The Town of Needham’s Department of Public Works carried nearly $20 million in projects through 2024 and is preparing to continue major work into 2025, Director of Public Works Cara Slustig told the Select Board on Jan. 7.

Slustig said the town moved beyond a typical May–November construction schedule to complete work funded by town appropriations, state grants and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars. “This is probably the largest single construction season that DPW has ever engaged in with approximately $20,000,000 worth of projects,” Slustig told the board.

Why it matters: the projects include critical water, drainage and public-safety work that affect everyday services and future maintenance costs. Slustig warned staffing shortfalls in licensed water and sewer jobs create risk for operations and future emergency response.

Most notable accomplishments and active projects. Slustig listed projects the department completed or expects to finish: reservoir dredging and related trail improvements (including a new connection from DiFazio Field to the trail); two Walker Pond water-quality projects paid with ARPA funds; the phase-one replacement of a 16-inch South Street water main funded at Town Meeting; continued work on the 128 interceptor (permitting from MassDOT and the MBTA required) with anticipated wrap-up in summer 2025; a Burnside drainage and associated water-main upgrade; and roofing/rooftop-unit work and cupola structural repairs at school facilities.

Staffing and training. Slustig said DPW hired eight new employees, promoted five, transferred three and reclassified one position in 2024, but the department still carries 14 vacancies (13 full-time and one intern). She singled out water-treatment and distribution roles as the hardest to recruit because the licenses and career path are specialized: “That is the industry that is the hardest to recruit for,” Slustig said. The town has been using in-house projects to train newer staff and send employees to state and regional licensing courses.

Lead service and system investigations. Slustig said Needham has been pursuing lead-service-line replacement for at least five years and will continue investigations into “suspect” lines where records are incomplete. She described the town’s approach as conservative: presumed-suspect lines are researched before excavation to confirm whether they are lead.

Operations and streets. The Highway Division completed the Dedham Ave improvement with a new accessible sidewalk under the MBTA right-of-way and traffic-calming features on Webster Street; the town also replaced guardrails to meet modern safety standards. The department piloted a Cape Seal pavement treatment this year—an underlayer rubber chip plus microsurfacing—that officials will evaluate for cracking and surface performance.

Interagency coordination. Slustig said monthly coordination meetings with Eversource (electric and gas) have improved scheduling and reduced occasions when utilities excavate roads the town planned to pave. She described the relationship as ongoing and necessary: “Those monthly meetings are never gonna go away.”

Looking ahead. Several projects will continue into spring and summer 2025, including the 128 interceptor completion, the second phase of the South Street water-main work and road restorations after winter. Slustig said ADA ramp compliance adds scope whenever the town performs surface treatments other than rubber-chip, and the department expects another busy construction season in 2025.