WEYMOUTH - October 6 - The Weymouth Town Council unanimously approved spending $163,125 in Community Preservation Act funds to construct a first-of-its-kind fish ladder on Smelt Brook, restoring spawning access for rainbow smelt that has been blocked for decades. The project, partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Pond Meadow Regional Recreation Conservation District, addresses a three-foot perched culvert that has prevented smelt from reaching upstream spawning grounds since flood control infrastructure was built in the 1970s.
The Full Story
The Town Council held two public hearings on October 6, 2025, approving Community Preservation Act funding for both an affordable housing preservation program and an environmental restoration project. The more substantial financial commitment came for the Smelt Brook Fish Ladder project, which will be constructed in Braintree but benefits the jointly managed Pond Meadow Watershed shared by both communities.
Conservation Administrator Andrew Hultin presented the fish ladder proposal, explaining that the project represents the culmination of planning work that began years earlier. The Council had previously funded a feasibility study in 2018 or 2019, which was completed approximately one year ago. The new appropriation will fund the permitting, design, and construction phases of the project.
Hultin described the ecological problem the ladder will solve: a perched culvert on Smelt Brook in Braintree creates approximately a three-foot elevation difference that rainbow smelt cannot traverse. Before the construction of Pond Meadow Park’s flood control infrastructure in the 1970s, smelt historically spawned further upstream in the brook. The installation of the perched culvert during that project effectively cut off the smelt population from their natural spawning habitat.
The importance of the project extends beyond local waters. Hultin noted that smelt in the Fore River represent “one of the more robust smelt populations in the state” and are closely monitored by the Division of Marine Fisheries. The species is in decline across the East Coast, with Massachusetts populations particularly vulnerable as the state approaches the southern limit of the smelt’s natural range.
The proposed solution is a concrete fish ladder system designed to provide the appropriate water flow needed for smelt to traverse the obstacle. The funding structure for the $1.3 million project demonstrates significant federal support: the Army Corps of Engineers will fund 75 percent of the project costs, while the local sponsor contributes 25 percent. That local share is split evenly between Weymouth and Braintree through the Pond Meadow partnership, resulting in each town’s 12.5 percent contribution of $163,125.
Hultin acknowledged that as a significant infrastructure project, the fish ladder requires extensive permitting from federal, state, and local authorities, including environmental permits for work in water resource areas. Notably, the Army Corps must issue permits for the project even though the agency is also the project proponent.
During public comment, Maureen Golden of Precinct 1 asked about long-term maintenance responsibilities and costs. Hultin explained that Pond Meadow Park staff would bear responsibility for maintenance, which should be minimal—primarily occasional or bi-yearly sediment removal. He noted that Pond Meadow staff currently manage the entire watershed from the dam to the flood control tunnels and landing, and are experienced and equipped for such work.
The Council also approved a much smaller CPA appropriation of $5,000 for preserving affordable housing. Director of Planning Robert Luongo and Housing Coordinator Carolyn Williams presented a request to hire a housing consultant for one year to oversee 12 affordable housing units built by the town in 1997 in an area of South Weymouth informally known as “Hidden City,” near the intersection of Union Street and Liberty Street.
These units were created using Federal Community Development Block Grant funds and other sources, with deed restrictions requiring that when homeowners sell, the properties must go to qualified buyers earning less than 80 percent of median income. The affordability restrictions remain with the properties in perpetuity, and the homes can only appreciate at a limited rate rather than full market value.
Luongo explained that as years have passed since 1997, homeowners have forgotten some of their responsibilities under the restrictions. He cited a recent example at 21 Mansfield Street, where a bank foreclosed on an affordable unit and initially attempted to sell it without recognizing the deed restrictions. After town intervention, the property sold in May for under $400,000 with restrictions intact—”a pretty good bargain in today’s housing market,” according to Luongo.
The hired consultant will handle various responsibilities for one year while Williams shadows the process to learn the procedures. These responsibilities include advising homeowners about how capital improvements will affect resale value, conducting annual monitoring, managing wait lists, screening potential buyers for income qualification, and conducting required lotteries when properties become available. Williams noted that she receives daily walk-ins and calls from Weymouth residents seeking affordable single-family homes.
