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Utilities director: hiring, hydraulic model and Milstream upgrade top priorities to prevent future sewer overflows
Summary
Utilities Director David Wyman told the council the FY27 budget focuses on hiring/retention, a hydraulic model and a Milstream station upgrade to reduce risk of sanitary sewer overflows; he reported field vacancies fell from 65% to 22% and said the hydraulic model is included in the proposed budget.
David Wyman, the town's utilities director, told the Town of Lexington council at a budget workshop that the utilities portion of the FY27 enterprise budget is designed to address staffing shortages and major capital needs that contributed to recent sanitary sewer overflows.
"Two primary takeaways I'd like you to focus on: hiring and retention, and the commitment to capital investment," David said, outlining a package that includes a trainee position, continued certification and promotion pathways, investments in instrumentation and preventive maintenance, and funding for a hydraulic model and a Milstream station upgrade.
David reported measurable workforce improvements: "Since fiscal year 23, we have dropped our field vacancies from 65% to 22%." He described ongoing efforts — training, promotions, reduced overtime and equipment replacement — and said the proposed trainee position and related pay‑grade adjustments total about $246,000 (under 1% of the enterprise budget).
On infrastructure, David said the hydraulic model and a Milstream upgrade are intended to address root causes of recent overflows, such as pump failures, alarm issues and capacity problems during heavy rain. "That project addresses a lot of the issues at Milstream, which ... 90 to 95% of all of our flow goes through," he said, explaining the upgrade would improve pump and wet‑well maintenance and provide operational flexibility.
Councilors questioned whether the FY27 capital asks are sufficient or simply stopgaps; staff said the FY27 program is deliberately prioritized and that the hydraulic model will inform multi‑year CIP sequencing, including two large parallel force‑main projects forecast in later years. Staff also said the town will pursue grants and consider a mix of fund balance, rates and debt for big projects.
Council members sought operational clarity: where pump purchases are prioritized in the packet (page 31), condition details for fleet vehicles (most in the 95,000–115,000 mile range), and lifecycle expectations for pump rebuilds. David agreed to provide lists and additional documentation on pump and truck conditions.
On retention flexibility, David said current personnel policies and tight pay bands leave little room for ad‑hoc retention increases at the director level; he urged systemic pay‑band adjustments and recruitment tools rather than one‑off exceptions.
The workshop produced no votes. Staff will return with the formal FY27 budget and the results of the planned hydraulic and rate studies that will guide timing and financing for large CIP items.
