Town Council - Ways & Means Committee

Braintree Town Council MEMBERS Joseph Reynolds, Chairman Committee of Ways & Means Julia Flaherty, Vice-Chairwoman One JFK Memorial Drive Elizabeth Maglio, Member Braintree, Massachusetts 02184 MINUTES Tuesday, June 7, 2022 A meeting of the Committee of Ways & Means was held in Johnson Chambers, on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 7:00p.m. Councilor Reynolds was in the Chair. Clerk of the Council, Susan Cimino conducted the roll call. Present: Joseph Reynolds, Chairman Julia Flaherty, Vice-Chairwoman Elizabeth Maglio, Member Also Present: Nicole Taub, Chief of Staff/Town Solicitor Ed Spellman, Director of Municipal Finance Melissa SantucciRozzi, Director of Planning & Community Development Mike Richardi, 1135 Project Brion Keefe, Supervisor/WBRRCD Pond Meadow Park Frank Collins, Pond Meadow Park Commissioner June 7, 2022 Ways & Means Committee 1 of 3 Approval of Minutes • None Old Business • None New Business • 22 038 Mayor: Request for Appropriation - CPA Appropriation—Smelt Brook Restoration Study or take up any action relative thereto (Public Hearing at full Council) Nicole Taub explained at the May 9, 2022, meeting of the Community Preservation Committee, the Committee voted unanimously to recommend the appropriation of Community Preservation Act funds in the amount of $15,000 for the Smelt Brook Restoration Study - 2022 Addendum from the Unreserved Fund. The Smelt Brook Local Protection Project (LPP), which includes a small dam (Pond Meadow Park Dam), perched culvert and drop conduit within lower reaches of Smelt Brook has negatively affected fish passage within the Fore River watershed. The Smelt Brook LPP created physical barriers to migratory fish, including specifically rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). Rainbow smelt are a federally listed Species of Concern due to their declining population, and the Fore River Watershed is part of a Federal/State collaborative effort to restore rainbow smelt spawning habitat within New England region. The original project, "Smelt Brook Restoration Study," was approved under Town Council Order 18-056 on October 2, 2018 and totaled $65,500. At that time, the Town of Weymouth also provided a cost share of $65,500 for the project, matching $131,000 in federal funding, for a project total of $262,000. The Department assisted the WBRCCD in finalizing an application for additional funding to complete the feasibility study for the Smelt Brook Restoration project. As a result of a lengthy process of evaluating design alternatives, on April 22, 2022, an ACOE review panel gave preliminary approval to a preferred alternative for a fish ladder on one side of the stilling basin in the vicinity of Brookside Road. The additional Community Preservation Act funding will allow the WBRRCD, in concert with the ACOE, to complete the environmental review, detailed project report and environmental assessment for the preferred alternative, a required precursor to any additional federal funding for final design and construction. Concurrently, the WBRRCD is working with the Town of Weymouth to secure Weymouth's cost share of the project. Letters in favor of the project were submitted by Councilor Stephen O'Brien; Michael Cavanaugh, Sustainable Braintree; and Janice Barris, private resident. June 7, 2022 Ways & Means Committee 2 of 3 Chairman Reynolds asked for the Motions to be read. Councilor Flaherty read the following Motions for favorable recommendation to the full Council Order 22 038: MOTION: That in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 44B of the General Laws, and with the recommendation of the Community Preservation Committee, the appropriation of $15,000 from the CPA Unreserved Fund for the Smelt Brook Restoration Study - 2022 Addendum (Assessors Map 3005, Plot 25); conditional on the funds to be expended under the direction of the Community Preservation Committee and the Director of Planning and Community Development. Motion: by Councilor Flaherty to approve Order 22 038 Second: by Councilor Maglio Vote: For (3–Flaherty, Maglio, Reynolds), Against (0), Absent (0), Abstain (0) It was unanimously voted to adjourn the meeting at 7:25p.m. by Roll Call Vote. Respectfully submitted, Susan M. Cimino Clerk of the Council Documents provided for Meeting • 22 038 Mayor: Request for Appropriation - CPA Appropriation—Smelt Brook Restoration Study or take up any action relative thereto (Public Hearing at full Council) June 7, 2022 Ways & Means Committee 3 of 3