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<br />FINCOM-Regular Session <br />August 7,2025 <br /> <br />NEW BUSINESS <br />Motion made by Greg McKelvey to revise agenda to accommodate town sta? and <br />personnel. <br />Motion seconded by Jamie Schuh. <br />Motion passed 6-0 <br />Roll Call Vote <br />Je?rey Pettengill, yes; Jamie Schuh, yes; Greg McKelvey, yes; Richard Weiner, yes; Keith <br />Machado, yes; Anne Schnader, yes. <br />Review, discuss and take action on requests for use of Finance Committee Reserve Funds <br />Ashley Fisher-Request for funds for Water Quality Testing <br />Town Manager Rodney Collins provided an update regarding water quality testing <br />and associated costs. He explained that water quality testing has historically been <br />conducted in partnership with Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, with the associated annual fee <br />of $16,800 typically split evenly between the Town and the Tribe. However, the Tribe has <br />indicated they are unable to contribute their $8,400 share this year due to unforeseen <br />budget constraints. This unexpected development has resulted in the Town needing to <br />assume the full financial responsibility for the testing. <br />Collins stressed the urgency of resolving this issue, emphasizing that the water quality data <br />is critical for maintaining compliance with Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) <br />regulations and is essential for progressing through various permitting processes. Without <br />payment, the Town will not receive the data, which could hinder important regulatory <br />e?orts. <br />Water Quality Coordinator Ashley Fisher explained that estuary sampling has been <br />conducted since 2010, covering over 40 stations to monitor water quality changes over <br />time. She underscored the importance of this data for regulatory compliance and noted <br />that the work is conducted by SMASS (School for Marine Science and Technology), the only <br />vendor capable of providing this level of service. <br />Fisher further explained that while the previous shared cost was $16,800—split evenly <br />between the Town and Tribe—an additional $20,800 is now needed to complete the 2025 <br />report and conduct sampling for the 2026 report. Collins noted that the agreement with <br />SMASS has not yet been executed, and the data cannot be released until the agreement is <br />finalized. However, finalization is contingent on securing full funding. <br /> <br />