe gets
clogged up and the gate is open, water gets drawn through holes in the dam. And what we're going to do, what our concept is is to dig out all the soil around the low-level outlet pipe up to the face of the dam and replace it with porous
crushed stone so that water can freely pass through there when the gate is open and it won't be eroding soil from inter inside the dam. But that's a temporary measure. What we really want is probably like a concrete pipe surrounded in
concrete going through going through the dam with a with a gate on it. So whe whether we can find funding to do that or not is is you know in these in these in this current government funding
environment we we'll we'll see. But um like I said, we we have to do we we're likely going to be scoped for we meaning the the town is going to be scoped for a phase 2 engineering analysis and that that will end up with
an alternatives analysis where the engineer will say this is the alternative that we recommend and this is what it's going to cost and then you turn around and use that to go for fund for grant funding. Okay. Um the other thing Yeah. Go ahead.
>> Oh no. Um you might be getting to this point, but so if we did that, would that be kind of like the what we need to get us back to like a fair condition or or perhaps better? >> Yes, that is the intent with that. If um >> if this were not an emergency situation
and you were just letting the dam go and not maintaining it and your engineer inspected it and gave it a poor or unsafe rating, DCR would turn around and issue you a dam safety order
to make the repairs. But in in order to do that, you go through this step of you have to do a phase 2 engineering analysis and alternatives analysis. Um you have to have periodic inspections done every six months um which they haven't mandated yet but
they may I don't know on Lake Wyad Dam and then and those have to be done by a professional engineer and then you have to um execute the alternative that comes out of the the phase 2 engineering
analysis. In some cases, that's an extensive repair. In other cases, it may be appropriate to remove the dam. Obviously, that's not appropriate here. So, um so um so then you take that study
and you turn around, you you submit to BEA for grant money. Um and uh you you hope that you get the funding. Um, >> how much money are we talking about here? I mean, I know I'm not asking for a quote, but I mean,
>> yeah, >> just in terms of discussion, I mean, what what are we talking about? What what's the worst possible case? What I mean, round super round numbers, but any sense? >> Half a million dollars, >> you know, if if if we're going to do this, right? And I I guess my vision is
why are we going to tinker around with trying to inject grout or some kind of sealant around the pipe when you could be pumping stuff through there for days? It's going to find the voids in the stone and go in every which way direction and you're never going to
really seal it. Um, my vision if you really want to get this done right is to pull the boat the the gate house off, remove the gate, cut out that section of dam and replace it and then,
you know, re-engineer the upstream face. It's an opportunity also because the dam the spillway is is uh undized. It does not meet the regulatory spillway design flood. So the dam it can over top in
that flood. It's a it's a it's a it's a high level flood that we're not likely to see but is probable. Um and so the the regulations require that a a new dam certainly has to has to be able to
pass the spillway design flood. Um I if if you get into that level of repair, it's an opportunity to redesign your spillway and and and meet, you know, meet the uh the regulations for
spillway passage. Um that's all going to be addressed in in the phase two analysis. And then about the phase two analysis, there's um a new round of grant funding coming out called technical assistance from the Executive
Office of Energy Environmental Affairs. Um and we have just on behalf of the town submitted an application for that for the phase 2 study. Um it just came out. This is perfect timing to to get
that. Um, so hopefully that will be mostly paid for or actually that that grant is 100%. There's no matching fund
uh by the applicant. So, um, and Adrian, what did we apply for? What was the dollar amount? >> You actually don't request a dollar amount for that one. It's set up differently. So you just say what your need is, >> right?
