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District 2 contenders stress utilities, traffic mitigation and a $9.5M sewer project
Summary
In a League of Women Voters forum, District 2 candidates Ed Cowan and Rebecca Shirlak Shangra focused on utilities (MWRA/municipal electric partnerships), Landing traffic, and the $9.5 million Lower Street Central Sewer Improvement Project as a model for local infrastructure investment.
District 2 candidates at a League of Women Voters forum outlined steps to address traffic and aging infrastructure in the Landing and surrounding neighborhoods.
Rebecca Shirlak Shangra, who serves on the Weymouth School Committee, said targeted infrastructure projects can be effective if the town follows a clear process: identify the problem, allocate funding and implement a fix. She cited the Lower Street Central Sewer Improvement Project — a $9.5 million effort to replace failing pipes and stop sewage leaks into the Back River — as an example of successful local investment and project sequencing.
“Lower Street Central Sewer Improvement Project, $9,500,000,” Shirlak Shangra said, noting the town allocated funds and moved to remediation. She urged copying that project’s planning approach for other streets and systems in District 2 that need attention.
Ed Cowan framed utilities as the district’s top issue, advocating exploration of partnerships with neighboring municipal utilities and citing municipal lighting models as a path to lower electricity costs. Cowan urged the town to “join Beld and Braintree” (as he put it) or otherwise examine utility partnerships to reduce costs for residents and municipal operations.
On traffic in the Landing, both candidates emphasized steps the town could take with developers and state highway authorities: timing signals, lane designation and planning for congestion while developments fill to capacity. Shirlak Shangra recommended working on signal timing and early coordination with developers to reduce future congestion.
Candidates proposed several approaches to increase public engagement: district coffee hours, televised or virtual committee hearings, and youth programming to encourage long-term civic participation. Both said officials should make meetings and project updates more accessible to residents who cannot attend in person.
Closing statements reiterated candidate commitments to District 2 priorities: Cowan highlighted union labor and community events to build civic ties; Shirlak Shangra emphasized her record on budgeting and school projects and asked voters for support in the Nov. 4 election.
The forum was moderated by Jack Eklund and sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts. Voter reminders and early-voting information were announced at the end of the session.
