The Public Facilities Committee approved the following (see the report and watch the meeting video):
Appropriation of $2,304,983.75 for Phase 2 of the Pump Station Rehabilitation CIP Project. The Committee approved funding for construction and construction oversight to rehabilitate five City pump stations—Quinobequin Road, Elliot Street, Edgewater Park, Manet Road, and Flowed Meadows. Staff detailed site-specific work, including pump replacements, structural repairs, electrical upgrades, and redundancy improvements, emphasizing the long-term phased approach to modernizing critical sewer infrastructure. All pumping station work should be completed in around ten years. (5–0-2; Councilors Kalis and Laredo not voting)
The Committee took No Action Necessary on the following:
Update on planning and construction of the Bullough’s Pond Dam. Discussed with item below.
Discussion of the Bullough’s Pond Dam Rehabilitation Project and preferred safety design. The Committee voted No Action Necessary following an extended discussion of dam safety, flood risk, and conceptual mitigation options. Consultants presented modeling on overtopping scenarios and culvert capacity, while councilors debated cost, feasibility, inter-municipal coordination with Watertown, and the appropriate timing of design decisions. The Committee reviewed conceptual alternatives—including embedded sheet-pile walls, raised core walls, and downstream slope erosion protection—and considering climate change impacts, cost uncertainty, and next steps under a future funding request. Mr Nickerson from GEI consultants explained that in an overtopping event, the culverts surrounding Bullough’s Pond and those 1/2 mile from the Charles River in Watertown are not sized to convey a large amount of water. Enlarging the current Burrough’s Pond culverts or creating a parallel culvert to capture water from overtopping events is not possible because both would go through two miles of private and school property. There is a risk of loss of life in an overtopping event.
A councilor expressed disappointment that the Bullough’s Pond Association has not returned to the Committee with questions or their preferred option, as agreed. The new Mayor-elect requests that the Committee wait to make a decision until he is in office.
Sense of the Committee letter to the Mayor and Mayor-Elect:
- The Bullough’s Pond Dam renovation has been before the Public Facilities Committee at various
times over the last 7 years. During that time the city had two separate contracts with two nationally
known Dam Engineering Companies. Both of these companies essentially recommended the same
option – option 3, downstream slope erosion protection. - It can feel like we don’t have any urgency to fix the Dam because nothing has happened to the dam
so far. The statement below shows that climate change has changed our sense of timing and the
likelihood of a 100-year storm happening more frequently has changed. This excerpt from the abstract
of this Earth’s Future article published in November 2025 expresses our concern regarding what
climate change is bringing:
Our findings show that under the combined effects of sea level rise (SLR) and TC climatology
change, historical 100-year extreme water levels (EWLs) along the US northeast coastline would
occur annually at the end of the century in both SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 emissions scenarios.
(Begmohammadi et al., 2025). Even if the Public Facilities Committee were voting for an option tonight, asking for the creation of a final design (to be clear, we are not), it would be two years before the project is completed. Anything could happen in the next two years, including a 100-year storm. - A breach of the dam would cause untold damage to private and public property, and the city will be
liable for the damages. This burden to taxpayers can be avoided by fixing the dam as required by the
Office of Dam Safety in a timely manner. - The Committee understands that the Bullough’s Pond Association (BPA) is not aligned with any of the current options, but we could not ascertain their specific questions and preferred option. The Committee recommends further community collaboration with the BPA and other members of the public. Finally,
- This letter represents the “sense of the Public Facilities Committee.” A new Mayor will begin work
on January 1, 2026. He will have additional conversations with the consultant and perhaps new options
will appear. In a straw vote taken at the December 3, 2025 meeting of the Public Facilities Committee, three members preferred option 3, downstream slope erosion protection, as a means to meet the requirements of the Office of Dam Safety, and three members preferred to keep the Committee’s options open. It should be noted that no one preferred options 1 or 2. The Committee remains open to learn of any new options and provide further advice to the Mayor as they may evolve.
The Department of Public Works has contracted with Woodard & Curran to assess the city’s entire stormwater infrastructure. A prioritized plan with funding requirements is to be completed by the end of 2026. The discussion resulted in a “sense of the Committee” letter rather than a decisional vote. (6–0; Councilor Laredo not voting)
The Committee denied the following:
Main drain extension request at 132 Homer Street / Chapin Road. The Committee denied a petition for a main drain extension intended to support roadway drainage and potential future development, following extensive discussion of peer review findings, stormwater capacity, design standards, and potential impacts on abutters. Despite confirmation that the proposed pipe could convey a 10-year storm, a majority of councilors expressed concern about unresolved risks and future development implications. (4–3, Councilors Albright, Danberg, and Leary Opposed)
Present: Councilors Albright (Chair), Danberg, Kalis, Kelley, Leary, Getz, and Laredo
Absent: Councilor Gentile
Also present: Councilors Lobovits, Farrell, Lucas, Block, Wright, Greenberg, Malakie, and Oliver;
Councilor-Elect Silber, Jim Nickerson, GEI Consultants
City Staff: Commissioner of Public Works Shawna Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner of Public Works
Bernie McDonald, City Engineer Alfredo Vargas, Associate City Engineer John Daghlian, Senior
Environmental Engineer Frank Nichols
