3/29/2011 SEWER COMMISSION Minutes

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would be worth considering if each town could contribute to this effort using funds appropriated for wastewater management to comply with the Pleasant Bay TMDLs. These agreements will support compliance with each TMDL and could be considered in the same fashion as funds used for wastewater management that is also needed for TMDL compliance. Coordination of ordinance adoption: As explained above, general bylaws must be placed on the Town Meeting warrant at least 7 days prior to Town Meeting and then must receive a majority vote at Town Meeting to be adopted. A zoning bylaw amendment must be heard by the Planning Board, prior to being placed in the warrant and must receive a 2/3 majority vote at Town Meeting. Alternatively, if an agreement is used,the towns and relevant parties could draft a policy statement,which all sign and agree to abide by, and is endorsed by the Board of Selectmen. Ongoing implementation: Once a bylaw or agreement is adopted, each town will need to ensure future compliance. The processes for compliance, such as regular reports from golf course operators, or from DPW staff for municipal facilities, could be included within the agreement or bylaw. Some initial outreach on the compliance requirements for the agreement should be considered,tailored to the appropriate audience. For example, a regular, annual meeting of golf course superintendents would be useful to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed fertilizer reductions. Outreach Implementation The education and outreach recommendations discussed the proposed message to deliver and recommended that the Pleasant Bay Alliance be the lead organization coordinating this program. It is important for one person to coordinate the outreach message and program structure across the watershed and with other organizations, so all are provided with consistent information. Moving forward,this decision will need to be confirmed by representatives from each town, and a structure and financial plan put in place to allow it to move forward. It is recommended that the outreach campaign targeted specifically on compliance with the "Cape Cod Lawn"checklist, be piloted in one of the sample sub-watersheds as identified in Appendix A. By piloting the program in a low density residential neighborhood,with no golf courses, or a high density residential neighborhood, the program can be tested and adapted to ensure it is as effective as possible. It is more challenging to identify funding options for this program. Unlike bylaw adoption, education and outreach requires more than a one-time source of funds, as efforts continue over time, requiring fiscal support each year. Options for funding include support from the wastewater implementation funding that has or will be approved within each town. A small percentage of the operation and maintenance funding for wastewater programs could be allocated to fertilizer outreach to support compliance with TMDLs. This could potentially be supported through private donations and/or grants from programs similar to those identified in Section 6. Ongoing coordination with the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative is encouraged to share lessons learned and evaluate which options considered here have value across Cape Cod. At the outset, a presentation of this study to the Collaborative members would foster a discussion on the Pleasant Bay Fertilizer Management Plan 39 Horsley Witten Group, Inc. Final Report December 2010