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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES COMMITTEE REPORT TO 2022 ATM& STMs 2022-1 & -2
<br /> some in Massachusetts. have instituted a Stormwater Management Fee to offset the capital and operating
<br /> costs of managing stormwater emanating from private properties. Staff will continue to evaluate models
<br /> for a Stormwater Enterprise Fund over the next year.
<br /> In addition, the Engineering Department has developed several approaches to holding down the future
<br /> costs of NPDES compliance, including, for example, starting a year early on meeting the Illicit Discharge
<br /> Detection and Elimination (IDDE) requirements;the use of volunteer interns to help with the IDDE work;
<br /> and an innovative, lower cost phosphorous removal plan developed in conjunction with the Town of
<br /> Arlington and the University of New Hampshire.
<br /> Recent drainage improvements have been completed on Barberry Road, Worthen Road, John Poulter
<br /> Road, Munroe Road, Paul Revere Road, Diana Lane, Grant Street, Tyler Road and Oak Street. Illicit
<br /> discharges, often wastewater entering the storm drainage system in some way, have previously been
<br /> discovered in the Vine Brook and Mill Brook areas, with an average of one discharge discovered and
<br /> removed each year. This Committee welcomes Engineering's leadership and efforts, in compliance with
<br /> Federal Environmental Protection Agency requirements, to improve the water quality in Lexington's
<br /> streams and ponds while protecting the Town's investment and structural integrity of its streets. The
<br /> Committee also applauds the help of the University of Massachusetts Lowell volunteer and paid interns
<br /> programs, which have contributed significantly to the detection and elimination of illicit discharges in
<br /> Town. For the FY2023 funding request, see Article 120).
<br /> Comprehensive Watershed Stormwater Management Systems
<br /> In order that the Town's storm-drainage system capacity is maintained to handle runoff from impervious
<br /> surfaces, the Town must manage the stormwater runoff associated with its 18 brooks and three
<br /> watersheds. Additionally, sediment deposits, organic debris, and refuse can impede the flow of water
<br /> through watershed areas, and cause flooding and damage to private property, thus creating liabilities for
<br /> the Town. To date, the Charles River, Shawsheen River, and Mystic River watershed-management plans
<br /> have all been completed. The Pleasant Street and Willard Woods drainage improvements, as well as
<br /> stream-bank stabilization for the Vine Brook in the Saddle Club Road area, are complete. The Whipple
<br /> Brook area construction has been completed. Work continues on the Oxbow/Constitution Road and
<br /> Valleyfield/Clematis Brook area projects, and DPW is reviewing which specific locations will be
<br /> addressed with remaining prior-year funding. There is some overlap with Townwide Culvert
<br /> Replacement, as some projects require both culvert repair and stream-management planning. For the
<br /> FY2023 funding, see Article 12(k).
<br /> Culverts
<br /> There are 93 culverts in Town. A culvert is defined as a pipe or drain that carries a stream or ditch under a
<br /> roadway. Many older culverts are near or at failure. DPW's engineering program for ongoing culvert
<br /> inspections has identified needs for regular culvert replacement and extraordinary repairs. This is a
<br /> companion effort to the ongoing Comprehensive Watershed Stormwater Management work. In 2015,
<br /> work was funded for the culvert under Revere Street at the North Lexington Brook, and the culvert under
<br /> Concord Avenue at Hardy's Brook. This work, as well as the Bikeway culvert which was funded for
<br /> FY2016, have all been completed. Work continues in the Oxbow/Constitution Road and Valleyfield
<br /> areas. In addition, the Engineering Department's Townwide Culvert Assessment and Asset Management
<br /> Plan, which will guide the selection of future culvert replacements, has been completed. For the FY2023
<br /> funding, see Article 12(f).
<br /> Public Grounds
<br /> The Town owns approximately 630 acres of land of which approximately 110 acres are in parks,
<br /> playgrounds, golf course, conservation areas, athletic facilities, school grounds, and historical sites. In
<br /> addition, DPW staff administers and maintains four cemeteries with a combined area of just over 30
<br /> acres. The Forestry staff maintains approximately 10,000 trees along roadways and an undetermined
<br /> number of trees, shrubs, and plantings on Town-owned land.
<br /> Minuteman Commuter Bikeway
<br /> In FY2015, there was an appropriation to investigate restoring the bridge carrying the Bikeway over
<br /> Grant Street. The construction work on the bridge was funded at the 2017 ATM under Article 12(m) and
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