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Select Board approves roadway management, complete‑streets and sidewalk policies; DPW outlines budget, sanitation contract changes
Summary
The Select Board voted to adopt a data‑driven roadway management plan and updates to the Complete Streets, sidewalk/ramp and traffic‑calming policies. DPW presented its FY26 budget, including a plan to contract sanitation collection and reduce in‑house sanitation positions, and gave targets for pavement condition improvements.
The Select Board voted unanimously to adopt four updated public‑right‑of‑way policies proposed by the Department of Public Works: a Roadway Management, Maintenance and Preservation policy, an updated Complete Streets policy, an updated Sidewalk/Ramp policy and an updated Traffic Calming policy.
Erin Chiu, DPW commissioner, said the package is data driven and uses a Pavement Condition Index (PCI) to prioritize treatments. Chiu said the department’s objective is ‘‘a target of a PCI of 70 in five years’’ and that the new roadway approach combines cost‑benefit and equity criteria to schedule repairs. The Transportation Board, the Commission on Disability and the Pedestrian Advisory Committee reviewed the updates and voted in favor of parts of the package noted in the DPW presentation.
After several questions from Select Board members the board approved the four policies by roll call.
DPW also gave a multi‑division budget briefing. Chiu described three high‑level goals: improved right‑of‑way management using condition data; advancing sustainability and climate resilience work including the new Division of Sustainability and Natural Resources; and improved customer service and digital tools. Highlights the department cited for FY25 included creation of the sustainability division, selection of an outside team to lead a Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, completion of open‑space planning work, and several playground renovations.
The water and sewer enterprise budget and the general DPW budget were presented together. Chiu reported the combined DPW operating budget proposed for FY26 would be roughly $55 million, with a large share of the enterprise fund cost reflecting the MWRA assessment. DPW said investments in sewer lining have reduced infiltration, lowering sewer costs in the current assessment.
Sanitation: the DPW review confirmed a change in the delivery model for residential trash and bulky collection. Chiu and Kevin Johnson, deputy director for operations, described a multi‑year staffing challenge in the sanitation work and presented a signed five‑year contract with a third‑party collector (Casella). The FY26 operating proposal reduces seven sanitation collection FTEs (five of them currently vacant) and transfers two positions to highway with equivalent pay classifications; DPW said the change was driven by vacancies, workers’ compensation and retention problems and to ensure reliable service. Chiu framed the new model as not primarily a cost‑savings measure but as an effort to secure predictable, safer and sustainable delivery.
Board members asked for follow‑up details on road maintenance spending, zoning/permitting safeguards for deep subsurface utilities (in reference to an unrelated regional MWRA tunnel incident) and resourcing for implementing the recently passed tree‑preservation bylaw. DPW said the tree‑bylaw enforcement will require new staff when funding allows and that the department has included staffing requests in future budget discussions. DPW reported a rough estimate of $8–8.5 million in current year spending on road reconstruction, overlays and related contracts.
No further board action was taken on the sanitation contract at the March 25 meeting; the new policies were adopted.
