GREENFIELD — City Council unanimously approved allocating $197,000 for emergency repairs at the Electric Light and Power Dam, also known as the Mill Street Dam, after engineers located a 10-foot-by-6-foot void at its bottom center.

The repairs, which Department of Public Works Director Marlo Warner II said are urgently needed, will be conducted not long after Mayor Ginny Desorgher signed a memorandum of understanding with the Connecticut River Conservancy on Oct. 15, calling for its “partial removal” alongside the full removal of its neighbor, the Wiley-Russell Dam.

Although Desorgher previously stated that she intended to remove both dams for the sake of environmental preservation and the protection of aquatic life, Connecticut River Conservancy Executive Director Rebecca Todd said at a Historical Commission meeting earlier this month that the nonprofit merely intended to lower the Electric Light and Power Dam and install a fish ladder.

“We won’t be wasting our money, but we have to resupport the structure underneath, regardless of how and if that particular dam gets modified,” At-Large Councilor Michael Terounzo said. “If there is modification in the future, this isn’t going to be, we spent some money now and then we’re just throwing it away by getting rid of it later. This is critical.”

In a letter to City Council earlier this month, Warner wrote that the repairs must be made before winter. In a subsequent interview, he added that the Department of Public Works aims to complete the emergency repair within a month of the funding’s approval.

“The Office of Dam Safety and [the engineering firm] Fuss and O’Neil recognized the severity and recommended that an emergency action be put in place and repair this issue as soon as possible,” Warner wrote.

“The dam is technically compromised right now because of that void. It’s toward the center that takes the pressure from the river. It was discovered as part of the engineering and design to do some repairs on that dam,” Warner said previously. “That dam needs to remain for the simple reason we have [water and sewer] infrastructure upstream that would be exposed.”

Precinct 3 Councilor Michael Mastrototaro echoed Warner’s previous concerns at Wednesday night’s meeting, adding that the void has grown to 100 square feet since it was first discovered and puts the dam at risk of failure if it’s not promptly fixed.

At-Large Councilor John Garrett also explained that inspectors found no structural issues with any other dams on the Green River.

The memorandum of understanding suggests that the Connecticut River Conservancy will take on the bulk of the costs related to the partial removal, while the city will contribute engineering resources and funds for the Wiley Russell Dam’s demolition and the Mill Street Dam’s maintenance over a 10-year term.

When Historical Commission Chair John Passiglia asked Todd what Greenfield would be “on the hook for” in the project during a meeting earlier this month, she replied “nothing.”

“Whereas, the parties agree to support the complete removal of the Wiley-Russell Dam and the partial removal of the Mill Street Dam, which would also include sufficient structures for passage of aquatic organisms, per engineered plans,” the memorandum of understanding states. “CRC will seek funding for the project and will oversee the project. Greenfield will endeavor to find monies and in-kind services as available, including technical engineering support and permitting assistance.”

Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at acammalleri@recorder.com or 413-930-4429.