Public Works Committee

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK May 27, 2021 May 28 2021 8:37 am Public Works Committee Meeting Minutes A meeting of the Public Works Committee was held on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, via Zoom conference hosted by FATV, at 5:00 PM. The video is available from FATV here: https://videoplayer.telvue.com/player/yycCAZPb0NN3zj2o5qio- YFMNC43NjCG/playlists/3129/media/644506 Committee Members Present: Councilors Marissa Fleming (chair), Sam Squailia, Andrew Couture, Thomas Hughes, and Paul Beauchemin Commissioner Nicolas Bosonetto Superintendent Gary Withington Committee Members Absent: None Other Participants: None 1) DPW Updates: Commissioner Bosonetto gave the Committee a brief update on upcoming DPW projects. Sidewalk construction has begun on Electric Ave and work on Summer St will be starting shortly. The paving bid recently closed and work will begin on Summer St, Williams Rd, McIntire Rd, and Alpine Rd. Oak Hill Rd from Sarah Ln to Franklin Rd will be reconstructed using funds recently appropriated from the Mayor’s office and City Council. 2) Action was taken as follows on NEW petitions: 072-21. Councilor Andrew Van Hazinga and Peter Johnson to install a streetlight at the intersection of Prichard Street and Wallace Avenue. (REFERRED from City Council on April 6, 2021). Discussion: Councilor Van Hazinga explained this is on Wallace Ave at the base of the stairs to Longsjo School. A streetlight had been there in the past that has been removed as a safety precaution due to deterioration. This location serves as a bus stop for the YMCA and at night it is very dark. Councilor Beauchemin asked for clarification on the type of street light. Commissioner Bosonetto stated that it was an old concrete pole that deteriorated due to age and DPW had removed as a safety precaution. Commissioner Bosonetto agreed the light needed to be replaced and stated that once FY22 funding is available the light would be replaced. A motion and second were made and Chair Fleming took the motion under unanimous consent.  Recommendation: The Committee voted 5-0 that the petition be GRANTED. 089-21. Councilors Sam Squailia and Elizabeth Walsh to install a berm at both sides of the existing storm drain at 506 Wanoosnoc Road to prevent further erosion. Approximately 37 ft. on one side and 63 ft. on the other side to meet existing asphalt berms. (REFERRED from City Council on May 4, 2021). Discussion: Councilor Squailia explained that the property owner would like the berm installed to prevent further erosion of his yard. Councilor Beauchemin explained he visited the location and was looking for clarification on the exact location of the requested berm. Councilor Squailia explained she had provided a detailed picture with the petition. Councilor Beauchemin made a motion to accept. Commissioner Bosonetto explained that DPW is short staffed at this time and there is a very long list of berms to be replaced. If the petition is approved it will be added to the list but it may be a long time until the work is actually completed. A second was made. Chair Fleming took the motion under unanimous consent and asked that the homeowner be made aware that the motion has been approved but that it might be some time before they see the work completed. Recommendation: The Committee voted 5-0 that the petition be GRANTED. 090-21. Councilors Sam Squailia and Marisa Fleming to install a berm at 76 Richardson Road to prevent further erosion. Approximately 70 ft. long connecting from the existing berm to the existing driveway. (REFERRED from City Council on May 4, 2021). Discussion: Councilor Squailia explained this would be a new berm that would connect to the existing berm which is approximately 10 – 15 years old. Councilor Beauchemin requested to amend the petition. He spoke with the neighbor at 77 Richardson Rd who is putting in a new lawn and would like to extend the berm across the street. They would like the berm to go from the driveway at 66 Richardson Rd to the driveway at 76 Richardson Rd. A motion was made by Councilor Beauchemin and seconded by Councilor Couture. Commissioner Bosonetto stated that there is a very long list of berms as explained during the previous discussion. The Commissioner explained that by putting up the berms we are essentially just pushing the concentration of water further down the road and eventually all the neighbors will start having problems. Councilor Squailia stated that there are no berms on the odd number side of Richardson Rd but there are along the even number side of Richardson Rd. Chair Fleming stated that there were issues at the end of Richardson Rd previously where water runs off yards on the odd number side of the road causing yard and roadway erosion. Councilor Beauchemin stated there is a catch basin in front of number 77 but the water is jumping the catch basin due to the crown in the road. Councilor Squailia stated there are two catch basins on the road, one on the odd side and one on the even side. Councilor Hughes asked if we were heading into a slippery slope if we keep approving berms on various sections of this roadway. City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 Page 2 of 4 www.fitchburgma.gov  Commissioner Bosonetto explained that if we do put berms up along the road when they are requested that we will eventually be putting berms up at various times and locations. The Commissioner explained that the berms are time consuming