>> We submitted for a phase two. Um the state then requests quotes from engineering firms. They get three or more quotes from selected engineering firms and then they select a firm, they
solicit the work and they have the work performed and then they share that work with with the town. So, um the town doesn't have to issue a contract. There's no payment and then reimbursement. It's just um the town doesn't actually have to worry
about what the dollar value is or like, oh, we requested 100,000, but the quotes came in at 108,000. They just we just said you need a phase two study. >> Great. And takes it from there. Yeah,
it's it's a really nice one. So um all that's happened so far is you were we submitted the town and the state confirmed the submission. Um the grant opened on the 9th December 9th. So um
that is the progress to date. So, another question I would have is whether or not, and I know this might even be a tough one for you to answer, but um whatever we did in 2000 2008, was that done improperly or or should we
be in this position where the the dam is in the shape that it's in now if in fact, you know, significant repairs are made in 2007 or 2008? >> Well, that is a tough one to answer.
with any sort of definitive level of confidence. I I you know on the on the face of it it looks like the the uh repair of the low-level outlet inserting the PVC pipe in there was not
done properly. And I you know I don't know what transpired there. I don't know if the if uh the engineer that designed at Morris route if if they were retained to do you know construction oversight um
administration if they were paying attention I I or if it was that they were not hired by the town there wasn't sufficient funding to hire them so the town kind of managed it and I I
don't really know what happened there. >> No, I don't. >> Um what I do know is from what I discovered with um Walter Tibbitz and Howard and um was that the contractor did something that
was just kind of unheard of, which was they stuffed rigid foam board pieces kind of like masonry in between the gaps around the pipe and then they foamed it together with spray foam. And then they smeared some mortar over it and that
only lasted for a little while and it's all kind of broken apart. When we uh were there on Friday the 28th, there were big chunks of foam floating around in the gate chamber. Um, and when
Walter and Howard and Chief SWAN went back there on Saturday to clean the the the trash rack, um, they were able to fish those pieces out of the gate chamber and they're literally like big chunks of foam that are all kind of glued together
and you could see this kind of curvature to them. It Yeah, it was like I've never seen anything like that. It's clearly not I I I would seriously doubt that Morris root would have approved of that and would have designed
anything like that and recommended it. But um so yeah, to answer your question, I it it appears that it was done improperly and who knows who's to blame for that. Yeah.
>> Right. That's a that's a good answer. That's that's a good Watergate answer, >> so to speak. >> That makes sense. >> Um I have two questions. >> Uh so when when you do
what? Let me ask the um long range. So phase two study, we do those that repair work. How long what's the shelf life for something like that? >> Um that's an interesting question. uh shelf life for a phase two study.
>> Well, I mean, not necessarily the study, but the >> the construction work that comes after that. >> Oh, the the the repair work. >> Mhm. >> Um well, that should last several generations at
least. Um you know, I mean, >> that's a really good question. you know um a lot of infrastructure sort of design life is like 50 years >> you know just like a say a highway bridge or something like that you know
um so you know concrete does have a life and if it's concrete that you replace that whole system with um given that it's up against water all the time it's in a wet environment you know it
you know 50 years is probably a good estimate of that. If it's wellmaintained, it could last well beyond that. Um, modern concrete is designed to resist the freeze and
thaw actions um that we see here in the northeast. So, um, you know, we would hope that it would hold up quite well. >> Thanks. That's a long time. Um and then my my other question is what's what's
the time between? So we do this work now to get us our status out of unsafe and then about how much like is there any state imposed deadlines to go from four to whatever the next tier is?
