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Chelsea Council approves intermunicipal agreement with Everett and Melrose for pilot tree-trench project
Summary
The Chelsea City Council voted to approve an intermunicipal agreement with Everett and Melrose to pilot a tree-trench stormwater/tree-infiltration project funded by an MVP grant; the city has no monetary obligation beyond staff time.
The Chelsea City Council voted 7-0 to adopt an intermunicipal agreement with the cities of Everett and Melrose to pilot a tree-trench stormwater infiltration and urban-forest project in the Mystic River watershed.
The agreement, read into the record by the clerk and discussed at the meeting, is funded by a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) grant of $390,725 and is intended to pilot a cost-effective tree infiltration structure to curb heat and flooding. The council’s vote authorized the city manager to take necessary actions to implement the pilot; the agreement requires no monetary contribution from Chelsea beyond staff time.
Why it matters: the pilot is an early-stage resilience project that combines tree-planting and stormwater infiltration to reduce neighborhood heat and storm runoff, and it is scheduled to be implemented by June 30, 2025. The intermunicipal structure is intended to let three municipalities coordinate design, permitting and short-term implementation of the pilot.
Project details: the communication to the council said the $390,725 MVP grant will advance design and pilot implementation; the city manager’s office told the council the city’s obligation is limited to staff time and no city cash match is required. The order references Mass. Gen. Laws chapter 40 (intermunicipal agreements) as the enabling authority for the cities to act together.
Council procedure and vote: a roll call vote was requested and taken. The clerk recorded the following tally: Councilor Tenere Garcia — Yes; Councilor Jimenez Rivera — Yes; Councilor Cooper — Yes; Councilor Taylor — Yes; Councilor Robinson — Yes; Councilor Sandigate — Yes; Councilor Brown — Yes. Four councilors were absent: Councilor Cheshire, Councilor Kelly Garcia, Councilor Vega and Council President de Souza. The motion to adopt the intermunicipal agreement carried 7-0.
Background and next steps: the council’s order directs the city manager to take all necessary actions to accomplish the project. The communication notes the project builds on regional resilience work in the Lower Mystic watershed and that the construction and pilot are expected to be completed by June 30, 2025.
