HomeMy Public PortalAboutWater Commissioners -- 2022-08-05 MinutesPursuant to Governor Baker's March 12, 2020, Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law and his
March 15 and March 23, 2020, Orders imposing strict limits on the number of people that may gather in one place, this
meeting will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. Specific information and the general
guidelines for remote participation by members of the public and/or parties with a right and/or requirement to attend
this meeting may be found on the Town's website at www.brewster-ma.gov. For this meeting, members of the public
who wish to listen to the audio broadcast may do so via the Town of Brewster website at http://livestream.brewster-
ma. ov or on Channel 18. No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be
made to ensure the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time via technological means. The Town has
established specific email addresses for each board and committee that will be meeting remotely so that residents can
send their comments in writing either before or during the meeting. For this meeting, please send contact
panderson@brewster=ma.gov. In the event we are unable to live broadcast these meetings, despite best efforts, we will
post on the Town website an audio recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as
possible after the meeting at http://tv,brewster-ma.gov.
1. Call to Order:
• 11:04 AM
2. Declaration of a Quorum:
• Read by Commissioner Baran. Those in attendance were Commissioner
Brown, Commissioner Skidmore, Administrative Supervisor, Sherry Theuret,
Assistant Superintendent Alex Provos and Superintendent Paul Anderson.
3. Meeting Participation Statement:
• Read by Commissioner Baran
4. Water restriction update
• Brewster is currently at a Level 1— Mild Drought
• Level 2 — Significant Drought areas are limited to one day of watering to
hand-held hoses before gam and after 5pm
• Cape Cod is an unassessed basin and isnot monitored. Regulations and
restrictions may not include or effect Cape Cod.
a. Reservoir levels, rivers, streams, and rainfall — Off Cape Cod
b. Monitoring well, rain fall, lack of numbers to calculate 65 gallons per
person, per day — On Cape Cod
c. Orleans permit is two days of week for watering. Commissioner
Brown implemented in anticipation in May 2022.
• Conservation plan is based on town bylaws.
• Superintendent Anderson to stay with current odd/even days of watering.
5. PFAS Discussion
• Class of chemicals: non-specific
a. Over 12,000 chemicals in this group and continues to expand
b. High levels and exposures can cause health concerns
c. Brewster does not have any detections of PFAS
d. Need to find labs to be able to test for the new levels PFAS
e. Maybe a chemical could be under the detectable minimal level
f. Detection limit: .591 parts per trillion for all chemicals
6. Superintendent's Report
• Invoice Cloud — online bill pay vendor
a. An email blast was sent to all of the online bill pay customers' letting
them know there has been a change of ownership on their account,
their account number has changed, and they would no longer receive
billing statements in the mail.
i. Invoice Cloud put everyone's last name first and first name
last. This change is called a "conveyance". This conveyance un-
registered all the customers and everyone would have to re-
register their accounts.
ii. In anticipation of numerous phones call the message on the
voice mail was changed explaining the conveyance and to
refer to town website for instructions to re -register their
account.
The Office Manager changed her email to autoreply with
instructions to re -register their account and if they needed
further assistance to call the office respond to auto -reply
email.
• Review and evaluation with Town Administrator Peter Lombardi
a. Superintendent to work on reviews and evaluations for the staff.
• Oil spill on Rt. 137 is almost complete with clean up.
a. Catch basin needs to be replaced.
b. Cross connection surveys to be done with residents who have private
wells and town water.
c. Need to work with the health department to obtain list of private
wells in the area.
• Two new staff started Monday
a. Assistant Superintendent &Foreman are setting up the training for
the new employees.
• Red Top Road water main installation
a. Habitat for Humanity
i. Water Department will install water main up to that location
of the affordable housing project.
ii. When costs of materials come down the rest of the water
main will be installed.
7. Assistant Superintendent Report
• Red Top Road Quote
a. Vendor removed delivery charge of stock for project
b. 25K to install up to Habitat for Humanity Project.
• Two trucks have been purchased due to increase of staff and should be
delivered by next week
• Pittsburg Water Company —water filling stations
• Distribution will continue to replace services from main to curb on Millstone
Road. The DPW is going to continue with paving project. The water
department does not want to cut the new pavement being installed.
a. Spring and Fall of 2023
b. 15 Estimated services to be done.
8. Office Manager's Report:
• Concerns covered by Superintendent
9. Approval of July 8th Meeting Minutes.
• Motion by Commissioner Brown to approve as presented one-time reduced
rates as listed.
a.
a
Motion 2nby Commissioner Skidmore
b. Roll Call Vote: 3-0-0
10. One Time Reduced Rates
• Motion by Commissioner Brown to approve as presented the one-time
reduced rates as listed.
a. Motion 2 n by Commissioner Skidmore
b. Roll Call Vote: 3-0-0
11. For Your Information
• N/A
12. Matters Not Reasonably Anticipated by the Chair
• Commissioner Baran
a. Schedule water commissioner tour of Sea Camps with Liasson Mary
Chaffee
i. Have tour and then water commissioner meeting
ii. September 2 n at 9:00 AM
Estimated tour of property takes about two hours
1. Check with Liasson Mary Chaffee to confirm tour of
Sea Camps.
13. Next Meetings: September 2na
14. Adjournment
• Motion by Commissioner Brown to adjourn at 11:46
a. Motion 2 n by Commissioner Skidmore
b. Roll Call Vote: 3-0-0