PUPW - 2022-10-11 DPW Responses (with 22-1572, 22-1213, 22-1118, 22-1117, 22-1374, 22-0934) — File 22-0934

CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS KATJANA BALLANTYNE MAYOR JILL LATHAN ERIC WEISMAN DPW COMMISSIONER DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS 1 Date: October 11, 2022 RE: PUPW Meeting Agenda Items 22-1572 That the Commissioner of Public Works take the necessary steps to remove the cable tied around the telephone pole at Lexington Avenue and Cedar Street. This was completed by DPW on 10/7/22. 22-1213: An order that the Commissioner of Public Works immediately replace the three outdoor picnic tables on the plaza outside the Somerville Media Center due to their unsafe condition. These have been repaired by the DPW Grounds Division. 22-1118: An order that the Commissioner of Public Works add stone or concrete landscape features to prevent vehicles from driving over the planted bump-out features on Beacon Street.   Stone or landscape features are vulnerable to getting hit/damaged from vehicular traffic. DPW, in consultation with Mobility & Engineering may be able to look into alternative solutions, but this work would need to be looked into further. DPW cannot commit to a timeline on such a project at this time. 22-1117: That the Commissioner of Public Works provide this Council with the plan for maintaining new tree wells along Somerville Avenue and other locations. The tree wells along Somerville Avenue are subject to warranty replacement claims through the Engineering Department. These plantings are scheduled to be weeded and replanted where necessary. In the meantime, Grounds has added these facilities to their debris schedule and has been removing litter. Long-term, the Engineering department is developing a scope for a contract to maintain the City’s Green Infrastructure, including these locations. The DPW will continue to maintain other new tree wells as they are created. 22-1374: An order that the Commissioner of Public Works expedite the fixing of the elevator in the Armory. Our current vendor (3 Phase elevator) provided repair and prep to the elevator car and mechanical system before the state inspection on the evening of July 27th. The leveler needed to be adjusted, which is what tells the car to allow the door to open when it is in proper alignment

CITY OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS KATJANA BALLANTYNE MAYOR 2 with the floor. The elevator did pass the mechanical and safety inspection and has been operational since with no reported issues. 22-0934: That the Commissioner of Public Works make rain barrels available, at no cost, to any properties within the city’s flood zones. DPW is continuing to work with the Office of Sustainability and Environment on a solution for providing rain barrels -at a cost- to all residents. Unfortunately, the vendor we previously worked with no longer provides municipal rain barrel services. Providing rain barrels to some residents for free would require future assessment by the Law and Finance departments, among possibly others as well. This may be revisited as this work moves forward.