2007-Annual Town Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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of TMDLs and clean up our waterways. As one poten- towns. A suggested method has been developed, of tial strategy for dealing with funding and development which involves a theoretical equal reduction of atten- of sewer facilities in the most cost-effective way, dis- uated nitrogen loads in all subwatersheds and the pos- cussions began in February with the Water District sibility of trading nitrogen"credits"between towns to R8 and Selectmen with regard to potential expansion of fund the most cost-effective overall approach to facil- ial the District's role into sewer facilities or merging the ities. A Power Point presentation was developed, with 9C Sewer Commission and the District. An article to great assistance from Mashpee resident Jim Hanks, fa. ' amend the Town Charter passed at the May Town explaining the Pilot Project and proposed approach to 'ter Meeting calls into question the financial independence shared responsibility among the towns, with presenta- rur of the District and has made consideration of their role tions made to date in Sandwich and Mashpee. The di. in providing wastewater facilities much more prob- ramifications of the proposal will soon have to be cut lematic at this time. However, organizational and addressed politically and financially by the leaders of ,a financial issues will have to be a key part of work on the three communities. Settling on such a sharing red the final Plan and public discussion on its implemen- mechanism will be important in determining what tation in 2008. facilities must be planned for development in Mashpee under our WNMR on- Discussions with the School Department relative ing to the possibility of the Commission taking over oper- The Commission's Watershed Nitrogen Ana- ations of the High School wastewater treatment plant Management Plan will have major water quality, land ;en did not move far during 2007, as the Department has use and fiscal ramifications for the Town, so we invite s& been reviewing other alternatives and seeking to have all residents to actively participate in its development s to its DEP discharge permit amended. The plant may or through our meetings and public hearings during gate may not become part of the final WNMP, and man- 2008, by reviewing and commenting on the draft foes agement remains up in the air as 2007 ends. At the reports we generate and by any other means available. N% same time, there are two larger private treatment As we all know, it took decades for our waterways to ;s it plants proposed on nearby properties, and conversa- get into their current poor condition and it will proba- :han tions have begun about consolidating those plants and bly take decades to clean them up,but now is the time red- possibly including the High School, Southport or to decide how we can do it. Your participation and ost- other adjacent properties. support will be sincerely appreciated. ;sed fifth The County's "Cape Cod Water Protection Respectfully submitted, lite" Collaborative"continued its work on seeking state and F. Thomas Fudala, Chairman sing federal funding assistance for wastewater facilities on Matthew T. Berrelli, Vice Chairman o,a the Cape, on coordinating wastewater facilities plan- Donald R. Desmarais, Clerk nin wise assistingthe towns ,on- b the towns and on other gY at a in dealing with our water quality improvement efforts. ams Selectman John Cahalane serves as the Town's repre- s on sentative on the Collaborative, while Commissioner We Fudala serves on the Collaborative's Technical j T in Advisory Committee. The Commission looks forward MS. to taking advantage of any opportunities the ;ions Collaborative provides for dealing with Mash ee's ;lop- water quality problems. oade ager The Commission continued its participation, fol along with representatives of Barnstable, Sandwich, the state and the county, in the EPA-funded DEP Popponesset Bay"Pilot Project". The project is using oul this group as a "guinea pig" to study the regulatory vage and implementation issues of the new TMDLs in order urge to help set state policy, as well as to identify innova- dved tive approaches to nitrogen removal, local regulations c cut and inter-municipal cooperation. The major focus of ding the group in 2007 continued to be on finding a fair wel- approach to splitting responsibility and costs for meet- the ing the Popponesset Bay TMDLs among the three i 155