Good morning.

I'm Boston City Councillor Ed Flynn.

Thank you for being here.

Want to acknowledge today's meeting is on docket number zero five one five.

It's in order for a hearing to discuss the status of addressing potholes in the city of Boston.

We have administration officials that are here today with us, including the Chief of Streets, Nick Gove, including the Public Works Superintendent of Street Operations, Highway Division DNA, and Norman Parks.

I want to say thank you to you, Norman, for your commitment to the residents of Boston, along with DNA along with uh the chief as well.

This hearing is being recorded.

It is being live streamed at Boston.gov City General 8 RCN Channel 82 FIOS Channel 964.

Written comments may be sent to the committee email at CCC.gov.

C C CCC at C S I T at Boston.gov.

It will be made part of the record and available to all city counselors.

Also, if any people in the public that are listening, they all can they also can email me directly.

Ed.flynn at Boston.gov.

Public testimony will be taken at the end of the hearing.

Individuals will be called on in order which they are signed up and have two minutes.

If you are interested in testifying in person, please add your name to the sign-up sheet near the entrance of the chamber on the left.

If you are looking to testify virtually, please email our central staff liaison, ShanePack at Shane S H-A-N-E.PAC at Boston.gov for the link.

Your name will be added to the list.

I want to say thank you to Shane for being here for the work you are doing.

That's in the television video room.

Thank you to Ethan.

Thank you to Shane.

As I mentioned, dock at 0515 order for hearing, discuss potholes in the city of Boston.

We're also joined by Boston City Councilor John Fitzgerald from Dorchester.

I'm gonna give opening remarks, but I do want to give um Council Fitzgerald the opportunity to go before me.

Council Fitzgerald, would you like to um give an opening statement?

Yeah, please and thank you, Chair.

Uh folks, how are you?

Thank you for being here today, all of you.

Um I just want to say how much I appreciate all that you do.

Uh last night I was at the retirement party for Darlene Williams uh and got to meet a lot of other people uh that are in uh that you know work on our streets, uh fill our potholes, take care of of the city services that people expect.

There's a lot of things our government does that uh don't necessarily necessarily expect, but the one thing they want in paying their taxes just to make sure, hey, I just want my sidewalks okay, my streets okay, uh, and delivering on those basic city services.

So it was great to meet a lot of those folks last night uh and knowing the leadership team up here uh and and the great individuals that you are.

Uh I'm very proud of this department and uh and and the camaraderie that you guys have amongst each other.

Uh I felt that last night at the retirement event, um, and just the people talking about each other and the reason they stay 37 years.

Uh, and it's because of the people, and it's because of the work they do for this city.

So just want to thank you.

Um, you know, obviously we'll have some questions later on, but uh appreciate the time chair and appreciate the panel being here today.

Thank you, Council Fitzgerald.

My opening statement will be brief.

These are the issues I like to focus on as the district city counselor from district two, but also chair of this commit this committee.

It's the nuts and bolts of city government that residents really want us to refocus our energy attention on, especially elected officials.

I think they want elected officials to advocate for quality of life issues for basic city services, the nuts and bolts of city government, whether it's potholes, whether it's water and sewer related issues, whether it's parks, whether it's clean streets and um improving improving services.

That's why that's why I be that's why I became a city council, is really to join to deal with these issues.

Um I'm here to learn more about how we fill potholes, the challenges we have ahead of us, how residents can get more engaged and active, but also um listening, learning more from the administration team on these quality of life issues.

Let me stop there.

Let me ask the chief of streets if they'd like to give an opening presentation.

I believe you you might have a slide slide presentation.

Yes, counselor.

Thank you.

Yep, go ahead, Nick.

Alright, good morning, everybody.

Um counselors, thank you for having us here to discuss potholes.

Um, as mentioned, this is a critical basic city service, and it's something that we spend quite a bit of time on.

So we understand potholes are a very frustrating perennial issue in Boston and other cold climate cities.

Public Works has adopted and implemented standard operating procedures to address this roadway defect.

But before we get into that, I want to start by providing some background on what causes potholes.

Water infiltration is the primary cause of potholes.

So rain or snow melt seeps through cracks in the asphalt, saturates the soil, and the aggregate base beneath the roadway softens and it causes it to weaken.