City presents enterprise‑fund appropriations for water, sewer and stormwater projects

Director LaScalia presented the council with an order to appropriate retained earnings in the city’s enterprise funds to capital projects in water, sewer (SOAR/wastewater) and stormwater.

Key details included a proposed $1.4 million appropriation from the water enterprise for transmission‑main work tied to an upcoming Mountain Street reconstruction project; the city intends to relocate and upsize an aging 20‑inch main to a 24‑inch alignment that currently runs through difficult terrain. The director said the full relocation project is projected to cost about $6 million and noted the city has applied for SRF (State Revolving Fund) loan assistance.

For the wastewater (SOAR) enterprise, LaScalia described ongoing upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant (a $20+ million program) and continued cured‑in‑place lining of aging sewer mains to comply with state regulatory requirements (citing 314 CMR 12, May 2017). She reported more than $2 million has been spent in the last two years on sewer lining and explained the operational need to reduce inflow and infiltration.

In the stormwater enterprise, limited retained earnings were being requested for drain replacement and repair work to reduce recurring street‑flooding problems during heavy precipitation events.

Councilors asked for the SIP (Five‑Year Summary of Intended Projects) references and more line‑item detail for finance review. The council voted to refer the enterprise appropriation order to the Finance Committee for detailed review and cross‑referencing with the SIP and operating budgets.