Last Days to Purchase Rain Barrels Through Town

Efficient way to have water at-the-ready for gardening.

Sustainable Belmont and the Belmont DPW have teamed up again this year to offer Belmont residents discounted rain barrels but time is running out on this offer. The annual program ends on Monday, June 25. If you've been thinking about adding one to your garden, now's the time to act. Water in Belmont costs about 2.5 cents a gallon including sewer fees and the rates are going up as reported in Belmont Patch. Assuming the barrel is replenished ten times a year – 600 gallons – it could save $15 per year off your water bill. So it saves money. They also reduce flooding. Each barrel holds 60 gallons of water and you can easily link two together. Turn a puddle in your yard into a giant watering can. And plants and flowers prefer unchlorinated …

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Water Rates Jumping 2%, Sewer by 6%

Growing MWRA assessments could cause town to review projects to keep down price hikes.

The good news: Belmont's water and sewer rates are "only" going up two and six percent, respectively. The bad news: It could be getting much worse in the next decade. After providing the Board of Selectmen his rate recommendations – last year the rates increased overall by 4.6 percent – for the coming fiscal year at its Monday night meeting, May 7, Peter Castanino, director of Belmont's Department of Public Works, told the board, the Water and Sewer divisions will soon review existing and future infrastructure projects in an attempt to soften the blow of expected future assessment hikes from the public authority supplying Belmont with water and sewer services.  Water/Sewer combined bill 2013  Proposed  2012 2011 Average residential (5/8" …

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Windy Serve: PQ Court Fence Toppled in Saturday's Blow

Branches, trees downed including one that halted service on the MBTA's 73 bus line.

Saturday's all-day wind storm with gusts up to 55 mph – as recorded at the town's wind meter at the Department of Public Works yard – caused just enough damage around town to keep town departments busy. The wind's ferocity was responsible for knocking down an entire side of the fence surrounding the newly renovated tennis courts at Pequosette Field behind the Veterans of Foreign Wars building off Trapelo Road, according to Michael A. Santoro, assistant director of Public Works. The damage was discovered by some of the morning Goosebusters, volunteers who take their dogs – a mix of Siberian Huskies, German Shepherds, terriers, a Maltese and some mixed breeds – to the park to discourage Canada geese from populating the field, according to …

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Town DPW Picking Up Tree Limbs

Up to six-inches in diameter will be collected.

The Belmont Department of Public Works will be collecting tree limbs throughout town which were brought down by the October snow storm this past weekend. The DPW will pick up any limbs that are no wider than six-inches in diameter so have any fallen limbs that meet this criteria at the curb. Public Works employees will not pick up any stumps or limbs larger that six-inches in diameter, you will need to dispose of these items privately. If you have any questions, please call the DPW office at 617-993-2680.

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Compacting Trash Can Courtesy of the Sun

'BigBelly''s are installed in business districts with $17,000 state grant.

It's new, stylish, big with a solar panel on top. No, it's not the town's latest 'green' home; it – or rather, they – is the BigBelly solar-powered trash compactor located in commercial areas such as Belmont Center, Cushing Square, Waverley Square and the Trapelo Road area. One is located at the bus stop adjacent Starbucks in Cushing Square and another near Comella's on Leonard Street in Belmont Center. The new compactors were possible with a $17,000 state grant that were spent on purchasing four 'BigBelly' compactors and an accompany maintenance program in a wireless system for a year. Obtaining the funding was initiated by Town Administrator Tom Younger's office. The cans, Director of Public Works Peter Castanino explained, compact trash…

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Patch Facts

5 Things You Need To Know Today: Sept. 1

Farmers' market closing time, picking up sticks (and branches) and the return of kid's book clubs.

Five Things You Need to Know Today is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the new feature in the comments section. 1. Today will be the final time this season that the Belmont Farmers' Market will be closing at 7 p.m. The market will be closing at 6 p.m. beginning on Sept. 8. Occasional vendors today are Coastal Vineyard, Wild Acre Inns, Sassy Sauces, Sergi Farm and Well Fed Dog. 2. The Belmont Department of Public Works will periodically collect tree branches downed from Tropical Storm Irene until Sept. 9. Please place broken branch ends all towards the street at the curb so that they can be efficiently chipped by machine. The DPW …

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Irene Wrap Up: Prepared for the Worse, Got Something Less

Send in your Irene photos for our hurricane wrap up. Here are two from residents.

For Tom Younger, Belmont's Town Administrator, for this one time, getting less than what you had expected was actually a good thing.  As Tropical Storm Irene skirted Belmont Sunday, Aug. 28, the damage from "the hurricane of our lifetime," was much less then town officials had been anticipating.  "We planned all last week, meeting with town departments Thursday, Friday, Saturday and then were operational Saturday and Sunday," said Younger.  "And I am very pleased with the results," said Younger, saying that as a town, "we really prepared to handle the worse but the storm was much less then what we expected." And the data compiled by the Department of Public Works, the Belmont Municipal Light Department and other departments, Irene, while …

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Belmont PD Advise Staying Indoors for 24 Hours

Town's priority during the Hurricane Irene will be public safety; Patch updates all day tomorrow.

In a message sent to all households in town concerning the approach of Hurricane Irene, the Belmont Police Department is advising residents to stay off residential streets and in their homes "no later than dark on Saturday evening and should be prepared to remain there until at least dark Sunday evening if not longer." Nightfall is at 7:27 p.m. today.  Steady rain associated from the storm began at 2:10 p.m. and has been increasing in intensity with thunderstorms entering the area. Residents can expect bands of rain until tomorrow morning when wind from the southeast will pickup in speed.   As of 4 p.m., Irene was off the coast of North Carolina. In the phone call, Daniel MacAuley, communications manager for the Belmont Police, reiterate …

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Belmont Prepares for Irene's Stormy Visit Sunday

Town's priority is to handle public safety, hopes residents will be just as prepared as departments.

From topping off generators, increasing staff on call to removing trash containers from sidewalks and parks, Belmont's town departments are preparing for the arrival of Hurricane Irene something Sunday morning.  "We are coordinating with each town department on standard preparations," said Tom Younger, Belmont's Town Administrator. "Our first priority will be public safety such as keeping streets clear for police, fire and the electric company," said Peter Castanino, director of Belmont's Public Works. He said the town will have employees staffing phones to address residents concerns during the height of the storm on Sunday.   Public Works handles issues such as flooding in low-lying areas and the downing of "public" trees – those along …

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