Swampscott Selectmen Challenge National Grid Over Bumpy Road

A bumpy road led to bumpy talks last week between and a National Grid representative.

Selectmen Chairman Rich Malagrifa said temporary paving on Humphrey Street is so uneven you practically need a jeep to travel it.

Between the Lynn line and Cedar Terrace — near 7-Eleven — National Grid is installing conduit for underground electrical lines to improve electrical service.

The work started in spring. Crews work in sections, opening up a trench and filling the section at day's end and rolling asphalt over the top. Permanent paving over the sections is planned for the spring.

But Malagrifa told John Jankowski of National Grid that the surface is so uneven it needs to be attended to sooner.

"I don't think it can wait until spring," the chairman said at the July 11 meeting.

Jankowski said he would relay the board's concerns to National Grid.

"But you are here, now," Malagrifa said.

The National Grid representative said he could not respond to the problems because it is not his job.

Town Administrative Assistant Maureen Shultz said she had asked, earlier, for someone from National Grid to be at Wednesday's meeting to discuss the complaints about Humphrey — and she was assured someone would be at Wednesday's meeting to talk about it.

Board members mulled holding up approvals for another National Grid job.

In the end they asked that the utility bring a representative to address the town's concerns at the next selectmen's meeting.

This isn't the first time the town and utility have bumped heads.

Late last year and earlier this year the two sides were at odds over the length of time it takes to .