Wellfleet Board of Water Commissioners
Senior Center Conference Room
Thursday, March 6, 2008, 7:00 p.m.
Present: Vice-Chairman Moe Barocas, Emily Beebe, Celeste Makely, Julia Willecke
Absent: Mark Berry
Vice-Chair Moe Barocas called the meeting to order at 7:08 p.m.
Willecke moved to approve the amended minutes of February 21, 2008. Makely seconded, and the motion carried 3-0.
Willecke, Barocas and Makely, who had visited the prospective tank site at Lawrence Rd. on Tuesday, said that they found the site visit useful.
The next step the Board plans is to organize a meeting with all concerned. First EPG needs to meet with the BWC. The other committees could send their questions and concerns in advance, Willecke said. EPG will be invited to the April 10 meeting with the BWC and asked to send the plans and figures for the tank site in advance.
Celeste Makely plans to meet with the superintendent of the water department of Brewster.
No decision has been made yet on betterments, and the option is being kept open to keep hook-up fees as reasonable as possible and meet our stated goal of 8/20, Beebe said. Barocas said that the BWC would make sure that fire hydrants were part of EPG’s water expansion plan. Barocas said that betterments apply to people whose property the water main passes; however, a nearby fire hydrant is an even more obvious betterment. Barocas said he would like to see the Board focus on hydrants as a selling point. Payment for betterments can be made through taxes or go directly into an Enterprise Fund.
Emily Beebe said there has to be a dedicated Enterprise Fund for the water system. She quoted Town Counsel’s letter of May 18, 2000. The letter outlines a four point test that a water system must pass. A December 3, 2004 opinion from Town Counsel enumerates on the four point test. Beebe said the fourth test is for a dedicated fund for the water system. Beebe said that there needs to be an Enterprise Fund set up for the Water System.
Barocas asked that Mark Vincent be consulted about creation of an Enterprise Fund and why one was not created for the Coles Neck Water System. Barocas said he would like to understand what the thinking was about setting up an Enterprise Fund. Beebe said the BWC needs to get a new opinion from Town Counsel on establishing an Enterprise Fund. She and Moe Barocas will request this.
Barocas noted that the records on liens for water connections are stored at the DPW building.
Moe Barocas read the February 22, 2008 letter from Hillary Greenberg to Dr. Brian Howes of the UMass Coastal Systems requesting a date for completion of the Mass Estuaries Project Report.
The Board considered the expected reorganization of the BWC that will be needed in July.
Barocas moved to adjourn. Makely seconded and the meeting was adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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Mary Rogers, Committee Secretary Moe Barocas, Vice-Chairman
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Date
The BWC approved these minutes at their meeting 4/10/08.
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