>> They haven't I don't think they've mandated anything yet in the in the order that they they're just they're kind of their immediate order was an emergency action um to get to get to this point. So, I expect once we get
this first repair done, they're probably going to issue another order >> and it could happen before then, but they're probably going to issue an order that includes the phase two and then uh periodic inspections uh just to make sure the dam is, you
know, somebody keeps an eye on the dam. Um and uh and then it's a matter of Yeah. And so the phase two takes a few months because it's extensive. We're going to have to
get a a boring contractor out there to do well, whoever does the phase two is going to >> need to get a a boring contractor out there to do some drilling in the dam, take samples, and then the whole study. It's it's a
few months of work. Um, and you come out with an extensive report, detailed report and and data that can be used for a design. It includes a a full topographic survey
of the dam and uh bethimemetry upstream of the dam in the lake. So it's it's very extensive and everything is intended to be turned around and used for design work. >> Okay. >> For repair. Um the design process
um will take a few more months and then there's permitting involved. Um and uh then that could be extensive because we're probably looking at doing a more significant
>> draw down. Um and uh if depending on what the the plan is, there could be some dredging of you know material out of the lake to clear it off the dam. Um,
so and you know actually excavating the embankment material that's underwater may be considered dredged material. So there's going to be permitting around that and we've got endangered species. So that's we have to deal with natural
heritage on that. So >> that's really involved. >> Yeah, it's all it's all very involved. Um, so we're, you know, because this is kind of a a a um a critical situation, the we push as
hard as we can, you know, but hopefully within, you know, maybe a year from this repair, you can get and if you can get the funding lined up, you can get somebody under contract to
to make the the real long-term repair. >> Okay, >> just to sum up, that long-term repair is going to cost >> what? Some ungodly number, right? I
mean, >> hundreds of thousands. Yes, >> hundreds of thousands. >> Yeah, most likely. >> I mean, we can basically plan on it's going to cost us I mean, there's going to be a class two uh report. I I think we're calling it and um and and that's
very very likely at this point to to indicate that we have to do costly repairs. So, in terms of our thinking, um, um, it's we should be planning on spending a lot of money, whether it's a grant money or whoseever money it is, but it's it's going to cost hundreds of
thousands of dollars before this is all. I mean, we're really talking now about we have to solve this problem right now, obviously, but in terms of solving the plan, the problem in a big way, that's going to be in the future and in the not too distant future, and it's going to be very
expensive. Yeah. And I'm I'm you know I am being conservative and telling you high numbers. >> Sure. No the phase 2 evaluation could find that you know things are
better than they look. It's just we don't know without doing the explorations and the analyses and that maybe there's a more surgical way to to make this repair to the low-level outlet and make some other you know repairs
that would seal the dam so that it you know it's not leaking like it is right now. Um, >> so >> and I think like you said it sounds like, you know, obviously this is very expensive and I don't think we, you
know, I think that piece has been said, but it sounds like we have an opportunity to do something that will last us the next 50 years. So hopefully that some preventative maintenance. >> Yeah, at least. >> Yeah, I think that's right. and and I
mean part of the opportunity is that you're you're you're eligible for grant funding. >> This is uh going to be a priority project because of the sort of emergency nature of it. And um so
>> um the grant that you that you submitted the application for was is that just to cover the design portion of a phase 2 study or would that include construction costs? I can't remember if you said that. >> Um it was just for
the study. The technical assistance grant only funds studies and evaluations. Okay. Um, so it doesn't fund any design, permitting or construction. So it would it would
fund could fund the phase 2 study. >> Um, and then in early 2026, we expect the dam and seaw wall grant application window to be open again for
either design and permitting or construction. Um, >> okay. So, it's I mean it's never good to have a damn emergency, but it's kind of good timing in terms of when grant windows open, >> right? >> To maybe be able to use some initial
information from the phase two >> to then seek a a new round of dam and seaw wall grant funding. >> Okay. And it sounded like Nat from what you said earlier that we have maybe about like a year or so before all those pieces are going to come together and we
know what we're going to have to do construction wise. So >> yeah, I'm what I'm saying is that if you know when assuming you get the technical assistance grant uh for the phase two
that's going to take probably three months to do all that. You come out at the end of that with a preferred alternative and then you're going to need to have an engineer do a design on that and you're g well you'll probably use that to go
for grant money to do design and permitting for that preferred alternative and that's probably going to take nine months to a year. Um, and I mean to to actually assuming you
get the money from from EA and then >> right >> align up what other funding to actually do that work is nine months to a year. >> Um, and then you're going to turn around after that and say we've got a turnkey
project ready to go. Let's seek >> construction money from the grant programs. And it's pretty common to go to dam and seaw wall a couple of times to go for design and permitting funding and then the next year go for construction
funding. Um that's very common to go back to the well for different phases of work over a period of two to three or four years um based on projects. Yeah. >> Okay. So that's not like a poor
reflection on the town. >> No, that's really how it's designed to work. >> Okay. No, the fact that you are sitting up and paying attention to this um and maintaining communication with
the office of dam safety. They like that. And um I think that goes in your favor when you go to apply for grant money. you can report all that your application.
