Public Works

Concord Public Works Administration

Richard Reine
Director

The Concord Public Works team continues to focus on it principal mission to enhance the quality of life for those living, working or visiting the Town of Concord, and through sound management, innovation, teamwork and vision provide dependable, high quality, responsive public works and utility services, consistent with community values and at reasonable costs to Concord's stakeholders.

Protecting the Town's Infrastructure/Providing Essential Services

Concord Public Works (cpw) is comprised of four divisions. These include two staff divisions, Administration (including Recycling and Solid Waste Management) and Engineering and two line divisions, Highway & Grounds (including Cemetery) and Water & Sewer. The Department is responsible for planning and managing a large segment of the Town's infrastructure.

These assets include Concord's roads and roadsides; curbs and sidewalks; catch basins, storm drains, culverts and outfalls; traffic islands; guardrails; street signs and traffic signals; public shade trees and park trees; Town parks, playgrounds, ball fields, and recreation equipment; Town cemeteries; the Town's former landfill, including the earth products and snow storage facility; the public water supply including its storage, pumping, and distribution systems; the Town's sewer collection, pumping, and treatment systems; and cpw buildings and equipment. Delivering key services including water service; sewer service; recycling, curbside trash collection and disposal service; yard waste disposal; and winter snow and ice management along with other storm and safety services is also a core responsibility of Concord Public Works.

Keys to Organizational Excellence

cpw's strategy for success in meeting its mission continues to focus on six keys-customer service, vision, innovation and creativity, teamwork, learning and growth, and energy!

cpw Team, Programs & Organization

Concord Public Works is made up of 52 individuals collectively representing over 450 years of experience. It is a team that is passionate about Concord, which takes great pride in their work, and fully understands their stewardship responsibilities.

The four cpw divisions manage eight programs-Administration, Engineering, Highway, Grounds (Parks and Trees), Cemetery, Recycling and Waste Management, Water, and Sewer. Two of the programs-Water and Sewer are totally supported by user fees while two other programs- Recycling and Waste Management, and Cemetery, are primarily funded from fees. The annual operating and capital budgets for all cpw programs, including contract operations, total approximately 18 million dollars.

Infrastructure Improvements

The divisional reports that follow summarize a series of initiatives and accomplishments in 2006. Notable accomplishments include:

• Continued targeted roadway and sidewalk maintenance and management program resulted in the completion of approximately 6.8 miles of roadway and 3.6 miles of sidewalk improvements along with substantial drainage related improvements throughout Concord.

• Several intersection alignments including Thoreau Street & Walden Street; Virginia Road & Old Bedford Road; and Old Bedford Road & Bedford Street.

• Completion of the Keyes Road parking lot enhancements which included sidewalk and drainage improvements as well as landscaping islands and tree plantings.

• Warner's Pond Dam revised final plans and specifications were completed and the project was re-advertised for bid.

• Procurement of the necessary Salt Brine manufacturing unit and tanker vehicle to be used as part of its snow and ice management program. This state-of-the-art technology has proved successful in Concord Public Work's winter maintenance strategy.

• Successful completion of at grade railroad crossing improvements prior to the June 3, 2006 Federal Railroad Administration deadline to allow for the continuance of "Quiet Zone" train horn silencing at Belknap Street and Baker Avenue.

• Phase I of the Comprehensive Wastewater Master Plan was completed. A Public Hearing was held and the Public Works Commission voted to assess betterments on affected properties which were provided centralized sewer service as part of this first phase of construction.

• Construction began on the new drinking water treatment facility located at the Deaconess Well site. The project incorporates a treatment technology to reduce naturally occurring iron and manganese, which can lead to water quality impacts.

• Waterline Industries of Seabrook New Hampshire was awarded a contract to perform major rehabilitation work at the Town's Wastewater Treatment Facility. This project includes upgrades to the septage receiving area, modifications to biosolids handling, construction of an addition to the existing building for installation of a tertiary treatment process (CoMag), installation of new ultraviolet disinfection equipment, improvements to chemical storage and feed systems and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (scada) upgrades.

Major Design Efforts Underway

Major design efforts moved ahead in 2006, including plans for the rehabilitation of the Town's Wastewater Treatment Plant, the construction of an iron and manganese removal facility at the Deaconess Well, and the rehabilitation of the Warner's Pond dam and spillways. Due to regulatory-related delays, the new Brewster Well and Treatment Facility remains on hold. In its place the Deaconess Treatment design was expanded to include the treatment of White Pond Well water.

cpw Leadership and Innovation

2006 Concord Public Works Vision Award: Alan Cathcart, Water and Sewer Superintendent and Elena Proakis Ellis, Water and Sewer Operations Engineer, were awarded a cpw Vision award for their leadership roles in the development and implementation of the Town of Concord's Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. This 20 year plan involved considerable planning efforts culminating in the funding and implementation of the Phase I sewer improvement project.

Recycling and Water Conservation-Concord Leads the Way

The over-flowing "cardboard only" dumpsters at cpw on Keyes Road after the holidays indicate Concord's enthusiam for recycling!

Concord continues to be one of the top ten recycling communities in the Commonwealth. Its model water conservation program is now nine years old and remains an essential and integral part of the Town's water supply strategy. Ann Dorfman, Recycling and Disposal Program Administrator and Joanne Bissetta, Water Conservation Coordinator, are leaders in their fields and continue to demonstrate the fiscal and environmental benefits of conservation.

Public Shade Tree Protection Policy

To better protect Concord's public shade trees, cpw developed and adopted a "Construction and Tree Protection" policy. This public shade tree protection policy is one of the first and most comprehensive written policies of its kind in Massachusetts. In addition, to increase public awareness and improve communication in the shade tree removal decision process, public notice requirements and procedures were strengthened.

Pedestrian Access and Safety a Priority

In too many communities, pedestrians are not provided an equal level of service as the motoring public. Sidewalks are in poor condition, under-maintained and rarely swept. Sidewalk plowing is left to the residents to do, or is done on a limited basis only after a storm event. Concord Public Works has a high awareness of this and Concord's sidewalks have achieved an overall condition index rating now equal to Town roads. Sidewalk plowing standards have been raised. Sidewalk plows are now mobilized and deployed earlier and more extensively during and after storm events. Sidewalks in commercial and high use areas are also sanded more frequently to make wintertime walking more secure, and Concord Public Works has incorporated the use of the Brine Snow and Ice treatment system on sidewalks as well.

Learning and Growth

One of the essential building blocks for a successful organization is that its employees are constantly learning and growing as individuals, co-workers, leaders and teammates. Last year cpw staff participated in 1,855 hours of formal training, averaging 36-hours per employee.

cpw Employee Recognition

Beginning in 1998, each year one or more employees is recognized during Concord Public Works Week for personifying the attributes of commitment and competence that make the cpw a special organization. The 2006 cpw Week Award recognized John Wilson, Highway Division Supervisor for his leadership over the previous five years which helped to transform the Highway Division into one of the best in New England. It is the commitment, dedication and skills of John and the employees at cpw which makes Concord Public Works a leader in the Public Works arena.

Personnel

In September, Public WorksDirector William B. Edgerton, retired after over nine years of excellent leadership. In November, Richard K. Reine joined the Concord Public Works team as Director of Public Works.

In January, Bill Holt joined the Concord Public Works team as a Fleet Supervisor in the Highway Division.

In May, John (Jack) Tombeno joined the Concord Public Works team as a System Maintainer in the Water and Sewer Division.