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Town Of Brewster Comprehensive Water
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Date Approved with modifications: April 12, 2010; Vote: All Aye
TOWN OF BREWSTER MINUTES OF
COMPREHENSIVE WATER PLANNING COMMITTEE
REGULAR MEETING
Monday, February 22, 2010 at 4:30 P.M.
Brewster Town Office Building
Pat Hughes convened the Comprehensive Water Planning Committee meeting at 4:35 pm in the
Brewster Town Office Building with members Dave Michniewicz, Dave Bennett, John Lipman and
Jane Johnson. Amy Usowski and Elizabeth Taylor arrived at 5 pm.
Also Present: Sue Leven, Ed Lewis, Jim Gallagher, Chris Miller, Peter Johnson, Paul Lucier, Dan
Rabold
1. Discussion with representatives from the Town of Orleans regarding their comprehensive
wastewater management planning process
Present: George Meservey, Orleans's Town Planner; Judith Bruce, 9 years on the Orleans's
Wastewater Committee; Mark Carron, Selectman; Ron Collins, Town Project Manager for the
P. Hughes: Thanked the representatives for attending and welcomed everyone.
Meservey: Provided an overview of the history and experience. File a state water form. Overview of
history...Year 2000 comprehensive plan was completed. Recommendations were made to form a
Wastewater committee -the committee tried to include the heads or representatives from each
department. $20,000 was allocated for preliminary work.
Reviewed all existing documents -made connection with UMass. Started with the concern that
people had seen in the water quality testing for the Town. The Town went forward with this information
and started 4 years of water sampling -mostly marine water some streams. This information was
used for the MEP. Orleans tried to determine how much of what pollution is too much -hooked up
with UMass -Orleans was the first to use the MEP data -what was needed to get their water to meet
the TMDL.
IMPORTANT: know how much growth and development you have and what is anticipated in the
future. Having build-out information in place is very important. Planning is then appropriate based on
this information. Knowing the build-out population growth is very important -based on zoning
information.
Horsley Witten was hired to prepare recommendations: wastewater mgmt. needed to be done first
then stormwater should be second.
2-22-]0 www.TOWN.BREWSTER.MA.US Page 1 of6
Outreach component: reports in the newspaper, Orleans citizens forum events; selectman kept
informed; needs assessment events were held at key times. Found it was a challenge to keep the
public's attention when a project goes for the long term.
Hughes: What was the feeling on public events?
Bruce: Biggest challenge they had was getting interest prior to getting the funding. They wanted to
have involvement, but people weren't interested. They found that the most successful public outreach
was weekly work sessions during the summer before Town Meeting. They broke them out by areas of
town -they were successful and well attended.
Leven: Was there a web presence?
Meservey: No - it might have helped. It is used now extensively -all reports are on the web now.
You need to engage people in order to get them to the web.
Lewis: The largest meeting Brewster's BOS has had was the Christmas tree and the golf course
raising rates. Did Orleans come up with financing plans? Was there ever anything that came out
based on X dollars for this property value? Estimated cost on a yearly basis??
Meservey: Their engineer did prepare a cost estimate of $145 million -how do you break that down
and average out across the taxpayers?
- tried to come up with the cost to maintain a septic system
- broad tax authority or a betterment... averaged out to about 2500/year fora $600,000 home
(1200 tax, 600 betterment and 400 user fee)...this is what they have not gotten over and the
cost is the biggest hurdle and what has caused the project to come to a standstill.
Lewis: can you do this over 30 years?
Mesenrey: thinks you could do over 50 years but it is still financing and you end up paying a huge
amount of interest.
Would not go out more than 30 years because the infrastructure may need to be replaced or updated.
Bruce: we all have septic systems...the pump and the leaching field goes - at some point you are
going to have to do something... if you look at the life of the systems something is going to be paid
eventually.
Was it useful to have a validation committee?
Meservey: The town did hire a 3~d party consultant -Woods Hole Group - to validate. The Validation
committee: was good because they collected and reviewed all the data and put it all into one resource
that was available for people to review. They summarized the information and had the data available
for people. The group identified several issues with the DEP reporting that caused them to look at the
data.
Carron: Get an engineer on the committee with a wastewater background. It is important to have their
involvement upfront.
Bruce: if you want to question the MEP data then it is going to be tough because they feel that the
information is good -they thought it was a practical basis based on the volume,
Carron: The slow down in Orleans is financial more than the science questions
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Lewis: As Orleans went through the process each group probably had an ulterior motive. Do you
think the peer group was really questioning the dollars and the research questions then became an
issue.
Collins: Was on the peer review committee and could state that their reasoning was based on the
science and not the money.
Bennett: How was the questioning on the science being addressed?
Collins: several people from the committee are in the process of evaluating the MEP reports and are
preparing reports based on their findings.
Bennett: The reason you are going to spend this kind of money is ok if the science backs it up. Why
wasn't nitrogen considered in the bay? We want to engage science before we come up with the plan.
This committee wants to look at it in a broad sense and look at the whole plan.
Meservey: No active dialog with DEP or SMAST. Someone needs access to the data so that you
could understand the confidence level of the data. SMAST is considering allowing people access to
the data but that hasn't been confirmed.
Bennett: How is the state funding? They are requiring certain requirements.
Meservey: Chatham is getting some money from the stimulus dollars. The town has a high debt level
which will be rolled back in and the rate stay the same....20 million that will effect the tax rate but it
would only hit the tax payer with about $400/citizen -Orleans is not in the same boat - 42 million plus
8 Million or so for the design
Bruce: DEP recommended talking to them early, during, and late -they are available and
approachable for discussions.