and would be better off if we did them all at the same time. Chair Fleming asked if we could approve the petition as submitted and request that the catch basins be adjusted or viewed at the same time. Councilor Squailia recommends not amending the petition to add in 77 Richardson Rd until the location is viewed and recommends putting that forward as a new petition as the erosion problems are occurring on the even number side of the road. Chair Fleming would not like to amend the petition to include number 77 but would like to amend it to include viewing the catch basins at the time the berm is being replaced as requested in the original petition. A motion to amend the petition to include viewing catch basins was put forward. Councilor Squailia made the motion to approve, Councilor Beauchemin made a second to approve the amendment. Recommendation: The Committee voted 5-0 that the petition be GRANTED as amended. 3) Previously HELD petitions for review: 046-20. Councilors Marisa Fleming and Marcus DiNatale to declare Ethier Street a Public Way. (HELD during the February, June, July and October 2020 meetings and January 2021 meeting). Discussion: Councilor Beauchemin made a motion to withdraw the petition and Councilor Squailia seconded the motion. Councilor Squailia explained that the petition had been withdrawn by the full Council. Chair Fleming took it under unanimous consent. Recommendation: The Committee voted 5-0 that the petition be WITHDRAWN. 089-20. Councilor Bernie Schultz and resident Alex Freeman to remove the “No Turn on Red” sign at the intersection of John T. Centrino Memorial Drive and Water Street. Amended to “Cetrino” at the January 2021 meeting. (HELD during the October 2020 and January 2021 meetings; AMENDED the spelling of Cetrino at the January 2021 meeting). Discussion: Councilor Beauchemin made a motion to withdraw the petition. Councilor Schultz explained that this petition was put forward pre-pandemic and it was last discussed that DPW Engineering was going to view the traffic pattern to determine if this petition could move forward. Councilor Beauchemin explained that Sgt. Boudreau went before Council and stated that the traffic from Boyle Ct and people taking a left at the light allowing people to turn right would cause a safety hazard. Councilor Schultz stated he would go back and review the previous notes because he felt Sgt. Boudreau was concerned but then Commissioner Bosonetto and the DPW Engineering team were to go out and do actual traffic studies. Commissioner Bosonetto apologized that a lot of time has gone by with this petition and he would put City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 Page 3 of 4 www.fitchburgma.gov  the petition back on his priority list and move to make a decision. Councilor Squailia made a motion to hold the petition. Councilor Beauchemin questioned what the traffic pattern would look like if this petition was approved. Commissioner Bosonetto explained that the petition is asking for a “no turn on red” sign. Councilor Beauchemin seconded the motion to hold the petition until the traffic pattern is reviewed. Recommendation: The Committee voted 5-0 that the petition be HELD. 177-20. Councilor Paul Beauchemin to petition the City to add a berm in front of 78 St. Joseph Ave., in order to address water and sand issues faced by residents in the winter. Berm should be placed from the start of the sidewalk to the berm on Daniels St. (HELD during the July and October 2020 meetings and the January 2021 meeting). Discussion: Councilor Beauchemin stands by his petition. If you stand at the resident’s address on St. Joseph Ave the sidewalks are lower than the road and every storm the property washes out. Councilor Beauchemin understands there is no man-power or funding at this time to re-do the entire road. Councilor Squailia made a motion to approve the petition. Councilor Beauchemin made a second. Councilor Hughes asked to speak on the petition. Commissioner Bosonetto stressed the concern with the berm is that we don’t want to have to rebuild the whole sidewalk. It seems to be more of an issue than just the berm needing to be replaced at this location. Chair Fleming asked if we could just replace the berm or if we should in fact fix the sidewalks in this case. Councilor Beauchemin stated that he didn’t think we could just replace the berm in this location without fixing the sidewalk. Commissioner Bosonetto explained that Councilor Beauchemin is correct that the entire sidewalk should be replaced rather than just putting up a new berm. Councilor Squailia asked if placing a berm at the subject location and feather it in would work. Commissioner Bosonetto explained the pitch of the sidewalk and what would happen if we replaced the berm. Councilor Beauchemin made a motion and Councilor Squailia made a second to withdraw the petition. Councilor Beauchemin is not in favor of withdrawing the motion. Recommendation: The Committee voted 4-1 that the petition be WITHDRAWN. (Beauchemin against). 4) Any Other Business: Councilor Beauchemin asked about work the being done on Electric Ave. specifically if a cross walk was going to be installed to cross over to Deerfield. Commissioner Bosonetto stated that the particular location is outside of the limits of the project. NICOLAS BOSONETTO, COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS Name and title of person submitting minutes City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420 Page 4 of 4 www.fitchburgma.gov