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Report of the Report of the Sewer Commission Leisure Services Department To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the To the Honorable Board of Selectmen and the Citizens of the Town of Mashpee Citizens of the Town of Mashpee Existing loading of nitrogen to the watersheds of I am very pleased to submit to the Board of the Mashpee River, Shoestring Bay,Waquoit Bay and Selectmen and the citizens of Mashpee, the Annual other coastal waters has exceeded the capacity of those Report as Leisure Service Director: waters to deal with it, resulting in the loss of our eel- grass beds and the shellfish resources that depended MISSION on them, as well as in fish and shellfish kills due to To meet the needs of our community by promot- low oxygen levels, "pea soup" water and increasingly ing quality programs and recreational activities that foul odors. These conditions will only get worse since are designed to enhance self-esteem, personal growth much of the nitrogen in our watersheds has not yet and development while focusing on the educational, reached the bays. socio-cultural, and economic interests that influence Following up on the nitrogen sensitivity study of our health and well-being. the Popponesset Bay estuary done by Dr.Brian Howes VISION and the Center for Marine Science and Technology, the Commission is working toward developing a solu- Today we are experiencing estimates of over tion to the Town's wastewater and nitrogen loading 10,000 year-round residents in Mashpee, which bal- problems with the assistance of the firm of Stearns & loons to over 30,000 during the height of the summer Wheler, along with Dr. Howes. We have begun work season. As such,there is an ever-present need to fulfill on a Watershed Nitrogen Management Plan/Effluent the demands and requirements of a town that has expe- Pipeline Preliminary Design, which is intended to rienced the highest overall growth rate in the state over identify the most cost-effective approach to reducing the last nine years. Besides changes in the growth of nitrogen in each watershed to levels that do not harm the community, changes in the way Leisure Service the bays. programs are offered to the public have as well. We have found that the type and number of venues to Having been successful in qualifying for a operate programs such as - gymnasiums, swimming $405,140 zero interest loan from the Commonwealth pools, community meeting rooms, arts & crafts space, to develop our plan,we have spent more than a year in child care space,and ice rinks within the community is the process of completing the legal requirements for either non-existent or has fallen behind. Additionally, obtaining the state loan funds, including minority hir- residents of our surrounding communities because of ing paperwork, as well as putting together the prelim- location, selection of activities, and price have more inary data needed to begin the project. It is now antic- and more utilized Leisure Service programs. ipated that we will receive a loan commitment from the state by March 2001 and begin work on our 18- As this department realigned through reorganiza month planning process in April 2001. tion a few years back, our profession itself has been going through its own transformation regarding sup- Throughout the process, we intend to seek the ported activities and the way in which services are involvement of as many residents as possible, in order delivered. Service-oriented organizations today are to develop a plan that not only meets our needs but is becoming more and more consumer and market driven also realistic in its goals and costs.We look forward to rather than program driven, and the need to continu- your help with that effort. ally re-evaluate and survey constituents to maintain quality and relevance has become more and more Respectfully submitted, important. We in fact will also need to be particularly F. Thomas Fudala, Chairman conscious of our participants who are highly sensitive Dennis H. Balzarini, Vice Chairman to value and service.With this in mind,it is imperative John J. Cahalane, Clerk for us to be fully aware of how we conduct our day to day contact with them, as well as to provide top qual- ity facilities for their use. 144 �� Ida