Hughes: Orleans had 4 meetings with DEP?
Meservey -those specific meetings were related to the Pleasant Bay report. They had many other
meetings with DEP. Orleans was successful in applying for an extended environmental report and
saved a bunch of money by expediting that process
Lewis: You had the Pleasant Bay Alliance and a few others supporting you -- was that helpful?
Meservey: the Pleasant Bay group was very helpful and they had a strong support group
Meservey: Suggestions for Brewster to catch up? You have a committee and you probably aren't that
far behind. Orleans is sort of at a standstill right now.
Carron: the state budget cuts are affecting everything.
Lipman: did you look at any other alternatives beside centralized wastewater solutions?
Meservey: Looked at sewering alternatives (hooking up 15 homes); centralized and decentralized;
dredging, dealing with fertilizers; Need to look at how you can manage, get credit to reduce the
TMDLS; public acceptance. Lower Cape has a higher median age and it takes a lot to get people to
change.
Lewis: Did your consultants discuss any outreach to the state and find any money out there?
2-22-10 www.TOWN.BREWSTER.MA.US Page 3 ofb
Meservey: This area doesn't really have the funds available.
J. Hughes: Didn't the state get funding?
Meservey: There are some funds
Bennettt: Wellfleet is tapping some the state funds; USDA funds -loans/grants may be out there.
Meservey: what is your schedule?
Leven: The first phase only - it is a review of available information and some needs assessment.
Meservey: Wants to encourage Brewster and help in any way they can.
Leven: What was the cost for your task of determining alternatives?
Meservey: $416,000 was their 1St phase -Concern for Brewster is will the data be valid given the
timeframe for your build-out?
Johnson: you mention some mistakes -can you highlight any?
Meservey: You have to figure out what the important steps are for your town. The community became
divided and that needs to be avoided...get consensus.
Johnson: Is there any sewering in Orleans? What is your goal for sewering?
Bruce: Approx. 60% but changes may be made based on some of the buildouts.
Johnson: Any requirements for septic pumping?
Meservey: No but that should be looked at. Loads were determined based on the actual home water
use and assumptions were applied that based on a 4 bedroom house on the vacant land. The Water
Department is a great resource for this information.
Carron: Are you going to televise these meetings? That was helpful.
Leven: We aren't set up for that yet.
Carron: Makes regular trips to the transfer station to get true public input -you have a core that are
interested and eat it up, then you have the people that will go to town meeting due to responsibility and
then you have the ballot box people that will turn it down. These are your challenges.
Bennett: There was public money available to help that is not here now. How should
Orleans/Brewster work together?
Carron: John Kelley is the person to go through. He will pass along to who ever else is appropriate.
P. Johnson: Congratulated the BOS and Mark for purchasing land to protecting the water resource.
Bruce: the Pleasant Bay Alliance was the group that they worked with over the past to get neighboring
towns together.
2-22-10 www.TOWN.BREWS"TER.MA.US Page 4 of6
P. Hughes: The CWPC has reviewed the Regionalization Study and will forward comments to the
BOS. Are you looking to get a response?
Meservey: No additional response is required at this point. The report has been finalized -they
needed to wrap it up for the grant and in an effort the pay the consultant.
Leven: As we gain more knowledge as we go through the process the committee could provide
additional input.
Meservey: Orleans has a 6 phase process that will take 20 years -don't know when the first phase is
going forward.
Meservey: Appreciates the communications between Sue and Chris -felt the Pleasant Bay Alliance
was a good resource to keep everyone in the loop.
P. Hughes: Thanked everyone for attending
Other Business:
CDM sent information on a water and wastewater utility presentation on the 5th at 10am at CDM's
offices in Cambridge. Anyone interested in attending please let Sue know.
Leven has been having discussions on what action items can occur while the committee is in process
(handouts on way regarding disposal of medication). Subjects include reducing fertilizers, use of low
phosphorous detergents). Leven is working on a set of topics if anyone has anything that might open
peoples eyes on what their responsibility is and what their role is in the process will help as we move
forward. CDM may be able to help us. This information might be something we have for Town
Meeting. Also, the committee has $20,000 so we could get some brochures printed/copied.
Miller: need to have a plan on how and what the committee sends out.
Leven: they have the option that they put together a series of communications
Lewis: a Public outreach plan -what you are doing and how.
Bennett: when is the plan due?
Leven: no timeframe has been established
Bennett: is there an outline of what the steps are?
Leven: has a link and will forward to the committee.
When the committee gets done with this phase how far along are we?
Leven: about'/2 a step.
2. Discuss next steps for the Ponds Study -The committee decided it needed to discuss at the next
meeting in order for the committee to review the study further and to get CDM's input. The thought
was that the spring Town Meeting was not the time to go to Town meeting for the funding. It might be
more appropriate to wait until CDM has had a chance to review and make their recommendations for
prioritization. The committee did not want to drop the ball and forget about this study. It is important to
keep this research going.
2-22-]0 www.T'OWN.BREWS"TER.MA.US Page 5 ofb
3. CDM timeline -noted the schedule had to be revised and adjusted for the research period and the
slight delay in getting started.
4. Review Minutes: February 8, 2010 -will be discussed at the next meeting
Next Meeting is scheduled for March 8, 2010 with CDM.
Bennett: Motioned to adjourn. Seconded by Johnson. Vote: All Aye.
ly
Administrative Clerk
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