Town of Mashpee
Environmental Oversight Committee
Minutes of Meeting
July 10, 2008
Present: Chair-Don Myers, Beverly Kane, Ted Theis, Rick York, Ed Baker, Ralph Marcelli
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. by Don Myers, Chairman.
APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES:
Motion made by Mr. Baker to approve the minutes of June 12, 2008, as modified. Motion seconded by Mr. Theis. Five Committee Members voted in favor, one member abstained.
NEW BUSINESS
Ted Theis- Storm Drain Filters
Mr. Theis recommended two resources that detail stormwater issues. Erosion Control magazine discusses a variety of storm drain filters as well as the conversion in South Weymouth of the Old Weymouth Air Station to a residential property. The 8-page report can be viewed at www.erosioncontrol.com. Stormwater Magazine, at www.stormh2o.com is another good resource. Chairman Meyers recommended a link to the Environmental Oversight Committee’s website.
Mr. Theis is continuing to work on the physical test of the stormwater biofilter. There are two types, a trash filter and a trash/bio filter with biological activity to treat the pollutants as they float through the filter.
OLD BUSINESS
Don Myers-Board of Selectmen Updates
The Board of Selectmen approved the RFP for Santuit Pond and sent it to five companies for review. Discussion with the Cape Cod Commission may result in funds that could be used for a water quality study and to tie in the Santuit RFP with their requirements. It was noted that none of the base companies were on the list to receive the RFP and the Chair suggested that any recommendations for additional companies be forwarded to him.
Additionally, the Board of Selectmen has requested moving forward with combining the Sewer Commission and the Water District. The Board has determined that the Town Council should work with the Water District Council to identify what would be required to amalgamate the two entities.
Land Steward Program
The Chair spoke with Conservation Agent Drew McManus regarding an update for the Land Steward Program. All volunteers have received an introduction packet, mailed June 11, outlining the parcel areas and identifying the four Coordinators, Ashley Wire, Lisa Kane, Jim Leonard and Charlotte Garron. Envelopes, letters and guides were included with the packet. Agent McManus has already heard back from 8 volunteers regarding walk throughs they have already completed. The Conservation Agent and Assistant Conservation Agent will be meeting with volunteers on site in order to walk through the parcels together by the end of July or early August.
Mr. Baker has received some feedback regarding the rollout of the program, with some confusion as to who is assigned to which area and some areas without coverage. Some volunteers have found the included map inadequate for navigating their parcel because it is lacking detail. Some volunteers without boats have been assigned parcels with water and people with boats have parcels with no water. Mr. Baker emphasized the willingness on the part of the volunteers to do their jobs, but wants to ensure that their concerns are addressed in a timely manner in order to meet with greater success.
Mr. Baker suggested that the half time Assistant Conservation Agent was hired to provide sufficient manpower in getting the program off the ground, but wonders if the department has been given additional responsibilities beyond the Land Stewards Program. If the town is experiencing trouble running or managing the Program, the Mashpee Environmental Coalition would be willing to take on the responsibility.
Ms. Kane agreed that volunteers needed better maps indicating parcel boundaries and more information regarding whether or not there is access to the assigned parcel. Some of the parcels are large and could be divided to make it more manageable.
The Chair and Mr. Baker offered some solutions to some of the issues encountered by volunteers. As Land Stewards, it is recommended that they observe what they can and follow the circumference around their parcel to the best of their ability. Additionally, if there is no access to the parcel, other than by way of backyards abutting the parcel, a reasonable conclusion can be drawn that there is no access and, therefore, limited problems in the area. Mr. Baker suggested the use of the town’s GIS information, located on the town’s website, to take a look at the images of parcels online. Although the lot lines are not precise, GIS is somewhat accurate and offers a zoom in feature, and can depict such issues as ATV activity, campsites or any other issue/activity that doesn’t make sense
for the area. As Stewards, the volunteers can document what they see, sharing the information and offer feedback about the needs of the parcel, such as a path needed in case of a fire. Volunteers would benefit from a training program along with instruction on how to operate GIS. In addition, volunteers should be treated with respect and the lines of communication must be open and problems addressed immediately. Reports about the program should be shared with volunteers and they should be thanked.
The Committee agrees that there may be some issues as the program gets into place, but that this is a good start and people are getting out there. The Conservation Agent should be notified about any concerns. He has some plans which may resolve some of the issues.
Ralph Marcelli-Education
Mr. Marcelli read in a recent issue of the Enterprise that the Mashpee Sewer Commission was no longer interested in taking over the Mashpee High School Wastewater Treatment Plant because the window of their interest had passed and little could be learned from it.~ Mr. Marcelli will look into the issue further and locate the article to share more details.~
Mr. Marcelli also shared an article in today’s paper regarding a study on the Massachusetts Military Reservation where 20 different types of systems are being tested to determine which best removes nitrogen.
