Together with the Mayor's office, I will be conducting a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, March 31 at 7pm at the Second Floor Conference Rom of Quincy City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street regarding the proposed Broad Street Tide Gate and Tributary System Rehabilitation that's included in the Capital Improvement Plan currently being reviewed for approval by the Quincy City Council.

The deterioration of the Broad Street Tide Gate and Tributary has been a problem for years and flooding has been a chronic problem in the areas of the YMCA and Russell Park neighborhoods. Mayor Koch has identified two projects for the Broad Street area as a priority in the proposed Capital Improvement Plan. These projects have been deemed urgent and have an estimated cost of $1.24 million. I have included more information on the projects on the other side of this letter.

I will also hold an "open office hour" from 6pm to 7pm (for residents in the Broad Street neighborhood) in the conference room in advance of the meeting for any matters or issues of concern that you would like to discuss.

BROAD STREET TIDE GATE, estimated cost $650,000

Project Description: The tide gate system located on Broad Street is in poor condition. The structure at the end of Broad Street has an inner gate that shows signs of corrosion, the outer gate is not present, and the concrete structure that houses these structures is in disrepair and its reinforcement bars are exposed. The lack of a well-functioning tide gate compromises the capacity for draining the YMCA lot and the Russell Park neighborhood, which are both currently subject to flooding. When the tide gate does not function effectively, the tide is allowed to surcharge the drainage system and the system's hydraulic capacity is compromised - a condition that compounds any current drainage issues. The proposed project is either the rehabilitation of the existing tide gate or the reconstruction of the headwall at the outfall along with the installation of a new tide gate, depending on the results of a detailed inspection. This will ensure that the system's hydraulic capacity is not compromised.

Funding: Funding for this project will be provided through debt financing. This project will reduce the City's Drainage Department costs associated with the management, cleanup, and repairs caused by flooding. This project will also improve the flooding conditions that impact many residents and business owners.

THE BROAD STREET TRIBUTARY SYSTEM REHABILITION, estimated cost $590,000

Project Description: Following the repair of the Broad Street Tide Gate System, the upstream piping serving the Russell Park neighborhood, the general area between McGrath Highway and Coddington Street, and other tributary pipe to Broad Street should be clean and realigned with spot repairs. The project will use the TV video Camera to inspect the piping network and will construct spot repairs and realign pipe segments to maximize capacity flowing to the Broad Street Tide Gates.

Funding:  Funding for this project will be provided through debt financing. This project will reduce the City's Drainage Department costs associated with the management, cleanup, and repairs caused by flooding. This project will also improve the flooding conditions that impact many residents and business owners.