Approved
Comprehensive Wastewater Management Planning Committee
June 28, 2011, 2:30 pm
DPW Conference Room
Attendees: Curt Felix, Ned Hitchcock, Bob Larsen, Hillary Greenberg-Lemos, Paul Gabriel, Christine Bates, Committee Secretary
Regrets: Alex Hay and Lezli Rowell
Meeting called to order at 2:38 pm.
· Discussion on joint meeting with Board of Health scheduled for August 24, 2011. This will be a public meeting to inform the public what the plan entails. This is in response to letters received by the Health Department encouraging enforcement of septic upgrades for property on ponds and waterways, eliminating cesspools. Agent Greenberg-Lemos stated the ponds have not failed the water quality tests and data supports that the quality is getting better.
Curt Felix stated the Selectmen were looking for additional information on the oyster propagation plan and will invite the committee to discuss in further detail.
· Discussion regarding data entry by EPG. Paul Gabriel stated he would like to take files from the Health office for data entry at his location. An amendment to the contract was made to include the data entry which would take approximately 500 hours. The amendment states EPG will perform the work versus the town and $20,000 will be allocated if needed. Gabriel stated arrangements were made for the YSI meter and the Town will own it. Gabriel stated Paul Millett met with the Harbor Master for the location of the YSI, which will be locked and secured. The camera feeds into the computer at the Harbor office and it is
anticipated there will be 24 hour updates.
Ned Hitchcock moved to approve the amendment for the data mining task; seconded by Bob Larsen; passed 3-0.
Build out assessment - quantifying Town of Wellfleet build out. UMass has not provided any information regarding the nitrogen levels and Curt Felix will follow up with George Meservey. Curt explained that reviewing the data available now would take months to determine what build out could be achieved based on the assessor maps, some subjective judgments about what might be built and possible zoning changes over the next 20 years and represented the theoretical “supply” of building stock not the 20 year “demand” which is relevant for nitrogen planning over the next 20 years. . He stated it should be based on anticipated population and a demand forecast which would be much more defensible and predictable and not lead to over investment in possible remediation.
Curt Felix questioned eliminating MEP because we have our own consultants, etc. He stated towns are bound by MEP and DEP results and felt if Wellfleet did their own numbers, the plan would be generated with greater control and understanding of what is going into the results and how they are being produced. Do we let MEP tell us what the numbers should be or should we determine the numbers and be in control of the process? Gabriel stated if MEP won’t release the model, it would not be cheap to create one. The committee will invite Andrew Gottlieb to a meeting for discussing this issue and provide some feedback for the July 26, 2011 meeting at 2:30 pm. It was also recommended to invite John Riehl. Gabriel recommended asking MEP provide current information to the
Town.
Ned Hitchcock moved to ask MEP to provide the Committee with all available draft material on water quality or existing nitrogen load for Wellfleet Harbor, and all draft documents relative to Wellfleet’s MEP report; seconded by Bob Larsen; passed 3-0.
Ned Hitchcock moved to send a letter to the Wellfleet Harbor Condo Association absolving them of any legal issues to use their property as well as the use of data from a the planned sentinel well; seconded by Bob Larsen; passed 3-0.
· Board membership solicitation for vacancy. The committee discussed various people who might be interested and who have a background for a good fix.
There was further discussion regarding the build out information requested by the SMAST team and Agent Greenberg-Lemos stated it will be difficult to provide the information required by their deadline. .
Ned Hitchcock moved to adjourn at 3:35 pm; seconded by Bob Larsen; passed 3-0.
Respectfully submitted,
Christine A. Bates
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