BWC Minutes

Board of Water Commissioners

Wellfleet Town Hall Conference Room, 300 Main St.

March 21, 2017 at 6:00 PM

Commissioners Present:  Chair Justina Carlson, Neil Gadwa, James Hood, Catherie Nass

Also Present: Michaela Miteva

Chair Carlson called the meeting to order at 6:05 pm.

Water Operations RFP Update

The Board has not heard back from Whitewater, on the issue of whether there are repairs and routine maintenance recommendations to be considered, relative to the RFP. Neil Gadway raised the issue of how the Town is informed whether Whitewater is on site for the contracted amount of hours. Michaela Miteva said Tom Walker of Whitewater checks in daily.

Open Cape Generator Use Update

Michaela Miteva said the back up generator is running, using the Town’s Water Tower antenna. Because of this, the Enterprise Fund electricity bill has tripled from approximately $3K to $9K. She added that Open Cape has not fulfilled provisions of their contract. Jim Hood raised the issue of whether Provincetown or Eastham’s experience with Open Cape has been similar to Wellfleet’s, and said he will follow up with a contact he has in Eastham.

FY2018 Budget Update

Michaela Miteva informed the Board that the Finance Committee has approved the FY2018 Water Enterprise budget.

2017 Annual Town Meeting Articles Recommendation

Curt Felix moved the Board approve Warrant Article 5, regarding the Enterprise Fund Budget and whether the Town will vote to appropriate and/or transfer funds to the Enterprise Fund sums necessary to fund the Fiscal Year 2018 Enterprise Fund Budget. Jim Hood seconded, the motion passed 5-0.

Curt Felix moved that the Board approve Warrant Artice 16, regarding a transfer from available funds of $53,000 or any other sum, for the purpose of reimbursing the Water Enterprise Fund for hook-up fees for Town owned buildings. Catharine Nass seconded, and the motion passed 5-0.

The Board discussed Article 28, to rescind borrowing authorization for Wellfleet Municipal Water System design plans, for an extension down Briar Lane to the Outer Cape Health Services property. The Board reviewed Correspondence from Patricia Nadel, regarding the status of testing of a well located on the OCHS property. Neil Gadway stated that the OCHS well not an operational well. Therefore, its too early to say if the well will work. Volumetric testing has not been performed. He said the pump test is critical, and well performance can change over time.  Curt Felix agreed. Catharie Nass said it was clearly the voters expression to support Outer Cape Health. Chair Carlson added there is no cost to leaving the appropriation on the books, until the well is more fully proven. She added the voters were not given the opportunity to simply extend Town Water to Outer Cape, without the condition of Outer Cape drilling a well. Town Water is more reliable, and Outer Cape Health is critical to the Wellfleet community.

Chair Carlson moved the Board vote to not recommend Article 28 to rescind borrowing authorization for WMWS design plans to OCHS. Curt Felix seconded. The Board voted 4-0, with Jim Hood abstaining.

Wastewater Committee and Water Commission Warrant Article

The Board discussed the Wastewater Committee’s Request for a Warrant Article for Town Water Quality Management. The Wastewater Committee met on March 13, and voted to recommend a Warrant Article to approve and fund a Department level hire for Water Quality. Curt Felix presented the recommendation to Dan Hoort and Dennis Murphy in a Memorandum, also sent to the Board of Water Commissioners. 

Chair Carlson moved the Board approve a recommendation of a Warrant Article to create a Town Water Quality management position. Jim Hood seconded. The Board approved 5-0.

Warrant Article: Process and Path Forward

Curt Felix said he has had subsequent conversations with Dan Hoort and Dennis Murphy. Curt Felix said that the Board of Selectmen had voted to close the Warrant for the April 2018 Town Meeting.Curt Felix said additional discussion was needed to bring a Warrant Article to Town Meeting in the Fall, or Spring of 2018.  Michaela Miteva stated there would need to be a Personnel Board review of a job description.

Public Outreach

Catharine Nass said she will be meeting with Brian Carlson over the next week or two, to send out a survey of Town Water users via Survey Monkey.

Cost of Service Option

Curt Felix said he talked to Dennis Murphy about the cost of service option the Board has been discussing. Dennis Murphy said the option to extend the Water System may be cost effective for the Town, in terms of its mitigation obligations for the Herring River project. Paying to extend the Water System to residents whose water is compromised may be less expensive to the Town than other available options. Curt Felix noted that the incremental cost to the system of additional water is zero. Thus, there is a negative marginal cost of adding customers, and he stated the Board should consider aligning the rate structure, to be consistent with the cost structure.

Chair Carlson recommended the Board continue to look at the Cost of Service Option, and come up with a cost of service rate structure.

Master Planning

Chair Carlson recommended the Board return to the issue of Master Planning; at its next meeting; the Board concurred.

Discussion of Adding Alternate Members

Pursuant to the Charter Review Committee request for input, the Board discussed the idea of adding Alternate Members. Jim Hood pointed out the Board already has difficulties recruiting new members; the vacancy by departing Board member Lori Vanderschmid took months to fill. Adding an Alternate Member could make this problem worse. Catherine Nass said that as the Board is a working Board, an additional member participating in discussions could take up additional meeting time.

Chair Carlson moved that the Board decline the idea of adding Alternate Member(s); Catharie Nass seconded; the Board approved 5-0.

Correspondence

The Board of Selectmen’s letter to Eversource regarding their position on Eversource’s use of herbicides, was circulated to the Board. Michaela Miteva said she discussed the issue with Dennis Murpy, and a possible Town bylaw to require control wells on the zone of contribution due to the possible effect on drinking water. These would allow for water testing, to determine if public water was compromised or endangered.

Catharine Nass pointed out that there are existing homeowner wells that can be tested. She also said that there is no indication from adjacent property owners that there has been a problem with their water. She said that the existing scientific literature regarding the safety of the chemicals Eversource uses in spraying does not support a toxicity to humans. Curt Felix said that monitoring wells is prudent. He also said that physical pruning of vegetation lasts longer, and poses no danger to water, and is a preferable method for Eversource to use. He said current data shows no effect on water, but requiring monitoring wells would create a financial barrier to Eversource to using chemicals. Michaela Miteva disagreed that the literature shows the chemicals do no harm. She said she would find and circulate to the Board relevant literature.

Next Meeting

The next meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 4 at 6:00 pm in the Wellfleet Town Hall 2nd Floor Conference Room.

Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 7:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Justina Carlson (Chair)