The prior shared link required the town to grant access to the video. This link gives one clicking direct access.
The DPW put together a video that explains who they are and the many things that they do for the Town of Medfield. Maurice Goulet, Director of the DPW shared the video with the Select Board at our meeting last night. This audience of one gives it rave reviews – great content, great videos, great moderator, and some of the cast is even familiar.
The DPW put together a video that explains who they are and the many things that they do for the Town of Medfield. Maurice Goulet, Director of the DPW shared the video with the Select Board at our meeting last night. This audience of one gives it rave reviews – great content, great videos, great moderator, and some of the cast is even familiar.
Due to the decreasing stream flow in the Charles River and lack of rainfall it is the responsibility for compliance with our Water Management Act Permit, the Town of Medfield is instituting a town-wide conservation restriction for nonessential water use beginning immediately. The restriction will be categorized at a Tier 2 level which states the following:
“Tier 2” “Streamflow Triggered Restrictions based on Water Management Act Permit” “Nonessential water use allowed every other day. Even numbered addresses will be allowed to lawn water on even numbered calendar days. Odd numbered addresses will be allowed to lawn water on odd numbered calendar days.” “Lawn watering allowed outside the hours of 9am to 5pm on designated day.”
Residents are asked to visit the town’s website frequently for updates to this restriction.
Information about Water Restrictions:
When elevated restrictions are in place, nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to mandatory restrictions include:
Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety;
Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.
Water uses not subject to mandatory restrictions are those required:
For health or safety reasons;
By regulation;
For the production of food and fiber;
For the maintenance of livestock;
To meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by plant nurseries as necessary to maintain stock).
Notice: Water Main Break – Hartford Street & Main Street
There is a water main break in the area of 2 Hartford Street. Water service may be interrupted later today while repairs are being made. We advise all traffic to avoid the area to minimize congestion.
Water will be restored to the area as soon as possible. We will provide updates as necessary.
After the repair is made if you are experiencing discolored water, please flush your system with cold water only until it clears.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to resolve the issue. View it on website
Comments Off on Water Main Break – Hartford Street & Main Street
Town Administrator, Kristine Trierweiler shared her Summer 2024 TOWN ADMINISTRATOR UPDATE with Select Board at our meeting on Tuesday, and I especially wanted to share the part below in blue font which is a follow up about the planned improvements to the West Street and RTE 27 intersection. At the Select Board meeting, Kris shared that in her meeting with MASSDOT that the state said that if Medfield builds the roundabout, as the state wants, that the state would find the town all of the monies to construct the roundabout. Whereas if we opt to install a traffic light, we will have to pay the entire $1.9m. cost on out own dime, as we will lose the $1.3m. Federal earmark.
To be clear, this Select Board member preferred the roundabout from the outset. It was the other two Select Board members who said they preferred the traffic light and who asked to have Kris pursue the traffic light option with the state.
The town now has the roundabout, which the MASSDOT traffic engineers say is the safest alternative, available to the town at no cost, versus a less safe traffic light option that will cost the town $1.9m. – should be an easy choice. If the town builds the traffic lights, your family’s share would be $4-5,000.
West Street and Route 27 Project Update
Maurice Goulet, Director of Public Works and I met with Beta Engineering and the MADOT engineering team to discuss the two different paths forward for the project as requested by the Select Board. For the first path, MADOT has confirmed that if we would like to utilize the 1.3 million dollar earmark we would have to continue with the MADOT process and that would include the consideration of a roundabout for this location. The total cost of that project is $1.9, however, MADOT indicated they would assist the Town in securing the remaining funding. MADOT believes that this location would benefit from a roundabout design. The next step if the Select Board elects this option is to go to the 25% design threshold.
The email below is from David Temple to follow up on his Tuesday Select Board meeting comments in support of installing a roundabout at RTE 27 and West Street instead of new traffic lights and to share his data sources (NB- David did not include a reference to the Roman philosopher Cicero materials he cited). David noted that all who study the issue seem to agree that roundabouts are safer and significant improvements over lights for multiple reasons.
MassDOT prefers we install a roundabout thereso much that we would lose our Federal earmark for $1.3m. and it would cost the town over a $1m. more to install traffic lights instead.:
I spoke in support of installing roundabouts instead of traffic lights in Medfield, and I presented documents from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Massachusetts Dept, of Transportation, and the North Carolina Dept. of Transportation. They asked for electronic copies, for which I have attached links. Please forward them to the board and Kristine. Thanks.
Chris Potts kindly shared with me her notes from listening to the MTV version of Maurice Goulet, Director DPW presenting to the Select Board last week about the MassDOT preference that the RTE 27 and West Street intersection be improved with a roundabout instead of new traffic lights and the link below to the MTV recording.
“Here’s a link to the recording that starts at the point in the discussion when costs were noted: https://youtu.be/VemA9lcCRhQ?t=1903” I see that the presentation on the intersection begins at 27:00.
