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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1983-06-13 Board of Public Works MinutesBoard of Public Works Meeting of June 13, 1983 Page 1 A meeting of the Board of Public Works convened in Room 16, Municipal Building at 7:30 P.M. Present were Chairman Wood, Secretary Barker, Board Members Polychrones and Griffin and Superintendent E. Roger Louanis. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 to accept the minutes of the Board of Public Works meeting of June 7, 1983 as corrected. The Board reviewed the letter from the Board of Christian Education of the First Baptist Church requesting the use of Memorial Park. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 to grant permission to the Board of Christian Education of the First Baptist Church to hold a church picnic at Memorial Park on Sunday, June 26 from 11:00 A.M. to S:00 P.M. subject to the usual stipulations: 1. No alcoholic beverages may be served in the public way. 2. Proper police and insurance protection must be procured. 3. The area must be broom-clean at the conclusion of the 4. Our contract with BFI for rubbish collection includes a provision that the park barrels be emptied by them. We ask that you remove any trash generated by this group in order to leave the barrels free for the normal weekly accumulation. The Board reviewed the request from Joseph Flibbert of 20 Chequessett Road requesting the use of Memorial Park for the purpose of a family outing. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 to grant permission to Mr. Flibbert to use the grove area and adjacent open field area of Memorial Park on Saturday, June 18, 1983 from 1:00 - 5:00 P.M. for the purpose of a family outing subject to the usual stipulations as outlined above. Board of Public Works Meeting of June 13, 1983 Page 2 The Board reviewed the request from Jean W. Tammaro to use Memorial Park on Thursday, June 16, 1983 from 5:00 - 7;30 P.M. for the Reading Little League Syracuse Team to hold a barbeque. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 to grant permission to the Little League Syracuse Team to use Memorial Park on Thursday, June 16, 1983 from 5:00 - 7:30 P.M. subject to the usual stipulations as outlined above as well as; apprise the Reading Fire Department of the fact they will be barbequing on that day as well as suggest they get together with other softball teams in future years for the purpose of these outings. The Board reviewed the letter from Mrs. Elizabeth Gonzalo of 37 Tanner Drive #6 requesting more benches in the downtown area. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 to accept the letter as a point of information, and incorporate her request into the plans for the revamping of the downtown area. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 that Sheet No. 9, Bill No. 10, dated June 13, 1983 for a 70% lateral, for Joseph R. Pecoraro of 58 Timberneck Drive, Plat 145 Lot 43 in the amount of $749.14 be committed to the Tax Collector and betterments assessed accordingly. The Board reviewed the memo from Assistant Superintendent Bergeron regarding Contract 83 -6 - Applying Bituminous Concrete Pavements in Various Locations. It was moved, seconded and voted 4:0 that Contract 83 -6 be awarded to the low bidder, Middlesex Paving, Inc. of Chelmsford, Ma. in the amount of $281,286.70 subject to their ability to furnish the proper labor and materials bonds and subject to their ability to meet the affirmative action requirements for State- funded work. Under Old and New Business; The Board met with Madelaine Gillis of 35 Pine Ridge Road, who .11k Board of Public Works Meeting of June 13, 1983 Page 3 expressed her extreme disatisfaction with the condition of Readings' water. She showed the Board a sample of her water which appeared to be quite yellow. She stated she felt that Pine Ridge Road water has been unusable for most of the Spring, she had no water pressure today. She is paying over $200 per year for water and is buying $200 worth of water to drink. She asked when the problem is going to be solved. Chairman Wood stated the MDC would not accept any new connections to the system. The Town of Reading water system is 100% user-funded, the MDC is not. We have had several problems, off and on over the past few weeks. Part of the problem is the fact that we are back and forth between the old and new treatment process (lime vs. caustic soda). Mrs. Gillis stated she felt this should be taken to the Board of Health as a possible health hazard. Chairman Wood stated the water is tested on a daily basis and meets all State standards and requirements, except for the sodium content. Mr. Griffin stated the water that is being pumped out of the Treatment Plant is of good quality. The Board thanked Mrs. Gillis for coming. Superintendent Louanis stated the gear mechanism for the sludge removal equipment was delivered and was scheduled to be put in today - it was installed today. Therefore, for a period of time today the treatment plant was not operating. During that time we were drawing water out of the tanks. Thepefore, the pressure was reduced in the total system and the flow was reversed in the system, which probably accounts for the dirty water in the Pine Ridge Road area. The system was on line again at about 11:00 A.M. which reversed the flow again. '.► Board of Public Works meeting of June 13, 1983 Page 4 Mr. Barker, asked what percent of our system is dead end mains. } Superintendent Louanis replied a very rough guess would be something less than 10%. We have always made an effort to try to f eliminate dead end mains. Mr. Barker stated he didn't think we could wait until the 27th to meet again with CDm. He stated he is beginning to doubt the competency of the people we are dealing with. Mr. Griffin stated he felt we are going to be off lime for the duration of the peak season. Superintendent Louanis stated he spoke with Ed DiIorio last week and CDm had already gone ahead with shop drawings for the venting system to go in the chloride room. R.H. White is going to do the work at their expense, I urged him to hurry this. He also stated the stirrer in the lime slurry tank equipment came in and was installed. It functions and operates much better than it has previously. The gear box and sprockets were put in this morning and that whole system is back on -line. We should, therefore, have a good sedimentation basin. The representative from Wallace & Tiernan is going to give us a list of the equipment we will need for spare parts. Mr. Barker stated we are all suspicious of the pumps. Is there anyone we could call upon to get one that works. Mr. Griffin stated he spoke with the person from Pulsar and they have a pump that pumps 400 gallons per hour which is 275 greater capability than we are putting out. Mr. Barker asked can we go back to CDm and try something different. Staying on caustic soda for the Summer season could work. Mr. Griffin stated I think part of my statement would seem to me that the mystery is in the pumps, but to plug any pump into that system ~~ Board of Public Works Meeting of June 13, 1983 Page 5 now would stand the chance of ruining this new pump as well. The grit problem may still exist with a new pump. Mr. Barker stated he would like to strongly recommend to the Chairman that the meeting on the 27th be held at the Treatment Plant in the former office area room and that Mr. Prenderville be asked to join us at that time. Mr. Griffin asked that better recordkeeping be kept at the treatment plant, as far as down time of pumps, etc. Superintendent Louanis stated we received $454,468.00 from D.E.O.E. today towards the treatment plant. We also received a check for $4SO,000.00 for the repaving of the downtown area. / Mr. Barker moved that the Board go into Executive Session for the / purpose of discussing personnel policies and potential legal matters | �N� involving the treatment plant. The motion was seconded, and Chairman Wood polled the Board as follows: Mr. Griffin - aye Mr. Polychrones - aye Mr. Barker - aye Mrs. Wood - aye The Board signed the Payroll and Billroll for the period ending June 10, 1983. The meeting adjourned at 8:SS P.M. Respectfully submitted, T-c4e r /-, t a r",A� TOWN OF READING } i MASSACHUSETTS f Middlesex, ss OFFICE OF BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS MUNICIPAL BUILDING READING. MASS. 01867 E. ROGER LOUANIS. Superintendent June 13, 1983 The undersigned, Board of Public Works of the Town of Reading, in compliance with the provisions of the General Laws, Charter 80, as amended by Chapter 63 of the Acts of 1933, hereby certify chat the lists herewith contain the names of persons against carom ,,qc have naue betterr;ent assessments together with the location o the land benefited by the impeovement and the nature .anu Am.C?.I:? t of such betterment assess^ant. a1 ;