REPORT OF THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT

The Operating Budget of the Public Works Department proposed for Fiscal Year 1998 is 4.14 million dollars with 2.42 million earmarked for salaries, 1.37 million for Purchase of Service, and 0.33 million for expenses. As in prior years, a considerable amount of money found in the Public Works Budget is actually expended for the benefit of other Town agencies. In an effort to assist Town Meeting Members in understanding this aspect of the budget, the following information is provided. Of the $294,620 requested for the Engineering Division, $81,648 is for service to the Assessor's Department, the Planning Board, and for other Town agencies. Of the $687,991 requested in the Park Division, $246,360 is to service the needs of the Park and Recreation Commission, $10,480 for the Conservation Commission at Ridge Hill, $67,507 for Memorial Park and $56,723 for School Grounds Maintenance.

The Public Works Budget contains the same basic services from year to year. This budget no longer contains the Water Division and the Sewer Division enterprise related elements. These are being presented as separate and independent Enterprise Fund budgets. It also does not contain the DPW Building and Ridge Hill Building elements. These are incorporated into the Municipal Building Maintenance Board budget.

The solid waste costs are primarily tax supported. Increases in capital costs, however, have been shifted to the RTS sticker fee. In Fiscal Year 1996 revenues totaling more than $257,651 were collected through the issuance of 12,062 stickers.

A significant effort has been made to control the spiraling waste disposal costs by expanding the Town's participation in recycling to reduce the waste stream that ultimately is shipped to Wheelabrator in Millbury, Massachusetts. Nearly 2,650 tons of recyclables and over 2,700 tons of yard waste were processed during FY 1996.

Following a lengthy investigation and numerous public meetings, Town Meeting, on the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen, elected to remain a "drop-off" method community for the collection and disposal of solid waste (versus a route collection method). This was further supported by the Special Town Meeting in November 1995 which appropriated funds for significant improvements at the Recycling and Transfer Station (RTS). This work will get underway this Spring and continue through the end of 1997. The Board of Selectmen has also signed an Administrative Consent Order with the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for the closure of the sanitary landfill. The landfill will cease accepting waste December 31, 1997 and begin capping immediately after. Based on the preliminary design, the projected cost for this work will be available during the Spring of 1997. To help offset this cost and to assist in meeting critical closure grades and elevations, the Board of Selectmen approved a contract to accept, in a tightly controlled manner, construction and demolition (C&D) waste from the Greater Boston area. A competitive bidding process which incorporates the acceptance of this C&D waste with the landfill operations was concluded and the contract initiated on July 1, 1996.

The past year also saw significant development on the rehabilitation of the Town's below ground infrastructure which includes the Water Distribution System, the Wastewater Collection System and the Stormwater Drainage System. The most important is the initiation of a Water and Wastewater System Master Plan. This effort will serve as a roadmap for the future for the repair, rehabilitation or replacement of these Systems.

The DPW also saw the approval for the construction of its Water Treatment Plant at the Charles River Wellfield. Completion of this project will satisfy both the commitment to the MWRA, as well as a USEPA Administrative Consent Order regarding non-compliance with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act. It also saw the approval for initiating the design for the replacement of the West Street Wastewater Pumping Station.

Construction continued on the wastewater system rehabilitation effort underway in the Washington Avenue neighborhood. This construction work is Phase III of a three phase process to eliminate inflow/infiltration (I/I) leakage into the System. This I/I causes the sewage to backup in the system and to flood homes and businesses.

Under an Administrative Order from the EPA, a certain portion of the stormwater drainage system have also been investigated looking for the sources of pollution that is being discharged to the Charles River. The source of significant pollution levels have been identified at one location and is being pursued in another location.

Following is an explanation of Public Works Articles as they appear in the Warrant for this Town Meeting (exclusive of capital articles which are described elsewhere in this Warrant).

RE: ARTICLE 4 STREET ACCEPTANCE - NON-BETTERMENT

The streets listed in the Article were constructed under the Subdivision Control Law and have been approved for acceptance by the Planning Board and the Public Works Department. A public hearing will have been held by the Selectmen prior to the Annual Town Meeting.

RE: ARTICLE 26 CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND -- YARD WASTE PROCESSING

Through the efforts of the Highway Division Superintendent, the DPW was granted a $180,000 wood waste grinding machine by the DEP. This machine, based in Needham, services Needham and several other communities. It is operated via sub-contract by a private vendor. This reduces the cost of processing wood and certain yard wastes to only operations expense and maintenance costs versus a contract service cost which includes a cost for the contractor's equipment. The fund serves as the operating fund to conduct this work in Needham and throughout the various communities. The communities are billed and pay into the fund proportionally to the work accomplished.

RE: ARTICLE 27 CONTINUE REVOLVING FUND -- HOME COMPOSTING BINS

Through the efforts of the Board of Health and the Highway Division, the Town of Needham was granted a supply of home composting bins by the DEP. This grant serves as the "seed" to generate revenue to continue the program. The DEP purchases the bins at a favorable cost and distributes the bins to the municipalities. The municipalities sell the bins at prices substantially below market value. The revenue from these sales are used to purchase additional bins through the DEP supplier bids.

RE: ARTICLE 29 AUTHORIZATION TO EXPEND STATE FUNDS

State Law requires an affirmative vote on this Article to ensure the receipt of funds from the Commonwealth. The Article authorizes the Board of Selectmen to contract with the State to receive funding for maintenance projects on eligible Town roads. Funds that are initially borrowed by the Town and then reimbursed by the State are dedicated to preparing engineering designs for the reconstruction, reconstruction and the resurfacing of existing pavements on public ways, or to address traffic improvements.