Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Board of Water Commissioners

Tuesday December 4, 2018

Conference Room 2nd Floor

Town Hall, 300 Main St. Wellfleet

 

Members Present: Jim Hood, Chair; Neil Gadwa, Thomas Flynn

Members Absent: Catharie Nass, Curt Felix

Others Present: Rebekah Eldridge, Committee Secretary; Joseph Powers, Assistant Town Administrator; Gail Ferguson, member of the community

 

Cumberland Farms – Update

            Additional hydrant at Pine Point Road

  • Jim spoke about his meeting with Cumberland Farms. There was an agreement made about having a fire hydrant installed on the intersection of Pine Point Rd and Route 6. This will be at the cost of the Board of Water Commissioners. A total of $3,000 to $5,000. The water will start in the spring of 2019 and the construction to start in the fall of 2019. The board will get quotes for the fire hydrant.
  • Flynn moved to approve the plan including the new fire hydrant Gadwa seconded the motion 3-0 motion carried.

 

Masonic Lane Request – Follow Up

  • Chair Hood had a meeting with Dan Hoort and Austin Knight (a member of the Masonic Temple). They are interested in having a water main brought down. Gadwa was able to locate the curb stop. The Masonic Lane doesn’t want to bring the water up from Commercial Street. This is a sodium issue. They will eventually have to connect to water. Discussion about septic systems and where the water can be brought from began.
  • The board will look at how the Masonic Temple is zoned, commercial or residential. Hood asked Eldridge to look at how Preservation Hall was billed for water and how the Congregational Church was billed for water?

 

Briar Lane Survey – Update

  • Nass’s draft letter for the property owners on Masonic Lane were handed out. The board discussed some concerns with the letter. Gadwa had concerns with the 25% in the letter. Flynn asked if some of the information in the letter had to be shared with the public.
  • The board will give Nass more data to be built into the letter and table it until the next meeting.

 

Outsourcing Water System Billing System Management

  • Powers spoke about the upcoming billing cycle the board agreed to wait until Roy returned from vacation before meters were read. Gadwa stated he would like to ride with Roy for a meter read. Hood stated the importance of just having the meters read so there is no higher priced billing.
  • Powers explained the process of billing, discussion of water meters continued.
  • Powers then explained the process of having Pennichuck come on board as the Town of Wellfleet’s new billing company. This will be an addendum to the Whitewater contract. Pennichuck will be paid an upfront startup fee of $18,692.00 and $1,100 fee to be paid twice a year, with each billing cycle. He explained that if they decide to terminate a onetime fee of $5,403 will be applied. Discussion of how Pennichuck will work for the board and the customers that have the water.
  •  

 

Connection Fees and Rate Structure

  • Tabled until next meeting to discuss when Curt is present.

 

New Business

  • Update on Herridge Books connecting to water
  • Letters in Correspondence, Letters from the DEP, Christmas invitation to a party for water members.

 

Chair hood moved to adjourn the meeting Gadwa seconded the motion

3-0 motion carried