LYNNFIELD — Department of Public Works (DPW) Director John Tomasz requested $1.14 million worth of capital funding from the Select Board for its fiscal year 2023 budget on Monday.
Tomasz categorized items by high and medium priority.
One of the big-ticket items of high priority was road construction. The department is requesting that the Select Board allocate $500,000 for required repairs of roads and sidewalks throughout the town.
“This is one of the worst years in my 20 years on DPW,” said Tomasz about the potholes and damage to the roads the winter has done this year.
The town is planning to repair between five to 10 streets depending on their length, including major repairs on Fletcher Road, Timberhill Lane and Willard Street. These expenditures will be supplemented by the state, said the Town Administrator Robert Dolan, in the amount of another $500,000 or even more.
“The issue next year will be the ability to do the work in our construction season, in that period of time,” said Dolan. “That will be the challenge.”
In 2021, the department carried out $700,000 worth of road work.
The second-biggest capital investment in the amount of $225,000, but of medium importance, would be for replacement of three DPW dump trucks that have more than 40,000 of excess mileage on them. These trucks are used throughout the year, including for plowing and salting, and are vital to the DPW operation, the request said.
“These are vehicles for diverse purposes for all seasons,” said Tomasz.
He added that with current high prices on vehicles the DPW might be able to replace only two dump trucks.
Select Board Chair Richard Dalton remembered from previous discussions that all of the DPW trucks are aging at the same rate.
“I’d like to see a situation where we are rotating and replacing one truck a year,” he said.
Another $100,000 is needed for improving the town-wide drainage system and completing the drainage project on Timberhill Lane. According to the DPW, multiple catch basins and outfall locations need to be rebuilt at more than $10,000 per catch-basin installation.
This investment will reduce flooding of the Hawkes Brook and prevent flooding and associated road and property damage located along failed outfalls and catch basins.
Moreover, one out of four town school buses are currently out of service and need to be replaced. The department has finished paying lease payments for two buses and is requesting $20,000 to make one out of five payments on a new school bus.
“We like to have two of our (buses) in good shape and one backup and second one if things go really bad,” said Tomasz.
“Is that still the best plan for busing?” asked Dalton.
Tomasz responded affirmatively.
“Getting people to drive the buses is the bigger problem,” Tomasz said.
In 2023, Lynnfield will be in the last year of carrying out a four-year Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems compliance project. It is mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and paying the remaining $83,000 will prevent the town from otherwise getting fined for non-compliance.
“There is no choice,” said Dalton.
Tomasz has also requested $11,000 to lease a new copier for the DPW office. The lease for the copier that the DPW has now expires in September, and the department will need a new copier for ongoing operation in the office.
The DPW is also looking to construct two new pods at the middle school for a new special-education, language-based program at $60,000 and replace or repair rigging at the middle-school auditorium for $40,000, which was determined to be unsafe last year. Other projects of medium importance would cost the town an additional $98,000.
Dolan said that some other capital requests from the DPW will be discussed by a committee, which is tasked with reviewing possible investments of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
The Select Board members found Tomasz’s presentation thorough and concise.
“The DPW does more than just snow removal and patching streets,” said Dalton.
