Meeting Notes: Selectmen Hear Department Reports

The Norwood Board of Selectmen met Tuesday evening and took action on numerous items on its agenda, most importantly hearing monthly reports from local departments. 

Selectmen first heard the Norwood Public Works Department's June 2011 report as it detailed local construction projects and improvements across the town. Mark Ryan, director of the department, said during the meeting that several projects are ongoing and on schedule.

The Vanderbilt Avenue Sewer Pump Station project, for example, began on April 19 and is "mostly complete," Ryan said. A water main fix on Route 1 and Walnut Avenue begins this week and repairs a 14-inch break that occurred Nov. 2010.

In addition, department employees continue to keep up on general maintenance by patching potholes, watering flowerbeds, installing farmer's market signs and picking up dead animals.

Selectmen were pleased with the report and some praised the continued work of department employees.

"The (department) was nice enough to set up a tour … of the water system," Selectman Allan D. Howard said. "I myself was blown away by (the job there)."

Malcolm McDonald, superintendent of the Light and Broadband department, also spoke to the selectmen and said the town will receive some of its energy from a wind project in Woodstock, Maine — a 17 percent stake. Although the town does not have a direct link to the project as the energy will go onto the grid, McDonald said during the meeting that renewable energy is being used.

"Construction (started) June 22 and (we expect) the first turbine to be online in October of this year," he said. 

James Collins, a commissioner of the department, said during the meeting that work has begun setting up phone service to the new Norwood High School. A phone outage June 11 was caused by a fiberlink in Boston being damaged, in addition to a fail-safe malfunctioning.

"We want to make sure this doesn't happen again," he said.

Selectmen unanimously approved — other than Selectman Helen A. Donohue being opposed to the sale of town land on Access Road. It was appraised at about $130,000, but Donohue said she wanted a second opinion. 

An item submitting liquor incident reports at two establishments for informational purposes on behalf of Police Chief Bartley E. King Jr. was tabled until the next selectmen meeting July 12.