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Monday, November 2, 2026 Essex County, Massachusetts · Change town
Government · Select Board

Groveland Select Board Directs Staff to Build $600,000 Annual Road Paving Plan

Groveland Select Board votes to pursue $600,000 annual road paving target using free cash and National Grid payments.

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Select Board · Meeting of July 20, 2026

Groveland Select Board votes to pursue $600,000 annual road paving target using free cash and National Grid payments. The board voted unanimously Monday to direct Town Administrator Rebecca Morse and Highway Superintendent Arthur Marcos to develop a multi-year pavement management plan aimed at $600,000 in annual funding, up from roughly $374,000 currently, after Marcos presented modeling showing the town's average Pavement Condition Index of 68 will fall to approximately 64 within five years at current spending levels. A companion financial spreadsheet showed the target is reachable without a tax increase by layering Chapter 90 funds, free cash, and roughly $430,000 in National Grid licensing payments spread over three years.

The board also received a briefing on the Johnson Creek Dam emergency action plan, which revealed that a 2025 pipe-liner repair cost $150,000 in road funds and that the dam's "significant hazard" state classification, tied to a 12-inch high-pressure gas line and water and electrical utilities crossing the structure, remains in force. Marcos noted a failure "could happen very slowly or all at once" and identified at least 10 downstream homes requiring immediate evacuation in a worst-case breach. The board separately tabled a draft flag policy, authorized five recycling carts for VZ Memorial Park, and adopted its fiscal year 2027 goals unanimously.

In the full story:

  • Who Was There
  • Organizations And Documents Referenced
  • The complete report, 4,099 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Members read the rest of this story and every Essex County meeting we cover, in full.

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