Chris’ input got me to listen to the MTV video of the meeting about what Moe said, and I now supply a more accurate account. Moe said:
it will cost the town $1.1m. more if the town opts to do new traffic lights instead of the roundabout.
the costs are
traffic lights:
$1.4m. +$300,000 for design costs
town would not get the $1.3m. Federal earmark
= $1.7m. net cost to town.
roundabout:
$1.8m. + unknown amounts for takings of slope easements and temporary takings
town gets the $1.3 Federal earmark
= $500,000 net cost to town.
How Moe gets to the $1.1m.of extra cost to the town, instead of $1.2m. I do, is not clear to me, but it might be the needed takings he references.
Moe also used the words that MassDOT will “require” the roundabout, and that MassDOT is “adamant” about employing roundabouts unless one proves that a roundabout will “not work” at the site.
My prior post stated a $800,000 increased cost to do traffic lights instead of a roundabout, and that was wrong. The increased cost of the traffic lights is either Moe’s $1.1m. or the $1.2m. that I figure.
Maurice Goulet, Director of the DPW, told the Select Board at its meeting last Tuesday that MASSDOT prefers that the town improve the intersection of RTE 27 and West Street by installing a roundabout instead of new traffic signals. That intersection has more motor vehicle crashes than any other in Medfield – hence the concerns and need to improve its safety. Mo said that if the town defies the MASSDOT preference for the roundabout and opts to install new traffic signals instead, that it will likely cost the town $800,000 more than if the town built the roundabout.
There is a Federal earmark secured by Congressman Auchincloss involved for what I recall as $1.2m. to improve that intersection, but which Chris Potts writes in her Medfield Insider (quoted below) as $1.3m., and which I understood from Mo may be at risk if the town goes against the MASSDOT recommendation for a roundabout. Mo said the result is that the town will pay $800,000 more if we do a new traffic signal instead of a roundabout.
Based on the limited information provided to the Select Board to date, I prefer both installing the roundabout and saving the $800,000. Select Board members Murby and Murphy said they preferred new traffic lights.
I especially like the roundabouts in Norfolk Center and the one in Wellesley at the base of the hill by Babson College (RTE 135 and Wellesley Avenue) that Wellesley recently redid to make the lanes smaller and better angled so as to slow speeds.
Mo Goulet shared with the Select Board a possible preliminary design of the roundabout from the MASS DOT traffic engineers, part of which is shown below.
The following longer account of the presentation on the matter at the Select Board meeting was taken directly from the Medfield Insider:
Select Board Members Debate Roundabout While efforts by Congressman Jake Auchincloss resulted in Medfield receiving a $1.3 million state earmark for West Street/Route 27 intersection improvements, the funding comes with a catch: Medfield may be forced to construct a single-lane roundabout. As noted by DPW Director Maurice Goulet in a recent discussion with Select Board, due to the earmark, the project must go through a review by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which is adamant about installing roundabouts, if at all possible. The alternative preferred approached of installing dedicated turn lanes with traffic light improvements is estimated to cost $1.7 million, while a roundabout is estimated to cost $1.8 million, with additional costs for land-takings and easements. Select Board members Eileen Murphy and Gus Murby said they were opposed to a roundabout at the West Street/Route 27 intersection and expressed concerns about vehicle speed, and dangerous pedestrian crossings and biking routes, while member Pete Peterson said he is in favor of the roundabout because he has seen them work well in other towns, and trusts the opinions of state engineers. If the town were to pursue turn lanes instead of a roundabout, it is likely the project would need to be self-funded. After an extensive (and at times heated) Select Board discussion, Goulet will gather more information and try to make a case to the state about foregoing the roundabout option, even though he’s not optimistic about the outcome.
Water restriction explanation issued today by the DPW – “All non-essential outdoor water use (except watering with a handheld hose) is prohibited“
Water Conservation Restrictions
Current Water Conservation Status (updated Sept 8, 2022): The Town of Medfield is in a Level 2 – SIGNIFICANT DROUGHT status.
The Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force meets periodically to re-evaluate the conditions of the State’s water supply. We remind all residents that the Town of Medfield is in a Tier 4 water restriction until the drought status improves. All non-essential outdoor water use (except watering with a handheld hose) is prohibited at this time (this includes irrigation of new and existing lawns, car washing, house power washing etc.) We thank each and every one of our Medfield residents for their diligence in following the current water restrictions.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. If you have any questions, please contact the Water Department at 508-906-3004 or by email to mgoulet@medfield.net
Information about Water Restrictions:
When elevated restrictions are in place, nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to mandatory restrictions include:
Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
Washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety;
Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.
Water uses not subject to mandatory restrictions are those required:
For health or safety reasons;
By regulation;
For the production of food and fiber;
For the maintenance of livestock;
To meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by plant nurseries as necessary to maintain stock).
I started this blog to share the interesting and useful information that I saw while doing my job as a Medfield select board member. I thought that my fellow Medfield residents would also find that information interesting and useful as well. This blog is my effort to assist in creating a system to push the information out from the Town House to residents. Let me know if you have any thoughts on how it can be done better.
For information on my other job as an attorney (personal injury, civil litigation, estate planning and administration, and real estate), please feel free to contact me at 617-969-1500 or Osler.Peterson@OslerPeterson.com.
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