In an effort to build residents’ support and ensure forward movement on solving the town center’s septic problems, the Town Center Septic Task Force is narrowing the focus of its project and reducing its request for town funding.
At Saturday’s Town Meeting, members of the task force will introduce a “friendly amendment” which will reduce the current request from $40,000 to $9,500.
The move comes as a result of a desire on the part of task force members to come up with a concrete action plan that will address, at the very least, the septic needs of the municipal buildings in the center of town. The new request is, according to task force member Chris Ashley, a “bare bones minimum” that will enable the town to implement an action plan. The article will require a ? vote in order to pass.
The task force’s initial request for $40,000 reflected the group’s plan to explore all available septic options to the town, ranging from on-site systems for individual municipal buildings to a comprehensive sewer system for the entire town.
The new number represents the task force’s decision to refocus its efforts on the town center only, specifically with examining how the existing municipal system could be upgraded to address the town center’s needs.
At last Monday’s meeting of the group, task force member Leo Blair said, “If we’re going to keep this low-budget, that limits what we can and can’t do. If we can spend $9,500 and ascertain from that the feasibility of using the existing sewer, that’s a good use of money.”
Members discussed the breakdown of the new figure. Fifty-five hundred dollars of it would cover consultation fees from the environmental engineering firm Norfolk Ram. Wastewater engineer Wayne Perry from Norfolk Ram has been working with the town’s current treatment plant since its creation and is intimately familiar with its operation. His job in the next phase of the project would be to recommend the necessary specific capital improvements to the existing system and to revise cost estimates in order to provide the town with clear data about the price of the project.
Another $2,000 is earmarked for legal fees. Task force member and Selectman Tim Clark explained the need for attorneys to advise on issues such as how to define a wastewater district and how to establish a wastewater commission that fulfills state requirements. Additionally, legal counsel could advise on other important questions that need to be asked about who would be allowed to hook up to the system and in what context.
Limited geological assessments account for another $2,000 of the request. Clark explained the need to “put spade to ground” in a few sites where the nature and condition of the septic system is currently unknown, such as the Hildreth House.
Finally, the task force has set aside $500 for public communication, including mailing and printing. Task force members agreed that having the ability to effectively share information with the public would be key to the success of the project.
Task force members have been concerned about feedback from residents that the initial warrant article appeared to be “just another study.” Clark clarified that this article is in fact an “action plan” that enables the town to move forward. Should the article pass, the selectmen will be charged not only with conducting the analysis but also with placing an article on the warrant for the next town meeting that asks the town to “vote up” or “vote down” a specific sewer construction project.
Clark explained that Article 14 effectively operates as a mandate from town residents that they do in fact want the town center’s sewer question resolved.
“The article charges the selectmen with this job,” he said. “And it says that the town wants the selectmen to do this job.”
Task force member Chris Ashley also emphasized the importance of getting concrete results from this warrant article. “We want to see an action result,” he said. “It’s up to us to take a leadership position on this.”