Ed Baker-Review of Action Items
2. Mashpee River Dredging
Chuck Green is setting up a library of engineering reports regarding the Mashpee River. The Waterways Commission has not been active on the Mashpee River Dredging. It was suggested that the Selectmen request the Waterways Commission become more active on Mashpee River dredging or have a town department or outside engineering manage it. The Board of Selectmen did discuss the issue at the last meeting but did not take action. The Environmental Oversight Committee can reiterate its concerns.
The Committee members discussed changing the project name to Mashpee River Restoration to better reflect the goals from the 1990’s and the Spring Warrant of 2004 to solve problems in the river related to sedimentation and shellfish closures. Over time, more has been learned about sedimentation, runoff problems, the importance of marshes and global warming. Dredging is only one aspect of what needs to be done in the Mashpee River and marshland restoration has always been a consideration. Government funds that may become available to fund such a project are more likely to be available to a restoration project.
Motion made by Ms. Kane to retitle the Mashpee River Dredging project to the Mashpee River Restoration. Motion seconded by Mr. Baker. All voted unanimously.
Rick York, Shellfish Constable
With the renaming of the Mashpee River Restoration, Mr. York reported on the Oyster Project and state of the bay and ponds. The Shellfish Department has received 870 oyster spat bags, one small batch and one large batch which required the use of the largest DPW truck to move the 4 tons of seed bags with shell fragments and newly set spat. They expect them to grow to ½ million oysters. The project has taken a lot of work and has resulted in 810 oyster bags in the Mashpee River, 50 bags in Hamblin Pond and 10 in Little River. Waquoit Bay has a better habitat for the oysters but the negative is that there are more predators. Although it’s riskier, the Shellfish Dept. continues to work over there. There are currently ½ million oysters in trays in the Mashpee River where they are
growing very fast. The single oysters started earlier in the season in May, when they were sand-sized, have now grown to 1” in size. Quahogs are also growing from seed. Americorps and the Waterways Assistants and other volunteers have been very helpful in getting the work done. The Shellfish Department is on target for meeting the December 2009 goal of 1 million oysters. The remainder of the single oysters are expected this week. More can be learned from an excellent article earlier in the week in the Enterprise. This project is an effort to restore the river by using the oysters to filter out the algae, keeping the river from getting worse while it is determined how to limit the nitrogen. A monitoring unit has been set up in the river next to the oyster bed.
The algae mats are still present and very thick. The algae mats are settling on top of the oysters when they’re on trays, but float during the day with oxygen. The Waquoit Bay mats are not impacting the shellfish beds because they’re close to the beach. However, at low tide they are exposed to the air and causing a smell, as it rots, that is blowing toward the island. Some of the algae is beginning to wash out and the department hopes it will continue to improve. John’s Pond is also experiencing an algae bloom, which is beginning to dissipate. It is a blue-green algae that is a nitrogen fixer so there would be a problem even if there is no nitrogen. There are also problems in Santuit and John’s Pond, which the Shellfish Dept. will be able to look into later
in the summer.
Mr. Baker noted that typically phosphorus concentration samples are taken late in the summer and taken to the Cape Cod Commission. Results typically arrive in May, however, results from 2007 have not yet been received. Tom Camberieri is aware and Ed Eichner indicated that the information should be forthcoming. Given the changes at the Cape Cod Commission, it was suggested that the Environmental Coalition may need to take on this responsibility or the Town Manager should inquire with the Cape Cod Commission.
4. Natural Fertilizers/Friendly Lawn Program
As per the last meeting, this item will be combined with #6, Brochures and Handouts. There will be no activity planned until fall.
5. Grant Applications
The Board of Selectmen will draft an RFP for a contract writer.
7. Town-Wide Stormwater Management Plan
The paving of Quinaquisett Ave. and storm drain project was delayed to Spring 2008 and then summer and the Sampson Mill Rd./Santuit River runoff evaluation has also been put on hold. The DPW Regulations and Subdivision Regulations have differing specifications. It is necessary for the town road regulations and private road regulations be the same to encompass the whole town. Catherine Laurent, DPW Director and Charlie Rowley, Consulting Engineer for the Mashpee Planning Board, planned to work together to develop a draft of combined regulations, but there has not yet been a meeting.
