Scituate Approves Emergency Seawall Repair at Oceanside Drive

Urgent $110,757 project aims to prevent flooding, protect neighborhood

SCITUATE, MA - October 8 - The Scituate Select Board has awarded a $110,757 contract to S.M. Lynch for emergency seawall repairs at 18 Oceanside Drive. The project, approved at the board's Oct. 8 meeting, aims to prevent potential flooding and protect the neighborhood's infrastructure.

Kevin Cafferty, the town’s DPW Director, presented the urgent need for repairs, explaining that undermining of the seawall was discovered in late August.

"What's actually occurring is the sand is coming from behind the wall. It's going underneath the wall and it's creating a void section in the wall," Cafferty said. "What happens is the wall doesn't actually break and smash with a wave. It undermines and as it undermines that wall will eventually collapse and fall in."

The repair work will involve excavating the area, wrapping it in fabric, and placing five to seven ton stones to support the wall through the winter. The affected section spans about two and a half properties.

Town Administrator Jim Boudreau emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "If we don't fix it, it's going to go. And then we're going to have to fix it in real time. And it's not just that house. It's all houses. It's everything behind it."

The board discussed concerns about the project's scope and the town's responsibility. Member Karen Canfield questioned, "Are we putting sand, rocks, whatever, on their property? Or is this town of Scituate?"

Boudreau clarified that while some work may occur on private property to stabilize the wall, the town will not be repairing or replacing private structures such as decks or pilings.

The emergency repair is intended as a temporary measure until a full seawall replacement project can be undertaken. Boudreau noted that the town has been working on plans to replace this section of seawall since 2019.

Work is expected to begin as early as next week, depending on tides. The contract includes an option to purchase additional stone at $65 per ton if needed.

In other business, the board reviewed and discussed updates to the town's financial policies.

Finance Director/Town Accountant Nancy Holt presented proposed changes to budget and revenue policies, aimed at strengthening the town's fiscal management practices.

Key proposed changes include:

- A policy to review the town's fee structure every two years

- Consideration of when to discuss potential overrides if critical service reductions are necessary

- Enhanced compliance measures to ensure adherence to financial policies

Holt emphasized the importance of having strong financial policies, stating, "Financial policies are a wonderful thing. They help keep a community strong. They give the community somewhere to go when bad things happen, and you have to make really hard decisions when the economy doesn't go the way you want it to go."

The board provided feedback on several proposed policies, including concerns about potential restrictions on revenue growth and the need for flexibility in policy compliance.

One member suggested splitting one proposed policy into two separate considerations: "If you are considering reducing services, then we must be accountable and hold those meetings. The second, and it's different, is if you are considering not following policies, then you need to also explain why."

The board did not take final action on the policies, with plans to review a revised draft at a future meeting.

Holt indicated that the policies may not be ready for adoption at the next meeting, as there are still some parameters to be worked out regarding reserve policies.

*editor’s note: the camera angle leaves some uncertaintly as to who is speaking. I’m unable to verify some of the speakers identified by the AI.