Summary of Board of Selectmen Meeting, Monday, May 4 from Town Administrator, Fred Turkington:
The Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting on Monday (May 4) at 7:00 p.m.
Members of the Board of Health and Public Health Nurse Ruth Mori provided a briefing on the status of the swine flu outbreak and the state and local precautionary response. For additional information, visit our website at http://www.wayland.ma.us/boh/index.htm and select items from the right side of the screen.
Members of the Wastewater Management District Commission reviewed the status of the design of the new wastewater treatment facility, as well as the bidding and construction schedule. The design is 90% complete, reflecting equipment necessary to meet permit standards. It is hoped that the project can be bid, contract awarded, and construction commenced by the end of the summer. The projected timeframe would allow for concrete work to be completed before the onset of winter. The plant is expected to require 10-12 months to be completed.
Discussion followed on the allocation of plant flows among users. Speculation by some of the estimated share of the plant’s $5.6M bond authorization has been based on the assumption that 30% of the cost would be distributed among all users other than Twenty Wayland based on Title V estimates of wastewater production. The new EPA permit contains the option to discharge the treated wastewater to both groundwater and surface water, rather than strictly to the groundwater as allowed under the expired permit. The additional flexibility should reduce the proportion of plant flow allocated to users other than Twenty Wayland, and the corresponding capital costs. While Title V flows are but one method for allocating discharges and costs, the final decision on the equitable assessment of plant costs rests with the Wastewater Management District Commission after a public hearing.
On Tuesday, May 5th, there was a joint meeting of the Sudbury and Wayland Boards of Selectmen and the Wayland-Sudbury Septage Committee in Sudbury. The selectmen heard a presentation by the Septage Committee on the proposed upgrades necessary to meet DEP standards for discharge of treated effluent into the groundwater. The majority of the committee was not convinced that the $350,000 capital investment would allow the facility operator to consistently meet the DEP permit limits. Moreover, the increased plant flows potentially offered by DEP once full compliance was established are necessary to generate sufficient revenues to meet plant operating and capital costs. Under terms of an administrative consent order, DEP requires compliance with the four standards each month or face an order to close. The majority of the Septage Committee recommended that the towns decommission the facility by December 1, 2009.
Two members of the committee argued for the selectmen to seek additional time from DEP to modify the treatment process to achieve permit compliance, installing additional technologies as necessary. These members believed increased flows would be permitted by DEP and provide sufficient funds to meet operating costs, and argued that closing the facility would increase cost of septic disposal for residents of both towns as haulers increased charges to cover transportation costs to alternative sites in either Fitchburg or Blackstone Valley.
Both boards of selectmen unanimously sided with the majority that the likelihood of success in meeting permit was not sufficient to justify the expenditure of capital funds. The facility has long-term obligations for health and pension costs for retired employees and the costs of decommissioning. Failure to meet permit after the capital investment would leave taxpayers in both towns responsible for the bond payments. The vote directed Sudbury Town Manager Maureen Valente and Wayland Town Administrator Fred Turkington to work with the committee, legal counsel and consulting engineers to develop the decommissioning plan satisfactory to DEP while preserving facility assets to minimize long-term costs. The boards also agreed to modify the intermunicipal agreement as appropriate to reflect the decision to close the facility and to settle mutual obligations from the shared venture.
Lastly, the boards reviewed the status of suggestions for collaboration on programs and facilities between the two towns. Building the decision to share a recreation director, selectmen will ask staff to work with members of ad hoc committees reviewing alternative energy projects such as photovoltaic cells and methane gas capture to work collaboratively to determine viability and potential grant funding. Other areas under consideration are transfer station, library, and senior services. The two boards intend to meet again by early fall.
Sudbury’s public access group taped the meeting for future broadcast on both WayCAM and Sudbury TV.
Fred
