Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Wellfleet Water Commissioners

300 Main Street, Wellfleet, MA

2nd Floor Conference Room

March 12, 2019, 6:00 PM

 Meeting Minutes

 

 

Members Present: Jim Hood, Chair; Curt Felix, Neil Gadwa, Catharie Nass, Thomas Flynn

 

Others Present: Rebekah Eldridge, Committee Secretary; Gail Ferguson, Member of the community; Joseph Powers, Assistant Town Administrator (joined the meeting at 6:24pm – left the meeting at 6:40pm); Jude Ahern, Member of the community; Mia Baumgarten, media manager for the Town of Wellfleet.

 

Chair Hood called the meeting to order at 6:02PM

 

Mia Baumgarten

            Discussion on taping upcoming meetings ~ Mia introduced herself to the group and explained what she does as far as having the meetings taped and put on to Wellfleet’s local channel 18.  She explained the benefits of having meetings taped. The board expressed some concerns about privacy. The board was told if they felt that a meeting could be private they could go into executive session, so the taping would stop. The board agreed at this time they needed to think about this decision and get back to Mia with their decision.

 

Annual Meeting Discussion

  • Water Resource Director – Town Meeting Article #35

Felix updated the board on the shellfish advisory board’s (SAB)meeting that he was in attendance, regarding the water resource director. The SAB voted to recommend this position. He went into detail as to why the town would benefit from this position. Powers gave some information on this article and that if there is another request to bring up another article 35 would have to be reconsidered. The understanding is that there in no one in the majority that would be looking to do that. If any other proposals come up they would be put off until March 26th if at all.

Ahern spoke to the board against the article and urged the board to watch the fin com meeting and the SAB meeting from the night before. She explained that this is a complex decision. She expressed that the job description wasn’t updated from a year ago. She questioned this.

Felix explained that there was a job description and that the personnel board and the finance committee had the job description in hand. Flynn expressed he wanted a position, but he didn’t feel the town is ready for such a position at this time.

Felix explained there is funding available because of the air BNB taxes. He is concerned that water and waste water are a huge undertaking for a board of volunteers. He explained there is a consultant and the consultant recommended that this position be considered. Felix also explained that Wellfleet is one of the only towns that doesn’t have full time staffing positions for water, and waste water

Felix moved to recommend Article 35 as printed, Nass seconded the motion

Motion Carried: 4-1-0

Chair Hood suggested that the board decided its next meeting and if things change they revisit this article.

 

  • Proposal for transfer of land (95 Lawrence Rd, Map #13, Parcel 42) Chair Hood discussed the property, he explained he went and looked at the original plans. He read that there is concerns about the existing system has a vulnerability with respect to the Coles Neck Main which is only a 4-inch main and it is limited to a hydraulic withdraw of 40,000 gallons per day. He handed the board the report from Environmental Partners Paul Millett; that came back explaining what this means. The conclusion of the report is that the existing 4-inch pipe is approximately 2 miles long and significantly limits the existing systems hydraulic capacity, the practical limit is 40,000 gallons per day from the Coles Neck Wells. Adding an additional 10,000 gallons per day is what’s needed for the Lawrence Road sight of average demand per day will exacerbate the deficiency. Felix asked more about the deficiency, the board wasn’t aware of this. They discussed further about a safety standpoint concerning the boy scout camp.   The recommendation is that if the board go back to DEP with a plan to expand the system by Lawrence Rd. they would have to get approval from DEP to operate the system. They discussed putting more water mains and lines down different roads.
  • Felix Moved to approve the transfer of land (95 Lawrence Rd.) conditional upon the connection of the system from Coles Neck Rd well site up to Briar Lane to provide hydraulic redundancy for the system. Flynn seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0-0
  • The board discussed that if this doesn’t go through at town meeting, this is an issue that is still going to need to be addressed.

 

Financial Model

  • This was tabled for a future meeting.

 

Eldridge relayed to the board, that a new water connection customer, 195 Main Street has applied and will be on the deferred payment plan for the connection fees.

 

Next Meeting Date

            Discussion on upcoming meeting dates, changing the day or making the meetings earlier on the same date

  • The board decided to have their upcoming meetings on the first and third Wednesday’s of each month, so they don’t interfere with Select Board meetings.

The upcoming meetings will be held:

April 3rd & 17th & May 1st & 15th at 6PM

 

Approval of Minutes

            December 4, 2018: Chair Hood moved to approve the minutes Flynn seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0

            January 15, 2019: No minutes currently

            February 19, 2019: Felix moved to approve the minutes, Chair Hood seconded the motion. Motion carried 5-0

 

Meeting adjourned 7:23PM