Foxborough Town Manager Delivers National Grid Update

Splashes of good news mixed with a long road ahead were the latest components in Foxborough's National Grid update.

Town Manager Kevin Paicos presented the latest updates to selectmen Tuesday night. The updates follow the town's storm back in November. At that time, town officials asked about the status of tree cutting programs following the storm, in particular the status of "hangers." According to Paicos, hangers are branches up in the trees that are stuck.

"Hangers are very dangerous [and they] can fall on people, vehicles and on the primary wires."

Falling hangers onto primary lines were the cause of a recent two-hour power outage that took place a month ago in certain areas in town.

Paicos noted that during conversations with National Grid representatives, the town requested if they would come forward to do a better tree-cutting program. Dialogue between town officials, Foxborough DPW Director Roger A. Hill and President of National Grid Mass. Marcy Reed, resulted in two, four man crews with large bucket trucks in town. 

"Those crews really cleaned up all the hangers in town," said Paicos. "We still have a lot of branches over the primary wires but I will tell you now that we have the vast majority taken care of."

Paicos thanked Reed, stating that she has been offered a lot of criticism but also deserves to be thanked when productive.

"It is a little bit of good news - [but] long way to go," added Paicos.

Foxborough presented the most detailed, in-depth testimony to the DPU than any other town in the state, according to Paicos.

Paicos considers the one bright light to be the legislation that would allow municipalities, such as Foxborough, the opportunity to explore power options beyond National Grid.

"Utilities are spending lots of money to oppose it [legislation]," he noted.

Selectmen Chairman Larry Harrington spoke on keeping the public pressure on National Grid. The board will look to extend an invitation to Reed to attend a selectmen meeting in the next month or so.