>> Well, like I said to you before, you've you've made it very easy for us and I really appreciate all the the extra work and coming to this short notice. Um it was it's really helpful to have you guys on board. >> Glad to hear it. Glad to be able to do it.
>> Um that was a great information and a nice overview. Um, Eric, did you have any other questions before we vote on signing the >> No, Mark Rivers has one I noticed there. >> Mark,
>> um, uh, this is this is probably for Haley. Um, part of the funding that we already received was from a community preservation act funds. Do we need to go circle back with them to indicate that we're going to be changing the use of that money? Uh we yeah I think we might
want to just loop them in that the project scope has changed >> and we can give them the these materials from GZA. I think before you >> I don't know does GZA do you want to be cut loose? I don't think I have any more questions for you.
>> I don't Eric. Yeah. >> Well, I'm upset. I appreciate the answers and your your thoughts even though they even though they are expensive potentially expensive. >> Sorry. You know, owning a dam >> I want to know. I think we should know.
We got to know. >> Yeah, you need to know. But, you know, owning a dam is not a not a cheap uh undertaking. It's it's a lot of responsibility. >> Yeah. So, >> especially if you have a historic one.
>> Yeah. Yeah. >> Mark, I see your hand again. Mark, >> you're muted if you're trying to say something. >> I'm sorry. Um, this is a question for Nate, and you don't have to give a
definitive answer. Uh, but someone in town is going to be asking how long is the lake going to be down for five feet. >> Is that >> um Well, that's that's a good question. Um, like I said, uh, DCR is reviewing the
preliminary plan that we submitted. Um, once we get comments back from them and any changes we need to make, um, we can update it. we can update uh the cost estimate if need needed and
and then in the meantime hopefully we're going to be able to line help help you line up some funding through the dam seaw wall program um the conversations that that uh Adrian said she's trying to have with them. Um,
so we get that I I'm, you know, I'm hoping we can get this repaired sometime by mid January. Um, >> you know, it's tough. These are tough conditions to work in because of the
cold. Um, but it has to be done. It's a pretty isolated project. So, it's right there in front of the gate house. It's all all all all all concentrated in that area. All goes well, we get it all
done the way we have envisioned it, we hope to be able to raise the lake up right after that. Um, back to the winter pool. Um, in terms of restoring it to summer pool, I don't know. Um, we, you know, we
I think we're going to have to do a little trial and error when that time comes and be out there to monitor what we see. I think this solution is going to be a good temporary solution
um because it it just it it'll take all the pressure off the upstream face of the dam and allow all the water to have a preferential path that's non-erodable. That's kind of the key thing. So,
so yeah, hopefully mid January, late end of January, you can have that all done and get the lake back up. >> Let's assume you can't. Let's assume I'm I'm a pessimist. So, let's assume the worst possible case that wouldn't
happen. And maybe Mark would know the answer this. What What does that do to the boating situation? the the recreational use of the lake. If let's say we we could bring everything back up to two feet below um the summer pool,
whatever, >> what does that do to the whole situation? >> Um it certainly doesn't affect fishing um or boating out of fishing out of boats. Um I don't think it's going to have any real effect on kind of normal
summer activities. Uh, one area I would be concerned with is that I believe there are a number of camps around the lake that use that still have shallow water wells. Um, and I know one specifically that when the lake goes down two feet, they don't have any water
and um, so that and I'm not sure how widespread that is at this stage. I only know of one specific camp and there used to be many. So that could be a problem in that is access to, you know, water for the for the for the camps. Um,
other than that, I think um, you know, getting boats in and out will be all it will be trickier because the because the boat ramp is already kind of in a little bit of deteriorated situation. And so with the water down two feet, it, you know, it's going to be harder to get
boats in on a regular basis, especially dayboers who come up for the, you know, the for the day and um, you know, aren't familiar with, you know, the the very low water levels. So there's a there's a number of things I think we have to ask a number of other people what the
implications of of a of a of a a year round two-foot draw down. Well, I think that's something we can tackle on on the town side. And, you know, I think we'll just have to look at, you know, we don't want to scare people into thinking that they're they're not going to have a good summer,
but I think we we definitely want to let people know ahead of time that this might be something to expect that there's not well, there might be some surprises, but if we can lessen the surprise impact, um, so maybe we want to plan some some outreach the lake.
