Stephen Lynch; Joan Meschino, State Representative; Peter Martini, Hill Liro; David Petitti, Deputy Police Chief; Bob Garrity, Building Committee Chair; Kevin Herlihy, Colantonio, Inc.
August 2, 2024 By The Town of Hingham, photos by Joshua Ross
On August 1st, Congressman Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08) toured the new Hingham Public Safety Facility construction site and announced a possible award of up to $1.7M from the Community Project Funding (CPF) federal grant program to put towards the project. The grant money is expected to be included in the Fiscal Year 2025 Federal Budget due on October 1 st and may be applied by the Town to offset unanticipated expenses incurred due to high bids, soil remediation, and ledge work. Congressman Lynch was hosted by Hingham Select Board Chair Joseph Fisher, Town Administrator Thomas Mayo, Fire Chief Steve Murphy, Deputy Police Chief David Petitti, and State Representative Joan Meschino, among others.
Congressman Lynch explained he secured unanimous approval for the $1.7M of federal funding for the Town’s project, and possibly for resiliency work, through the U.S. House Appropriations Committee for inclusion in the FY2025 Budget. Using a football analogy, he stated the funds were “on the two-yard line,” as the budget needs final approval before the start of the next Federal Fiscal year. This award is the result of an application submitted by the Town back in May.
The Congressman explained that CPF awards were originally distributed through the governors and state legislature, but are now requested by, and given directly to local municipalities and organizations who have a better understanding of their needs. Town Administrator Tom Mayo accepted the good news from the Congressman and explained how the federal funding could be used to facilitate completion of the project. Construction began on the new Public Safety Facility, located at 335 Lincoln Street (Route 3A) at the Hingham Shipyard, in June 2023 with an expected occupancy by this time next year.
