Chapter 90 Program

The “Chapter 90” Program is a Massachusetts Department of Transportation (Mass DOT) funded reimbursement program. Under the program, the state awards reimbursement grants to municipalities for maintaining, repairing, improving and reconstructing roads. Certain other eligible projects and purchases may also be approved by Mass DOT. The size of a given community’s annual Chapter 90 apportionment is based on a formula that takes into account three variables: the amount of town-accepted road miles, a town’s total resident population, and the amount of employment generated within a community. Hinsdale has been apportioned $156,233 in Fiscal Year 2017 (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017). Although the town knows what its annual Chapter 90 apportionment will be prior to the beginning of a new fiscal year, funds are dispersed to the town only after approved projects have been completed (no funds are dispersed to the Town “upfront”). This means the town must have sufficient funds available in the general fund to cover all project costs before Mass DOT issues reimbursement.

Although some communities have established stabilization funds specifically to help finance significant road improvement projects, the Town of Hinsdale has historically limited its road (re)construction projects to those that can be funded with Chapter 90 monies. This was primarily done to help control municipal spending and subsequently keep the tax rate relatively low.

There is a fairly complex process that must be followed to obtain the Chapter 90 money for a proposed project. Mass DOT must approve any road project that the town wants to use Chapter 90 funds to complete. The paperwork involved is time-consuming. Once Mass DOT approves a given project, a determination must be made regarding how the project will be completed. For instance, one consideration is whether the town will hire a contractor to do part or all of the work or if the town highway crew is capable of performing part or all of the work. Timing of the available contractor or employees must be considered. When all this falls into place, then work can be started on the approved project.

There was an approximately four-year period in Hinsdale when little road work was performed using Chapter 90 funds. As a result, in Fiscal Year 2016 the town used over $695,000 of its aggregate apportionment—coupled with an additional $534,000 in state funding that our Highway Superintendent was able to help the Town obtain for storm damage—to completely reconstruct Pittsfield Road and Robinson Road.

For Fiscal Year 2017, the Town has received approval from Mass DOT to reconstruct Old Windsor Road using Chapter 90 funds. This work will be mostly completed by a private contractor. Additional Chapter 90 monies will also be used to work on Middlefield Road, Goodrich Street, Church Street, and East Washington Road between now and June 30, 2017.

We hope that this information is helpful, and please don’t hesitate to contact James Callahan, Highway Superintendent, at 655-2304 if you have any additional questions or concerns about road maintenance in town.