The Ordinance Committee provided a brief update on a proposed amendment to allow dogs on Wessagusset and Lane Beach. Committee Chairman Ken DiFazio reported that rather than immediately changing the town ordinance, the Mayor will sign a temporary executive order establishing a pilot program from November 2025 through May 2026. The committee will revisit the matter in May 2026 based on observations from the pilot period.
Mayor Mike Molisse explained his decision to pursue a pilot program rather than an immediate ordinance change. He noted that three department heads—from Health, Police, and Parks and Recreation—expressed strong opposition to the measure due to health and safety concerns. Town Solicitor McLeod drafted the executive order to allow departments time for “further review, observation, testing, investigation to impact of the dogs on the public beaches while owners and dog handlers have a temporary access to the public beaches.” The Mayor acknowledged residents from the Regatta and Bradmere areas who testified about walking dogs on beaches, but stated that opening access to the general public “might put something different out there.”
In administrative matters, the Council approved four sets of meeting minutes from September: Ordinance Committee (September 2), Town Council (September 2), Budget Management Committee (September 15), and Town Council (September 15). All passed unanimously without discussion.
Councilor Carrie Palazzo announced that flu clinic appointments are now open at three locations: Town Hall, Tufts Library, and the Whipple Senior Center. Residents can book appointments at weymouth.ma.us through the Health Department or by calling 781-340-5008. Home visits are also available. She also announced that the Pond Plain Neighborhood Improvement Association’s candidates night scheduled for October 8 has been canceled and will likely not be rescheduled.
Two councilors were absent from the meeting: Councilor Kiely and Councilor Shanahan both called the Council President before the meeting to report they had prior commitments. As a result, Budget Management Committee Vice Chair Pascale Burga presided over that committee’s report in Chairman Shanahan’s absence.
Why It Matters
The approval of the Smelt Brook Fish Ladder represents a significant environmental investment that could help restore a declining fish population important to the regional ecosystem. For Weymouth residents, the town’s $163,125 share—split with Braintree—leverages substantial federal funding to address environmental damage from 1970s-era infrastructure. The affordable housing preservation funding, though modest at $5,000, addresses a critical gap in oversight for 12 deed-restricted homes that provide rare below-market homeownership opportunities in an increasingly expensive housing market. The pilot program for dogs on beaches offers a measured approach to a contentious issue, giving town officials data to inform a permanent policy decision while temporarily accommodating residents who have requested beach access for their pets during off-season months.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve Ordinance Committee meeting minutes of September 2, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:02:07)
Motion: Approve Town Council meeting minutes of September 2, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:02:19)
Motion: Approve Budget Management Committee meeting minutes of September 15, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:02:29)
Motion: Approve Town Council meeting minutes of September 15, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:02:40)
Motion: Open public hearing for 25088, CPA funding request preservation of affordable housing. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:03:04)
Motion: Close public hearing for 25088. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:12:33)
Motion: Open public hearing for 25089, CPA funding request for Smelt Brook Fish Ladder. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:12:47)
Motion: Close public hearing for 25089. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:18:05)
Motion: Approve Measure 25088, appropriating $5,000 for preservation of affordable housing from Community Housing Fund. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:19:51)
Motion: Approve Measure 25089, appropriating $163,125 for Smelt Brook Fish Ladder from unrestricted CPA account. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous (Mayor Molisse recused). (Timestamp: 0:21:08)
Motion: Adjourn meeting. Outcome: Approved. Vote: Unanimous. (Timestamp: 0:24:40)
Public Comment
Maureen Golden of Precinct 1, 21 Athens Street, asked about maintenance requirements and cost responsibility for the Smelt Brook Fish Ladder once constructed. Conservation Administrator Andrew Hultin responded that Pond Meadow Park staff would be responsible for minimal maintenance, primarily bi-yearly sediment removal, and that staff are experienced and equipped for this work.
What’s Next
The Mayor will sign a temporary executive order establishing a pilot program allowing dogs on Wessagusset and Lane Beach from November 2025 through May 2026. The Ordinance Committee will revisit the matter in May 2026 to evaluate the pilot program before making any permanent changes to the town ordinance. The town will hire a housing consultant to begin one-year oversight of the 12 affordable housing units, with Housing Coordinator Carolyn Williams shadowing to learn procedures. The Smelt Brook Fish Ladder project will move into the permitting, design, and construction phase with Army Corps partnership. The next regularly scheduled Town Council meeting will be held on October 20, 2025.