Okay. Um I think we're ready. The select board's ready to vote to sign on that. Nate, we we um I think you and Adrian can can um duck off while we have our vote and then um we'll sign it and get it to you. Uh Haley has u had a solution
for us to be able to sign it electronically to get it to you. So you'll have it within a little bit. Great. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thanks for your time. >> Thanks for your time. >> Thanks for your your expertise. >> Yes, we appreciate it very much.
>> You're welcome. Take care. >> Thank you. >> Um, Eric, do I hear a motion to >> motion? Yeah. Okay. Say it and I'll I'll say yes. >> Okay. Let me just uh log on to Let me
just open up the um agreement again. I had I had it up to here once. Let's see. Um, okay. Um, to sign the GZA proposal for Lake Wyola Dam contract amendment number two,
emergency services. >> So move. >> Um, I'll second that since there is only two of us. And all those in favor? stalk her eye. >> Make peace eye. Um
yeah, perfect. Uh Haley, did you would um It's in our folder uh from last night's meeting. Do you want me to sign that electronically or send it to you? >> No, if you can just do the one I sent you earlier. Okay. And I um while before
we leave, um I did speak to Gail today about how we might deal with these construction costs. So, I think it would be a good idea if you could also declare an emergency under Mass General Laws uh chapter 44 section 31 because that will
allow us to deficit spend um to do the repair work and then we can always you know if we get the grant or if we identify some other opportunity scale so we can backfill and put that back into the general funds. >> Can you give me the Mass General Law quote again? >> Yep. It's Mass General Law chapter 44
section 31. And so that gives the the spending authority the ability to deficit spend to address the emergency. >> Okay. So, I'll make a motion that we uh declare state of emergency um for the
Lake Wyola Dam um for in accordance with Mass General Law 44 section 31 um so that we're able to appropriately spend funding um on the repairs.
>> So moved. >> Okay, I'll second that. Um, all those in favor >> stalker I >> big piece O'Neal I >> um was there anything else we needed to do? >> I don't think so. I think I would just highlight that um like what Nat said,
you know, we're we're Lenny and everyone like really on top of it. So, as much as this is a huge cost to the town, you know, we're optimistic, I think, that we'll get some grant funding, but at least we, you know, we're managing this and we're not putting it off to the
wayside to deal with like during the summer months, like which would be terrible. >> Yeah. No, true, true. And before spring um snow melt and all of that too, right? So, we are ahead of it. >> Yeah. No, the the fact that we're quite
right on it is is indicative of us paying attention to the whole situation all the time, which is I think very helpful as far as the state's concerned. >> Yeah. And Walter getting in the wet suit and >> absolutely >> finding that. Um yeah, he's uh
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. and and listen just you know listening listening to Howie the damkeeper and to Walter and hey there's a problem here and and you know taking it seriously at that moment and being proactive and not reactive um in this case slightly reactive because of the
the holes that have appeared but you know trying to be as proactive as possible. So kudos to everybody. >> All right. So do I hear a motion to adjurnn? So move. >> I'll second that. So all in favor,
>> Starker. I >> McPe O'Neal. I >> All right. >> All right. >> Have a good night. >> Have a good night. Thank you. >> Thank you.