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Public Works reviews sewer rehab, stormwater and paving priorities; DPW building and equipment needs noted
Summary
Public Works Director Corey York presented the DPW FY26 budget, reported completion of the sewer plant rehabilitation, advances on Gardener Playground and cemetery accessibility work, described a comprehensive stormwater inventory and outlined paving prioritization tied to Complete Streets planning.
Public Works Director Corey York and the DPW leadership outlined the FY26 public works budgets, recent capital work and near‑term infrastructure priorities.
York said the department manages highways, trees and grounds, engineering, cemeteries and the transfer station; it also maintains rail trails and supports emergency response. Recent accomplishments include substantial completion of Gardener Playground, rehabilitation work at the Adams Street sewer plant and a cemetery grant to improve chapel access.
Staff described stormwater management work: the DPW has been updating an inventory and prioritization for stormwater and complete‑streets projects, and York explained a planning approach that sequences underground drainage work before surface paving so the town does not repave a street and then open it for subsurface repairs. He said coordination with utilities is an active part of that sequencing effort.
Budget notes included a proposed replacement of a front‑end loader in the transfer station enterprise fund, small increases in fleet repair costs tied to an aging municipal vehicle fleet, and a plan to complete sewer enterprise contract renewals later in the fiscal year. York said the proposed FY26 general fund DPW operating budget reflected modest salary and non‑salary changes overall and emphasized the department is working to align projects, drainage work and paving schedules to minimize repeated excavations.
Ending: The DPW will continue to phase stormwater and paving projects together, pursue grant and CIP funding for more substantial reconstruction where needed, and advance plans for a new, larger DPW building to improve operations and employee safety.
