20240801 City Council Public Services Committee Meeting Minutes Hannah L. Bowen-Chair CITYOF LEVERL`(
Steven M. Crowley :DECEIVED AND RECORDED
CITY CLERK'S OF FICE
Danielle M. Spang
2Uta 3 P 3: 2 1
Public Services /City Council Committee of the Whole Meeting Minutes
Thursday, August 1,2024, 5:OOpm
Beverly Public Library, Barnett Gallery, 32 Essex Street, Beverly MA
Bowen called the meeting to order at 5:OOpm.
Public Services Committee Members present: Danielle Spang, Hannah Bowen
Agenda Item: Participating in National Grid Citizens Advisory Committee discussions
Present at Citizens Advisory Committee: Domenic Nicotera, Ethan Pratt, COS Ruelle-Kersker,
David Mahood, Cllr. Spang, Michele Green, Karen Fogarty, MaryAnn Holak, Cllr. Bowen, Tim
Averill
Meeting cross-posted with City Council Public Services Cmte. where Cllrs. Bowen and Spang
constitute a quorum of that body. Cllr. Bowen called to order the Public Services Cmte. as
Chair, and adjourned that meeting at 6:03pm.
Action Items:
•Project Team agreed to reach out to McCourt re: trucks idling by 177 Lothrop St, Ms.
Holak shared that she's between the two worksites and that she had a great
conversation with Cmm'r Collins, but was dismayed that large equipment blocked her
driveway multiple days.
•Project Team agreed to reach out to McCourt re: trucks/cars parked in the driving lane in
the Cross/Boyles area, Ms. Green asked whether they could request workers park in the
Substation instead.
Construction Look-Ahead:
• 1 crew in River Street substation, work there will continue for the next few weeks
• 1 crew at the Hale St& Lothrop St intersection, will be there a few weeks going slowly -
had an issue there Monday
• 1 crew on Lothrop Street almost to Bisson St, expect to be at Bisson by the end of next
week, and will share the plan out ahead of time but unsure whether that crew will
continue working through the intersection or jump to another section first
•2 crews on Lothrop Street between East St& Lawrence St, will continue working there
for the next few weeks
• 1 crew on Lothrop St working through the intersection with Corning St-making fast
progress there, plan is to finish one half of the intersection, then the other half, and
continue the final—300' or less of work above the intersection towards the Temple
• 1 crew on Lothrop St moving from Paramatta St up towards Cross Lane - few weeks left
of work there
• 1 crew working on Cross Lane up to Boyles St, and have a few more feet to get to Boyles
St
•Subcontractor working on/under the Beverly-Salem Bridge, expected to finish that work
by mid-September; bi-weekly meetings with Salem officials, they requested another
panel on the EMS sign to provide an estimate for when the work will be completed.
•Preparing manholes for cable pulling work- Hawkeye subcontractor completed
preparation at manholes by Central Fire Station and lower Broadway already (racking -
attaching lengths of steel channels, like brackets, to the concrete walls in the manholes
that will support cables as they're pulled through), approx. one day per location
•Next step -professional cleaning will begin next week at the same two manholes, with
trucks at each manhole and blowing a string through the pipe,then pulling rope
through to clean through "q-tipping" or swabbing process; scheduling roughly a week
for that, but this is the first section(Broadway to Central Fire) and next will likely be
Central Fire to Hale St manhole, etc.
•Week of August 12th,planning to pull the cables provided the duct banks are cleaned in
time - entering at the Central Fire manhole, and pulling from a wench at the lower
Broadway manhole -- canvassing and notification was made to abutters, as well as
coordination with BFD on traffic management plans.
Responses to Issues Raised:
•Cllr. Bowen reminded of traffic concerns if the bridge work carries into October, and Mr.
Nicotera confirmed the plan is to be finished by mid-September, and they are keeping
both cities updated on progress at bi-weekly meetings.
