Wastewater Implementation Committee Meeting

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Meeting date: 
Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Meeting Minutes

For

Town of Harwich

Wastewater Implementation Committee (WIC)

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 7:00 p.m.

Attendees:

WIC Members: Peter de Bakker (Chair), Jeremy Gingras, Chris Harlow, Heinz Proft and Allin Thompson

Others: Linda Cebula, Chris Clark, Charleen Greenhalgh, Ann Howe, Jim Cheverie, Liz Dubuque and Sharon Pfleger

CDM Smith: David Young

Introduction:

The Harwich WIC held a meeting on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at the Harwich town offices to review and discuss issues related to the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP).

 

A summary of items discussed is provided below in order of the agenda.

Summary of Discussion Items:

  1. Discuss and approve WIC Minutes dated January 20, 2016.

Motion to approve minutes of January 20, 2016 was made by Allin Thompson and 2nd by Jeremy Gingras. Approved unanimously as amended (typo).

  1. Review CDM Smith invoice.

CDM Smith invoice in amount of $20,053.35 and progress report were discussed and approved for processing by Heinz Proft. David Young noted that about $25,000 remains in the budget.  CDM Smith will try to maximize budgets going forward. The MEPA and CCC filings and reviews remain along with the watershed reports due to the CCC in June 2016

Peter de Bakker noted there is no FY17 Town Meeting article for additional wastewater planning funds. He indicated the WIC will need to work with CDM Smith to adjust budgets and perhaps not meet as frequently. He asked Town Administrator Chris Clark if additional monies could be found to supplement the CDM Smith work. Mr. Clark requested a justification and budget amount be submitted and he would see what sources might be available or if a Special Town Meeting request could be put forth. Peter de Bakker asked David Young to prepare and submit that request.

  1. Discuss results of a discussion with the BOS for a dedicated Wastewater Outreach person

Chris Clark indicated a $20,000 budget item has been added to the proposed FY17 budget for this position. He is still waiting for a draft position description from the WIC should the budget pass. Jeremy Gingras and Chris Harlow will work on the draft description.

  1. Discuss and review draft wastewater program presentation for WIC members to use.

Heinz Proft had worked with David Young to develop a brief Harwich wastewater program presentation and he used it for a recent finance committee meeting. The presentation was well received. Other WIC members show review and practice giving it so that they could present to other town groups as previously discussed. Suggestion was also made to post the presentation on the town website for others to view and use. Linda Cebula reiterated the need to use common everyday terms in these presentations so that everyone understands what is being stated.

  1. Discuss all key town committees and boards to meet together for a Wastewater Summit on April 7, 2016..

David Young reviewed the wastewater summit that he participated in with Dennis and indicated it was well received by all who participated. Peter de Bakker and Peter Hughes sent a letter to all key town boards and committees inviting them to this meeting on April 7th. Brian Dudley from DEP, Patty Daley from the CCC, David Young and Chris Clark will all be presenting. Breakout groups to discuss questions will also be included. Need to encourage all to attend.

  1. Update on Chatham MOU and Harwich Sewer Use Regulations. Discuss and potential vote concerning draft sewer use by-law.

Chris Clark provided an overview of the status of the discussions between Chatham and Harwich for the wastewater Inter-municipal Agreement (IMA). Harwich just received another draft of the IMA from Chatham (3-10-16). Harwich had hoped to bring the agreement to the spring town meeting but does not seem feasible now. There has been some discussion about holding a special town meeting in fall to just address wastewater issues.

As part of the IMA, Harwich will become a co-permittee to the Chatham treatment plant and associated discharge permits. As such it must adopt as a minimum the Chatham sewer use regulations and create a Harwich version. Chatham created their regulations via a 59-page bylaw that requires town meeting action for any changes. Harwich could create a one page bylaw and then put all the other info into a sewer use regulation controlled by the wastewater commissioners. Another option is to create a more extensive bylaw (first 11 sections of Chatham bylaw) and then rest into sewer regulations. David Young noted that most communities put this type of information into a sewer use regulation and not into a bylaw. Charleen Greenhalgh thinks Chatham is the only community that has such an extensive bylaw based on her discussions with Bob Duncanson from Chatham.

After some discussion a motion was made by Jeremy Gingras and seconded by Allin Thompson that reads “The WIC recommends to the Harwich Board of Selectmen that they adopt a one page (short form) sewer use bylaw for approval at town meeting that grants them the authority to issue sewer use regulations that they can revise as needed in the future after holding a public hearing on the changes. The subject sewer use regulations should be issued in draft form prior to the bylaw vote at town meeting and also posted on the town website for public review”. Motion passed 5-0

The basis of the WIC recommendation is that they believe the Board of Selectmen acting as sewer commissioners should have the authority to make changes to the regulations that tend to be technical and regulatory in nature. All proposed future changes should be published on the town website and a public hearing conducted so that the public does have an opportunity to comment on them before the Selectmen vote to make changes to the regulations. The WIC also understands that this is the most common format utilized by most municipalities in the state.

  1. Update on Muddy Creek

Peter de Bakker noted he walked the contraction site recently and was very impressed with the improvements. Chris Clark noted he expected a ribbon cutting for the project in May. Otherwise project is on budget and schedule.

  1. Update on Cold Brook Study

David Young recently spoke with Michael Lach and learned that the lead person working with Harwich Conservation Trust from the Department of Environmental Resources left and so that project is a little behind. SMAST staff who is doing the bulk of the Cold Brook study with CDM Smith continues to work on evaluating the data collected and expects to have some preliminary recommendations in May.

  1. Update on Final CWMP Schedule

David Young indicated the Final CWMP will be filed the end of March with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office and the Cape Cod Commission as these agencies do a joint review. After that process the CCC continues with their Development of Regional Impact (DRI) review. All of this is expected to take 3 to 6 months to complete.

He also noted CDM Smith is preparing the wastershed reports for Harwich to file with the CCC in June 2016 per the 208 Report.

  1. New/Old/ Other Business

Harwich representatives and Dennis representatives met today with David Young to review and discuss potential community partnership between the two towns or to expand and include Yarmouth. Conversation was positive from all sides. Future meetings to be scheduled with all three towns.

  1. Future Meeting:

May 11, 2016 at 9:30 a.m. proposed (ultimately revised to May 4, 2016)

Adjourn 8:45 p.m.

The above minutes have been completed from notes taken by CDM Smith.  

Distribution: Attendees, WIC Members and Chris Clark

 

Approved:

Date:         ____________________

 

 

__________________________                               

Peter de Bakker,  Chair