Town Council - Public Works Committee

MEMBERS Braintree Town Council Thomas Whalen, Chairman Charles Kokoros, Vice Chairman Committee On The Department of Public Works Stephen O’Brien, member One JFK Memorial Drive Braintree, Massachusetts 02184 September 18, 2018 MINUTES A meeting of the Committee on the Department of Public Works was held in Fletcher Hall, Braintree Town Hall, on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, at 7:00p.m. There was a moment of silence for all those serving in our armed services, past and present, and the meeting was opened with the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Councilor Kokoros was in the Chair. Clerk of the Council, Susan Cimino conducted the roll call. Present: Charles Kokoros, Vice-Chairman Stephen O’Brien, member Not Present: Thomas Whalen, Chairman Also Present: James Arsenault, DPW Director David Flewelling, Comcast representative APPROVAL OF MINUTES • July 18, 2018 Motion: by Councilor Kokoros to Approve Minutes of July 18, 2018 Second: by Councilor O’Brien Vote: For (2- Kokoros, O’Brien), Against (0), Absent (1- Whalen), Abstain (0) NEW BUSINESS • 18 054 Comcast Petition: Commerce Drive or take up any action relative thereto David Flewelling, Comcast representative stated this is for service to 200 Commerce Drive. Comcast will add lines to stub conduits to have them already available for all of Commerce Drive. Some of this is in Weymouth and Comcast was already granted the permit to open the road from Weymouth. Mr. Flewelling stated it will be a short opening and back-filled little by little. Most of the opening will be in the grass island. September 18, 2018 Department of Public Works Page 1 of 3 Councilor O’Brien read the motion for favorable recommendation to the full Council on the following with staff recommendations: To install and maintain approximately 1,865 feet of communications cable in 2 (one-above-the-other) 4” PVC concrete encased conduits 24 inches deep 150 +/- feet in Grove Street and 1715 +/- feet in Commerce Drive to #333 Commerce Drive and including 3 new handholes and 3 lateral conduit runs, from an installation being constructed in West Street, Weymouth, at the Braintree – Weymouth Town Line to a handhole at 333 Commerce Drive in order to provide cable communication service to numbers 100, 200 and 333 Commerce Drive with staff recommendations: BELD: BELD has a 13,800 volt underground system on Commerce Drive. This is a concrete encased duct bank to be identified through the Dig safe process. The proposed plan and scope of work does not impact existing BELD electric or communication utilities within this site. Please submit all of the proposed plans and final “as built” drawings to this department on AutoCAD format where available. The Engineering Department has no objection for approval being granted to this permit. DPW: Neither Grove Street nor Commerce Drive are under the moratorium and much of the Commerce Drive installation will be in the landscaped medians. The DPW recommends that the permit be granted with the normal conditions imposed by the DPW Highway Division plus that: 1. An additional lateral conduit run be installed to service each undeveloped lot along Commerce Drive (appears to be only one large lot) in anticipation of future development; 2. where sidewalk surfaces are disturbed the surface is to be replaced in kind, at ADA compliant slopes and for the full width of the sidewalk; 3. all matches with existing surfaces be smooth, safe, properly surfaced and satisfactory to the Town; 4. the work be coordinated with the abutters to ensure that the properties are accessible at all times, including ADA compliant pedestrian access; 5. the conduit be installed outside of the trenches of the water and sewer mains and other utilities in service and that the trench pavement not be left low for any length of time; 6. the DPW be notified when the construction conflicts with Town utilities so the resolution can be mutually agreeable; 7. as-built plans be prepared and submitted satisfactory to the Department of Public Works; 8. the construction portion of the permit period not exceed two months from the start of construction and that the entire permit period be set at one year beginning at the date of Council approval. We also recommend that the following requirement be added to the permit, if it is to be granted: September 18, 2018 Department of Public Works Page 2 of 3  “Neither Comcast nor any of its contractors is authorized to close any street or to close a direction of travel to facilitate their work without authorization from the Director of the Department of Public Works or the Highway Superintendent. The Chief of Police can also authorize a closure for a police or fire emergency. Construction zone traffic safety issues are to be addressed by using appropriate traffic control signs and devices and the use of police officers for traffic control to safely guide traffic through the work zone. If a closure is authorized by the DPW, it shall not be implemented until signs and police officers (where needed) are properly in place in conformity with the written plan prepared by the contractor’s engineer and approved by the DPW and Police Department.” Motion: by Councilor O’Brien for Favorable Recommendation to the full Council with Staff Recommendations. Second: by Councilor Kokoros Vote: For (2 – Kokoros, O’Brien), Against (0), Absent (1 - Whalen) OLD BUSINESS • NONE It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 7:14p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Documents provided for Meeting • 18 054 Comcast Petition: Commerce Drive or take up any action relative thereto September 18, 2018 Department of Public Works Page 3 of 3