June 1, 2023
Michael Concannon, City Council President
Members of Woburn City Council
I am pleased to submit the 5 Year Capital Improvement Plan (FY 2024-FY 2028) to the City Council, which provides important measured community investments in our drinking water, infrastructure, buildings, equipment, sustainability, recreation, public safety and schools. (CLICK HERE for the full 5 year capital plan) The total CIP cost is $92,816,320 and includes a number of funding sources including, grants and state funds in excess of $33,175,649, the issuance of new general fund debt in the amount of $8,000,000 and the issuance of new water and sewer debt in the amount of $23,900,000. The plan also provides for “pay as you go” requests of $ 15,625,671 including $4.3 million for FY 2024 from free cash. There is also a continuing appropriation for the provision of $2,000,000 in ARPA funds to design the PFAS Water Treatment Plant.
The largest expenditure in the CIP is $22,000,000 for the design and construction of upgrades at the Water Treatment Plant, which will remove PFAS from our water in compliance with DEP and EPA regulations and rebuild and upgrade Well-B and A-2. The final design will be completed by September of 2023 and construction of the PFAS Treatment Plant should be finished by May of 2025 (approximately 18 months). We anticipate three sources of funding, including $2 million in ARPA funds, $2 million in grant funding and $18 million in SRF loan funding.
In addition to the upgrades at the Water Treatment Plant, there is continued investment over the 5 Year CIP in public works infrastructure and equipment needed to maintain City property and infrastructure. The CIP plan provides $4 million for water main relining funded through the issuance of new debt service in the water/sewer enterprise fund.
We will continue with aggressive sewer repair and relining in the amount of $7,870,000, which will help to reduce extraneous inflow/infiltration into our sewer system and reduce our MWRA sewer assessment. We will receive $1,492,500/year in grant funding and $475,000 /year in interest free loans from the MWRA to pay for this capital initiative. A major focus of our sewer repair and I & I work will focus on the aging “North Woburn Trunk “with $555,000 in design work completed in FY 24 and construction estimated at $4,000,000 to begin in FY 25.
We will continue to invest in street paving and intersection improvements over the next five years using our pavement management system as a guide. The 5-year CIP provides for $11,159,999 in funding consisting of Chapter 90 funds, complete streets grant funding and annual City appropriations. The CIP provides $480,000 for new equipment, as well as $65,000 for culvert and catch basin cleaning using an appropriation from free cash in FY 24 and with the assistance of FEMA grant funding we will continue the design work to mitigate flooding on Washington Street.
Public safety funding for the Police Department in FY 2024 is $496,237 with a continued commitment to energy efficient Hybrid cruisers, firearms upgrades and advanced communication software. The CIP also provides continued investments in the Woburn Fire Department. In FY 2023, the CIP provides $3,230,000 million in FY 2024 funding for the acquisition of a new ambulance, turnout gear, active shooter response gear, a new fire alarm /traffic light truck and the rehabilitation of Station Five on the west side. In addition, there is an allocation of $400,000 in ARPA funds to install solar panels on the new Fire Station Headquarters to continue with our important sustainability and energy efficiency efforts.
The CIP provides $600,000 in funding to the School Department in FY 2024 for technology and building upgrades. The 5-year CIP is likely to change significantly upon review and prioritization of the $600,000 district wide capital needs feasibility study funded with Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds (ESSER), which was recently completed.
There are a number of projects aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change and improving our resiliency. These include the Shaker Glen Project and the Horn Pond Fish Ladder. Design funding for each project has been provided by grants, including $236,000 for Shaker Glen, $183,000 for the Fish Ladder with design completion expected in FY 24. The City has received grant funding for the construction of the Fish Ladder in the amount of $900,000 and for Shaker Glen totaling $2,000,000 in FY 25.
We have also funded $50,000 for years three through five of our 5-year $275,000 City Wide Tree Planting Program. We expect our Street Tree Master Plan and planting plans to be completed this summer and planting to begin in the fall.
The Hurld Park Site is being designed and constructed as an 11.3-acre climate resilient park with a lower elevation (north section), flood resilient restored wetland, stream, floodplain and walking trails. The upland (south section) is being designed as a heat resilient park with active recreation and community gathering space. Design and permitting will continue in FY 24 with the assistance of $800,000 in grant funding. Demolition is scheduled for FY 25 with an appropriation of $1,070,000 in City funds. Construction is expected to begin in FY 25 funded by a congressional earmark sponsored by Congresswoman Clark and City issued debt. There is an additional appropriation of $300,000 to fund the demolition of the Plympton School, which will begin this summer.
The 5 Year CIP continues our commitment to providing residents with increased passive and active recreational opportunities, with the aforementioned Shaker Glen and Hurld site initiatives, which combined represent 45 acres of open space for our residents to enjoy. In addition, we have included funding in FY 24 to upgrade the playground at Leland Park and $134,000 for the Parks Department to purchase a new athletic field cutter. We also anticipate $298,000 in grant funding for the design of a new bike trail located on the middle and northern portions of the Middlesex Canal.
Furthermore, there is an existing appropriation of $650,000, which will be combined with a state grant of $475,000, that we hope to receive this summer to construct a splash park to replace the Green Street pool. There is also $225,000 in funding to upgrade the Green Street pool bathrooms.
Rounding out the funding is a request for $25,000. A required match for a grant application to purchase a new van for the Senior Center to supplement their superb service of providing transportation for many of our homebound senior.
I look forward to discussing the 5 Year CIP and the FY 2024 appropriation request of $ 4,303,737 for “pay as you go” capital in committee. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely;
Scott D. Galvin, Mayor
Click here for a downloadable PDF version of this letter.