Beverly Kane-Stormwater Management Plan
Ms. Kane confirmed that there hasn’t yet been a meeting, but that Ms. Laurent had attended a Planning Board meeting for an initial review of the Subdivision Regulations. The 2006-2007 NPDES Small MS4 Permit Annual Report governs the town’s roads and was initially reviewed by the Environmental Oversight Committee. After the Committee’s review, it was determined that the regulatory items would help the Planning Board with the Subdivision Regulations and could help the town meet its requirements. The Planning Board views this as a priority. The Board of Selectmen has voted to place a moratorium on the town taking roads until this issue is resolved.
Certain maintenances and functions must now be performed in accordance with state regulations. Close communication is required with Ms. Laurent in order to move forward. Ms. Kane would like to invite Ms. Laurent to the Environmental Oversight meeting to address any questions and issues. The Chair will contact Ms. Laurent to request a memo update regarding stormwater runoff, the MS4, swail construction and the Sampson Mill Rd./Santuit River runoff evaluation. The Chair will communicate the information to Ms. Kane prior to the Planning Board meeting.
Ms. Kane has drafted, and presented to the Committee, a document to educate homeowners about stormwater runoff. The goal was to make the draft direct and to the point for reading purposes, because everyone is busy, but interesting to encourage the average person to take the time to review and implement the suggestions. The Guide encourages homeowners to use the water falling on their property, and to control runoff. Individually it seems small but collectively, it can make a big difference. Ms. Kane has asked that the Committee members review the document. The Chair suggested that it be added to the website. Ms. Kane will forward the PowerPoint presentation to the Committee by email. Ms. Kane hopes a grant could be obtained that would allow printing and distribution of the Guide
to homeowners and has listed the Mashpee Environmental Coalition’s website as a point of contact and an opportunity to learn more.
Ms. Kane also announced that the Planning Board and Cape Cod Commission would be having a discussion with Mashpee Commons regarding their undeveloped parcels. Stormwater is a major issue. Following the discussions, Mr. Storrs will make a decision about pursuing a permit. The Planning Board is scheduled to meet at 6pm next Wednesday to accommodate a 1 ½ hour discussion of the topic.
8. Santuit Pond
Last February, 2007 the Blue Ribbon Committee and the Environmental Oversight Committee voted to ask Cable Technology to sponsor acquiring water parameter measuring devices for salt water. Mr. Baker proposes contacting the Town Manager for more information. Mr. York had submitted a proposal for two devices but was asked to seek additional funding elsewhere and plans to resubmit by the end of the month.
Residents have reported to Mr. Baker that there appears to be a serious runoff problem midway on the western shore of Santuit Pond. A group of roadways are pitched toward a town owned lot, causing the runoff problem. Mr. Baker would like to ask the DPW to check out the situation to determine if it is a problem and recommend how it can be resolved. The area is a defunct homeowner association; there is no vegetation to absorb the runoff.
10. Stormwater Biofilter
There has been no change and Mr. Theis has recommended that this be included with Town-Wide Stormwater Management Plan.
Motion made by Mr. Baker to combine number 7 and 10 of the action items. Motion seconded by Mr. York. All voted unanimously.
12. Recycling
The cardboard has been relocated. Mr. Baker would like to have an update from the Board of Health regarding the requirement of private haulers offering recycling. Mr. Baker suggested investigating a “pay as you throw” option in an effort to reduce waste and encourage recycling, 80%-90% of disposables can be recycled. However, he was unsure as to how to recommend the town initiate a review of pricing. The Chair indicated that annual costs are reviewed in the fall and, at present, the town has a favorable contract with SEMASS. The contract will most likely be reviewed in the future since costs may increase due to rising fuel prices. The Chair would like the Selectmen to consider having a maintained transfer station, but curbside recycling might be a better option. The
benefits would include encouraging recycling and throwing away less, as well as fuel savings and less congested roadways. If the town offered curbside pickup, it may also reduce illegal dumping. Large items could be a quarterly or scheduled pickup, and possibly with an extra charge. Recycling could be free as money would be made with the recyclables. Costs to support curbside pickup would be built in to the tax base.
The Committee would like to consider this further and recommend a group assigned to study the issue. At present, the Environmental Oversight Committee should discuss the issue in conjunction with the DPW.
13. Ashumet Pond
This item was closed at the last meeting.
14. Resident Comments regarding Mashpee’s Ponds Water Quality
This issue is related to Santuit and water quality measuring and reports. Inquire further with the Cape Cod Commission.
MEETING ADJOURNMENT:
Motion made by Mr. Baker to adjourn the meeting at 9:07 p.m. Motion seconded by Mr. York. All voted unanimously.
Respectfully submitted,
Jennifer M. Clifford
Board Secretary
| 
