2014-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

of our meetings can also be viewed on the Town's web available only until 2019, in competition with other site at htto://www.mashpeema.2ov. similar projects around the state, so we have a strong incentive to complete and implement our wastewater Our part-time Sewer Commission Administrator, plan as soon as possible, and to adopt the required Paul Gobell,PE,retired from the Massachusetts Water regulations (as was done by Falmouth in 2014). Resources Authority and previously employed by the EPA, continued his work to coordinate our planning With regard to the proposed conversion of the with the adjacent towns, the County, and state and Mashpee Water District to a Water & Sewer District, federal agencies. Paul is the primary public contact legislation was approved by the House of person for the Commission and a valuable technical Representatives and State Senate and signed by the asset as we finalize our plans. He can be contacted at Governor. As written, it will only take effect after (508) 539-1400 ext. 8598 or at approval on the ballot of the May 2015 Town election, PGobell@mashoeema.gov. Paul has also become and after the signature by the Selectmen and Water familiar with the Town's existing private wastewater District Commissioners of an inter-municipal treatment plants, and has participated in discussions agreement specifying the transfer process of Town with some of their owners relative to municipal wastewater facilities and other properties to the acquisition, expansion and operation. Paul had been District,and an understanding of what roles each entity appointed by the Selectmen as Mashpee's will play in meeting the nitrogen TMDLs and dealing representative to Barnstable's Wastewater Community with other water quality issues. At this writing, the Advisory Committee, and is also the Commission's status of the proposed District is in doubt. point person regarding proposed County wastewater planning efforts and a study being conducted with The Sewer Commission still finds itself two regard to alternatives for the future of the MMR's members short. With the resignations of former wastewater collection,treatment and disposal facilities, members Beverly Kane,Ted Theis and Mark Davini, which may provide an opportunity for dealing with whose work was much appreciated,there are also now wastewater nitrogen loads from a significant portion of Community Advisory Committee vacancies for all five the Town, primarily the Quashnet/Moonakis River Precincts and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council, watershed, for which shellfish mitigation is not for which the Commission would greatly appreciate possible. volunteers as we move into the critical final stages of planning. The County's Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative continued its work on seeking state and The Sewer Commission along with Mashpee federal funding assistance for wastewater facilities on officials and residents have serious work cut out for us the Cape, on coordinating wastewater facilities over the next year, to complete the WNMP and to planning by the towns,and on otherwise dealing with identify funding and financing strategies for developing our water quality improvement needs. Selectman Mike the facilities and practices needed to clean up our Richardson serves as the Town's representative on the waterways. Among other issues,we will have to devise Collaborative. The most important achievement of the a fair division of the large costs involved between Collaborative to date has been its role in the individual betterments and general property taxes, and development and passage by the state legislature of determine how best to deal with developments that former Senator O'Leary's bill(Chapter 312 of the Acts already have private sewer systems (which would need of 2008), which provides 0% interest loans for to be upgraded to help meet the TMDLs). The WNMP wastewater facilities primarily intended to prevent will have major water quality, land use and fiscal nutrient enrichment of water bodies or water supplies. ramifications for the Town,so we invite all residents to The loans, however, are only available to applicants actively participate in its development through our who have a Comprehensive Wastewater Management meetings and public hearings by visiting our Plan (CWMP) approved by the DEP (the plan we are www.mashoeewaters.com web site,by applying to the working on) and have adopted land use controls Selectmen to fill the above-mentioned vacancies,and by intended to limit wastewater flows to the amount reviewing and commenting on the reports we generate. authorized by zoning and wastewater regulations,as of It took decades for our waterways to get into their current the date the DEP approves the CWMP (so-called poor condition and it may take a longer time to clean "growth neutral" regulations). The 0010 loans are them up, but we are now at the point when we must 145