Minutes Oct 15 Lecture on Dredging

Friends of Winter Pond John Clarke Memorial Lecture
October 15, 2008 @ 7 pm
Winchester Public Library

Presentation by Marc Rudnick (VP of Hardy Pond Association).
Topic: The Process of Permitting and Financing the Hardy Pond Dredging Project

Present: Carolyn & Bob Cumings, Michelle and Alan Robbat, Althea Shirley, Moira Ounjian, Barbara Murphy, Jan Dolan, Jane Boland, Susan Fennelly, Ann McGovern, Barbara Copas, Kay Sundberg, Jonathan Lang, Judie Muggia, Kate Reynolds

Presentation by Marc Rudnick about Hardy Pond Dredging
Marc Rudnick was introduced. He has been involved in reshaping Waltham for the past 30 years. He has founded numerous non-profit organizations and projects in the Watch City, including the local Land Trust, the farmers' market, the community garden and the affordable housing organization. He has served the city in many capacities, including on the city recycling committee, the downtown revitalization committee, the affordable housing partnership, and for the past 5 years, on the zoning board of appeals.

In 1991, after years of inaction on the planned dredging of Hardy Pond, Marc joined with a group of neighbors to form the Hardy Pond Association, where he served as president for 14 years, and now continues as vice-president of the group. Besides getting the dredging project back on track, the pond association has organized wetlands clean-ups, carried out water-monitoring activities, developed local signage to prevent dumping, guided access improvements, shaped current weed control programs, and educated residents about Hardy Pond, its history and its stewardship. In 2008, Marc was recognized as "Waltham's Environmental Activist of the Year" by Senator John Kerry and the Third Middlesex Democrats.

Marc spoke about how 28 of the total 45 acres (2/3rds) of Hardy Pond was dredged between 1999 and 2003 and all the work leading up to the dredging including when and how they received funding and permit approvals from the state and city of Waltham beforehand. See handouts attached for details on timeline and costs. In summary the project started in 1984 and was finally completed in Fall ’03. Waltham got all the first set of millions under the “Clean Water Act” which is no more. Total Funding came to $4,805,000, $3.43 million from the state and $1.38 million from the city. They had also done a lot of fundraising on their own.

The actually dredging cost was $1.78 mill, dewatering $1.15 million, transportation and disposal $1.4 mill and a contingency of $324,900. Before the entire project could even be approved 3 root causes had to be addressed: septic systems had to be removed or moved to front yards, gross particle separators had to be installed in 9 catch basins totaling over $300,000 and a farm’s runoff had to be addressed.

Once these “water runoff/filter” problems were fixed, the proposals for funding could be considered. Marc mentioned that the sludge/mud remains were resold to a topsoil supply company in Concord. The only time dredging could take place was between March and September. The pond is on the corner of Lake and Princeton streets just past Trapelo Rd. For more information Hardy Pond has a website @ http://www.hardypond.org.


Marc’s Recommendations to our group

1. Get involved and get involved early-and be especially involved in the Town’s choice of vendor
2. Outlast them all-personalities and officers in town departments will come and go with varying degrees of interest and expertise
3. Identify your enemies
4. Most important: address the root causes of eutrophication and show the state you have done so. Hardy Pond Assoc. financed catch basins in all storm sewers and used gross particle separators, dealt with farm runoffs etc. Pond Association did fund raising for this but not for the dredging.

A quick 10 minute Business meeting took place after the presentation:

Treasurers Report: Budget has remained unchanged except for a $100 expenditure for water testing.

Ann McGovern presented the recommendation of their committee to go with the “starter kit” offered by DAS Manufacturing, for a cost of $300 as voted at the 9/11 meeting, using the “Duracast” (top of the line) standard blue and green 4 inch marker with turtle, saying no dumping, flows to pond. Custom design is more expensive and takes longer. DPW has reaffirmed that they will do attachment of markers. Group moved to appropriate up to $300.00 for drain markers, the markers with a turtle were selected.

There will be an effort to notify the whole town, publicity plan, as well as the watershed residents, of the program via newspaper articles and door handle flyers.
Judie will contact Dennis Lamar to let him know that some of Margie’s memorial funds will be dedicated to Ann’s “drain marking” project. The project is considered long-term and practical.

8:20 p.m. Meeting adjourned

Notes respectfully submitted, Kate Reynolds, Steering Committee member

Proposed Meeting Times and Agenda for Next FWP meeting
Possible next meeting dates: Nov 12 or 18, 19. Please reply on your best meeting date choice. Hosting home TBD.
1. Planning for Organization
Committee/Board/Officer dilemma. Review needs for leadership, committee chairs, delegating actions and reporting back on results.
2. Storm Drains – Review Bob Conway’s Priority List for Drain Replacement
Funds should be allocated for a pro-active program. Bob Conway has reported that the state is, once again, examining the Pond St./Cambridge St. intersection and if they choose to upgrade the area, new Cambridge St. drains would be included. Bob Conway to prioritize drains for replacement based on the pollution/degradation suffered by the pond. A plan and an expenditure to be proposed and voted based on his recommendation.
3. Committee Updates – Loosestrife eating beetles update, communications (website, blog )
4. Drain Marking Volunteers needed to help distribute door hangers/flyers.
5. Other Business