REPORTS - RULE 53

Transcript (~5 min @ 1:16:23)

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▶ 1:16:21 Jen Grigoraitis: okay um reports under rule 53 counselor Eccles last week the school committee laid out the

▶ 1:16:25 Jack Eccles: process for selecting a new superintendent and those looking to get involved can either fill out an online survey apply to join the superintendent screening committee or attend one of two public forums the first of which will be next Thursday January 30th at 7 p.m at the Melrose High School Learning Commons and if you forget any of that or would like more information you to the school committee social media and we will also be promoting it on the city council social

▶ 1:16:55 John N. Tramontozzi: media thank you any councilor Tramontozzi yes thank you madam president on monday january 13th the water and sewer commission held its first meeting of the 2020 year just to give you a little bit of background among members of the commission include the city public works director city engineer city cfo and the auditor the city treasurer the water and sewer administrator systems analysts and a couple of citizen committee members so just to advise this City Council because I know is always a question about what the water enterprise fund in the sewer enterprise fund contained at this time the water enterprise fund the reserve in the stabilization fund account is six hundred and fifty three thousand seven hundred seventeen dollars and ninety And in addition, there's free cash of $446,655. In the sewer enterprise fund, there's a reserve in the net stabilization fund account of $931,758.60. With additional free cash of $446,116. There was discussions about the capital improvement projects under consideration as a part of the overall capital improvement plan currently before the administration. There was an interesting discussion about the fact that there are three sewer stations within the city limits that are 50 years old. The life expectancy of these sewer stations is 25 years. And the cost to replace these old stations could average about $600,000 a piece. We are fortunate to keep these structures running as is with the dedication and work of the Public Works Department. Public Works Department is gathering data that the City Council has previously requested. What I learned was that they have all the information that we have requested, but that it has been a challenge collecting the information from various sources. Apparently, 40% of the information requested has been provided, including past six years of sewer claims in an estimate of the cost to replace the entire sewer system in the city, $136 million. So that's not likely to happen anytime soon, that's for sure. There's 74 miles of sewer pipes, 2,200 manholes, and five sewer stations. So we have challenges ahead of us as we have an old system of sewers, but we can obtain some funding from the MWRA for the I.I., what's referred to as I.I., the infiltration. And the quote was from, I believe it was the city engineer, I don't remember, but we pick the worst places and start there. So I think the overall projective outlook would be to map out the city, pick out the older systems and work from there. speaking of the MWRA they are replacing the big meters that register water and sewer usage into the cities and towns these meters in the city of the apparently these it's a three-year project but when complete there will be more accurate accounting which might mean lower assessments to Melrose but we will see that's my comment thank you that's all i have thank you very much council mcmaster thank

▶ 1:20:28 Shawn M. MacMaster: you madam president the melrose veterans services advisory board met earlier this evening we're currently working on scheduling out events and activities for the calendar year one event that's already been scheduled and if my colleagues could put it in their calendars is march 22nd that is for the annual chili chowder fest typically counselors will participate in that and enter either chili chowder or other i think macaroni and cheese is sometimes on the menu it's a great event it's always well attended it's held at the lieutenant norman prince vfw post on main street typically it's in the afternoon the time has yet to be determined but it's usually around noon it runs a couple of hours and the money that the proceeds are used to support our middle school students who travel each year with the veterans down to Washington DC so it's a great event and you know I'm hoping that the public will come out to support it and that my colleagues here will join us on the 22nd thank you madam president thank you I look I look

▶ 1:21:38 Jen Grigoraitis: forward to the results of that any other reports under rule 53 thank you hearing none anything for the calendar at this point I will entertain a motion to