•Paving conversation happened yesterday with Mayor Cahill, COS Ruelle-Kersker and
Cmm'r Collins, where Project Team shared the schedule about when they'll complete
major segments of work --trenching, and then manhole work including pulling cable
sections. City is taking the information into consideration for repaving decisions,
because the cable wheels weigh 15 tons each, not including the truck and trailer to
carry it, so driving it on new pavement may mess it up.
•Ms. Fogarty requested abutters along the route be able to participate in discussions
around paving schedules, would like to hear more information from the City about
what work they plan to do, scope of work, scheduling, etc. Cllr. Bowen suggested the
City Council could help schedule a meeting with either the full council or a
subcommittee like Public Services.
•Mr. Mahood appreciated the outreach from Mr. Pratt and Arthur, one of the McCourt
foremen, but shared continuing concerns about sight line issues on East Street-- it's
dangerous making the turn from East in either direction. Hoping in another 1-2 weeks
the 2 crews will have converged, and be leaving that section of Lothrop St.
•Ms. Fogarty and Cllr. Bowen requested that equipment be parked farther back from
intersections overnight. Cllr. Bowen noted the City Council Grant of Location
included language for National Grid to bring staging plans to City Council for
approval, noting that has not happened.
Beverly City Council Committee on Public Services Meeting Minutes—August 1,2024,page 2 of 3
•Everyone asked about the water main break, noting water was black, then brown, and
stayed brown beyond a full day, and Ms. Fogarty shared that she spoke with someone
from the City who noted the water department was supposed to flush the lines, and on
Tuesday morning they flushed the lines which resolved the issue. Multiple people
appreciated the immediate attention, Mr. Averill noted help from Mr. Pratt in quickly
bringing safe drinking water to abutters, and Ofcr. Twombly from BPD helping him
carry groceries in, etc. Cllr. Bowen asked for increased communication about what
happened and how, and what additional support National Grid plans to provide the
City. Project Team explained the steps that go into marking utilities,procedures they
follow internally (walk alongs, extending paint marks, multiple stakeholder meetings,
etc.), and the water main was not where it was marked out. Underground utilities in
unexpected places are found throughout any project of this magnitude, and there have
been multiple times the project team can update the City and utility companies on the
actual location without a break. Cllr. Bowen inquired about the magnitude of how far
away this water main break impacted peoples' water (including her management
company reaching out to notify residents of Rantoul St), but that is outside National
Grid's scope - City water infrastructure question.
•Mr. Mahood shared that he's experiencing the house shakes, and better understands the
issues Ms. Collins and Ms. Bopf raised with the work on Broadway. Ms. Holak asked
about whether fieldstone foundations have been impacted, and confirmed she did the
pre-construction PreSeis surveys; Mr. Pratt confirmed he did not know of any claims
filed for foundation structural issues.
•Ms. Green asked about traffic management plans for the work as it continues up Cross
Lane to Boyles St and into the Substation, and they shared that traffic management
plans are still developing with the City and BPD. They are looking into including a
variable message sign at Essex St& Cole St, warning of active construction and to
seek alternate routes (continuing on Essex St to Corning St, for example). Mr. Pratt
has also reached out to multiple stakeholders (Endicott College, Landmark School,
Waring School, Cllr. St. Hilaire, etc.)to prepare for increased communications to their
constituencies as the time nears.
•Ms. Fogarty inquired about why Corning St was closed from Hale St to Lothrop St, and
Mr. Nicotera confirmed the police are the ultimate party responsible for public safety,
and if they decide to close a street to manage public safety, they will and the crews
need to comply with it. So, while the traffic management plan will often contemplate
alternating directed traffic,the officer on scene has the authority to close a street. Ms.
Fogarty noted the sign showing Leonard's is open at the Hale St/Corning St
intersection directed people to turn into a road closure.
•Ms. Fogarty was sharing about how much this has impacted the Corner Store and their
business as I left.
Public Services meeting adjourned at 6:03pm.
Beverly City Council Committee on Public Services Meeting Minutes—August 1,2024,page 3 of 3