Berlin Conservation Commission Approves $9,850 Trail Repair Contractor for Tornado Damage

BERLIN — July 15, 2026 — Berlin Conservation Commission approves $9,850 trail repair contract, well under its $40,000 CPA budget. The commission voted unanimously at its July 15 meeting to hire Wicked Ride MTV Trailbuilders to repair tornado damage at the Lester Ross/Clark Conservation Area, contingent on verification of the contractor's insurance by the town administrator. The town had secured $40,000 in Community Preservation Act funds based on a preliminary estimate of roughly $30,000; the winning bid came in at $9,850, below the threshold requiring public procurement. A member who acknowledged friendship with the contractor researched Massachusetts General Law during the meeting before the vote, concluding no disqualifying relationship existed: "I'm not a business associate and I am not related to him. I have no financial gain." The commission also announced receipt of a Sebastian Cabot Foundation grant for the 25 percent design phase of Berlin's Mass Central Rail Trail section, with a funding agreement due for signature before August 1.