Reports: Executive Director’s Reports

November 19, 2009

  1. Well Reader - We terminated our part time well reader earlier this month. Christian will do this set of readings. We will hire a new part time person to start in January.
  2. City-State Groundwater Working Group - The Group will meet again on January 28.
  3. MBTA - The T will be installing the additional recharge well on Cazenove Street this week.
  4. BWSC - BWSC continues to try to find the cause of low groundwater that is centered on the area near Dartmouth and Beacon Streets and has been spreading through several blocks nearby in the Back Bay. They will be asking for permission to do sewer reconstruction in the nearby alley this month after the normal construction moratorium goes into effect. They are also continuing to inject dye as part of looking for the cause of low groundwater in the area near the intersection of Richmond and Commercial Streets in the North End.
  5. MWRA - MWRA’s construction work on their major project in East Boston remains on schedule. The pipe under Porter Street will be discontinued and plugged in 2010. MWRA has conducted additional television inspection of their pipe under Breman Street near the low point at Porter Street, but they have found no additional leaks.
  6. GCOD - The number of GCOD cases before the Board of Appeals seems to be increasing. Compliance with the zoning continues to be excellent.
  7. Website - Traffic to the website remains high, as it has been all Fall. We have posted all minutes from meetings going back to when I joined the Trust in 2004. We also, for the first time, posted the agenda of the trustees’ meeting in advance.
  8. Legislation - The bill related to groundwater issues introduced by Rep. Marty Walz will have a committee hearing on Dec. 1. I will testify on behalf of the Trust. My prepared statement will be posted on our website after the hearing.
  9. Meetings - I attended scoping sessions on upcoming projects at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Mass Mental Health Center in the Longwood Medical Area and at 319 A Street Rear in Fort Point. I will be meeting with Councilor at Large John Connolly tomorrow to update him on groundwater issues.
  10. Comment Letters - I filed comments on the 319 A Street Rear project. They are posted on our website.