The Northern Berkshire community first learned that the Jordan Street culvert would need replacing back in 2018. At its September 17th meeting, Interim Community Development Director Donna Cesan told the town’s board of selectmen that funding for the $3.9 million project was now in question.
“We realized that this project was going to be very complex and it was going to be expensive," she explained. "We reached out to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, MEMA, to see if they could provide some assistance. They directed us toward their Hazard Mitigation grant program. It's something that they work in combination with the federal government- So they work with FEMA.”
The town’s most recent action on the culvert was to deliver the project’s final design package, including updated cost assessments and a detailed schedule, to MEMA. A call from the agency this month delivered bad news for Adams.
“They informed us that they've had no confirmation and very little interaction with FEMA about our contract extension, about approval of our design package," Cesan said. "They explained that they cannot go through FEMA Boston, which I think they have a stronger relationship, obviously. They have to go to FEMA Headquarters in Washington, DC.”
Culvert repair has emerged as a major issue in Western Massachusetts after heavy rains and subsequent flooding resulted in millions of dollars of damages to communities across the region in 2023.
“We've explained to them that our neighborhood has been very inconvenienced by the wait, and we've asked them to do whatever they can to move this forward," she said. "Last week, I reached out to [1st Massachusetts District Democratic] Congressman [Richard] Neal's office. They've been helpful in the past with some of our federal grants. I've asked them to help on the town's behalf again. I am also beginning to look at potential contingencies should this not go forward.”
Selectman Joseph Nowak attributed silence at the federal level to Republican President Donald Trump’s efforts to stifle funding for Democrat-dominated states like Massachusetts.
“It's all become politics at FEMA," he said. "[They] don't want to work with Boston, because we're a democratic state.”
He echoed local frustration with the hold up on the long-awaited repairs.
“What made me bring this back up to the forefront is, I believe our last meeting, we had a woman who lived there and said, when is this going to get done?" said Nowak. "It's been inconveniencing us for such a long time, so that's why I brought it forward, and I'm hearing new news from you that I didn't know about. So, I'm glad that you brought, came forward and told me, and to me, the diagnosis has gotten worse than better in hoping to get this accomplished in a reasonable time, which is unreasonable right now."
Democratic State Representative John Barrett – who represents the Northern Berkshires in the Massachusetts State House – agreed with Nowak’s assessment.
“The big problem is, is now what's happening in Washington, a lot of the federal money that's headed towards Massachusetts has been cut off," he told WAMC. "I think last month, or a couple of months ago, city of North Adams lost $144,000, I think it's in the millions for the city of Boston. So, this is going to be a critical loss”
Barrett says he plans to bring up Adams’ plight at a meeting with MEMA this week.
“Federal funding is what it's all about," the state representative continued. "Right now, the state of Massachusetts stands to lose $10 billion over the next several months in various programs so and with a small community like the like Adams or North Adams, it's really going to cause major league problems, problems that won't be addressed for a long time without federal help.”
In a statement to WAMC, Congressman Neal’s office said it was aware of Adams’s struggle to ensure federal funding for the culvert project, and that it is in ongoing dialogue with FEMA over the matter.
