Staff to inspect Pulaski Park drainage work for possible jurisdiction under local ordinance and Volpe Act

A staff member said they will visit Pulaski Park with the Board of Health to determine whether Department of Public Works drainage improvement work falls within the commission's jurisdiction under the town ordinance and a statute referenced in the meeting as the "Volpe Act." The visit is intended to confirm whether the project is within the regulated buffer and whether permits are required.

Staff told commissioners the project is roughly 400 feet from the nearest bordering vegetative wetlands and that the issue may involve the local ordinance's provisions on inundated ground or high water tables. "We are potentially dealing with high water table, which under the ordinance, there is, something under our protected or resource areas that the commission specifically looks at," the staff member said. They added that additional research into recent files would be required to confirm whether a permit is required for the DPW work.

Commissioners directed staff to inspect the site, confirm distances and jurisdictional boundaries, and report back. Staff planned the site visit to verify field conditions and to confirm whether the project is exempt or requires a permit. No permit determinations were made at the meeting.