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Article 11, requesting $100,000, would hire a consultant to assess connecting municipal buildings to <br />existing wastewater facilities. <br />Article 12 would request $80,000 to fund engineering and negotiations with neighbors in order to share <br />in the Popponesset Bay clean up. Mr. York noted that the Clean Water Act, through the Cape Cod <br />Commission, along with the lawsuit, provided an emphasis that the towns work cooperatively to clean <br />up shared watersheds. The Mashpee Sewer Commission has met with Falmouth's Nitrogen Committee. <br />There is also the possibility of a collaborative oyster growing program in Shoestring Bay with <br />Barnstable. Mr. York also referenced a Popponesset study during the 1990s regarding the shared <br />responsibility for that watershed. There was discussion regarding the importance of Mashpee moving <br />forward with their own watershed planning as potential protection from a lawsuit. <br />Article 6 would establish a contract with SMaST (UMass Dartmouth) to provide additional monitoring <br />and in the amount of $32,000. Mr. York explained that monitoring would determine the impact the <br />shellfish project would have on nitrogen removal. It was possible nitrogen removal could be two times <br />better than the nitrogen removed strictly from shell fishing, such as from bacteria consuming the <br />nitrogen. It will be necessary to show data to confirm the effectiveness of the nitrogen removal. Mr. <br />McKay inquired about the target for the shellfish project as compared to historic levels. Mr. York <br />responded that the shellfish project would be within historic levels. It was noted that Mashpee was the <br />first town to utilize quahogs to clean up nitrogen. Mr. York summarized the success of the oyster reefs <br />and restoring shellfish populations to improve the nitrogen loads. <br />Chairman Talbot inquired about how best to support the Articles. The Chair recommended seeking <br />support from boards such as Conservation Commission and the Planning Board. The Mashpee <br />Environmental Coalition has already supported the Articles. The Chair emphasized that the Articles <br />reflected short money for the resulting benefits. Mr. York noted that the requested funds would provide <br />the basic ability to implement the Plan. <br />Mr. McKay made a motion that the Environmental Oversight Committee support Articles 2, 3, 4, <br />5, 6, 11 and 12. Mr. Cummings seconded the motion. All voted unanimously. <br />ACTION ITEMS UPDATE <br />Pond & Estuary Water Quality: Need for Additional Pond Monitors and Discussion with George <br />Reichenbacher, Mashpee Environmental Coalition PALS Monitor, on Value and Use of the <br />Collected Pond Data <br />Mr, York stated that water has been stable with no fish kills this past summer. <br />Santuit Pond was highly improved with clear water and twice as good as anticipated with the Solar Bee <br />circulators. The ecology of the pond has improved. Weeds were growing thicker at the north end of the <br />pond but the Friends of Santuit were awarded funds from the Conservation Commission to study the <br />issue to find a way to mitigate it. It was also noted that the Solar Bee circulators had been leased to own <br />and now property of the DPW, though maintained by the company. <br />2 <br />