Water Pollution Control Authority - Regular Meeting

Okay, it's 7:30. Going to call the meeting to order. First item is attendance and I think we are all here. So, Dennis, me,

Ryan, Laura, [cough] John, and Sally. Thank you all for attending. So on here, the next item is the election of a treasurer. And I know Martha really wants us to have a treasurer. We do need to have a treasurer, but at the moment we don't have one. Um I know that Martha is reaching out to the community to expand this group and others as well and looking for some level of expertise like a civil engineer, etc. to help in particular this group. What are these two? So, what I propose and we're waiting on uh I'm waiting on Martha to get back to me. I had asked her if you're an alternate, can you also be a treasurer because a treasurer is sort of an um an official and I'm not sure. So, she was going to ask a legal for that. But in the meantime, Laura has set forward and Laura has a lot of credentials to be a treasurer. Laura has experience and has your other degree in accounting, which is perfect. Perfect. So, I've been dealing with the U treasurer with the financials and actually it's not that bad. It's really not that bad. But right now, we're not really doing hard anything special with clean water funds as decisions have not been made. We're sort of in a bit of a limbo. But I can tell you um that we [snorts] did what we what I do let me share that with you. My my thought is until we have an official treasurer, what we can do is form a study group with you and me and

Laura to do the financials for now until we have an official treasurer. And I'm hoping everybody will Do you agree with that? It's a good idea. That's a good idea. Thank you. [clears throat] Do I have to make a motion to establish that? Yeah. Okay. So, can can an alternate be in group?

Yes. An alternate can be in a study group. Absolutely. That's for sure. But I think in a study group there has to be one one full member and then alternates can be in it. I don't know what speed is but anyway. Um, so that's how I think we should proceed with this for now. So can I make a motion to establish a study group to handle financials for now until we have an elected official treasurer? I'll make a motion. Oh, you make a motion. Okay.

I'll second. So the motion is to establish a study group for to handle the financials until we have an official treasurer. Okay, John, you seconded it. Any discussion? All in favor? I I I Okay, unanimous. Thank you all.

Any opposing? Great. Thank you. So, that's what we'll do and I will talk with you about um specifics. I will tell you we're not in bad shape. There was this month a bill for $52,000 which came in all related I have it here. It's all related to uh bond council um when we were pursuing bonding which we're not at the moment I guess and most of it discussions with uh between um and um our bound council currently every time we move email talk or pick up the phone to b council which is here it cost between 375 485. So that bill went up pretty quickly to 52,000. We didn't have 52,000 plus there were prior labels um in our budget. So we went over the budgeted amount for legal which was 45,000. We went surpass that by about 7,000 at least 7,000. Um but that's okay because in other areas we didn't we have funds in other areas. So we're still okay. our budget for um our budget for going forward for the second fiscal year for July 26 to to June of 27 so far has been approved by the board of selectman and the board of finance and is 95,476 and most of that again is legal 50,000 for legal most of of it is just the same as it had been. Although um there had been suggestions made by Andrea to

increase certain pockets, we we didn't we pushed those back and um what we did what's new in the budget this coming year and what we will do with some of the extra money we have now is to um finance uh retesting. So that was something that the board of selectmen had suggested to us in this room when we were had that joint meeting. All three selectmen felt we should that our data was old and we should retest. I thought it would cost quite a bit more than what the quote actually came back as. I was quite happy to say that the quote was 2350 or to open five the five wells that belong in sound view. I've only found five. So, five wells to open them um each time. So, we open them four times perhaps in March, late March to get a base. Um June, August, and October would be the targets I think when we can discuss this. And that would come to under $10,000. And they're they're giving us in the as long as it's approved by the referendum because budgets are still have to go to referendum. That would be they're giving us $14,000 for testing in the second quarter in the you know the second half of the year. So we have some money we can use now to start that testing. I'm waiting for one more quote from this is from environmental consulting which did the retesting for hawks nus. So this is from environmental consulting and they are supposed to send me another quote second quote to prepare to open the uh test wells and they say they have the keys open the test wells and purge them and prepare them so that we can get a clean test. When I get that quote, I'll be

happy to share that with everybody, but I don't have it right now. Did we decide exactly where those test wells that are available to us are? So, I don't I know we talked about the last meeting, but there were some skepticism about it. We knew where they all were. So, here's a map that we have to go back, right? And you can see clearly on here sort of clearly. Here's the test wells for view right there. They distinguish from Oh, I see. Okay. You can tell by that numbering. So, that's where they are. We may not include the test well that's in the town parking lot because that's kind of silly. There's actually two of them in the parking um where the the bus depot is.

Yeah. Really? There's two. I put four. Okay. So, you know where they are. I didn't charge nobody for that. at the Would you know where the test wells are? Uh they were removed. Two of them were removed when they put a driveway for the buses. The other two are still there. But other two one is on opposite side from from the uh police station. Yeah. Where the where the pole is just next to it. Another is against white fence. Okay. On the on the north side. Do we have to open both of them or just one?

They they have a caps. I put I put 3 in plastic PVC pipe schedule 40 and I dug them myself. I used to have a back home. But uh they I can tell you we have to check what what is now because it doesn't stay the same. Okay. whatever it is. But the time I checked, it was okay. Are you saying that we need for this process we would open both of those wells or just one? Would one be sufficient? They're easy to open. It's not something on the market or whatever. Yeah. You just take the cup off and and test it?

I I understand that. I'm just trying to keep the cost down. Is it necessary to test both or just one since they're in the same vicinity? Uh well the the ground slopes down to the police station. It was about dropping 3 foot lower the police station. So higher on this side on the on the on the west side. I'm going to defer to your expertise to meet you on this and just let me know which of the two or do we have to do both? Well, one will look better than other, I guess. I don't know. Well, what you think about it, let me know.

Okay, please. Yeah. How long ago were they? 2000. Well, long time ago. Before 2010, maybe. Oh, I Yeah. Well, they said they tested them through 2013. They started in 20 2007 through 2013, but I'm not sure. I know that fox was in 2019.

So the board of selectment has approved the first quote you got, but that was only to cover four wells. Five wells. Five wells. Okay. Yeah, I see where you're going with that. My well is pretty close to it. I'm drinking the water right now. So, but that's a little different. Yeah. But we are still very interested in gathering information on private wells. Anyone who has their well tested whether it's good or bad, we'd like to know because that's also D.

Yeah, that was another thing. When I was going through the records, I just happened to look. A lot of people have some well records in the town records and only one of them had any bacteria and that was before they had a new well put in. Oh, that's awesome. Oh. That's that would be good information to know as well. Are those are those the that data he tried to say are are those in in a health department file or they're in the health department? They're in the health file. Okay. Good. Yeah. My neighbor's trying to find his also because he's across from me. Sally

if I can stay in my front yard and throw a rock over Sally's house. But uh he can't find his record and a reason why and that's either here or there at the moment but he's trying to find his records too. So don't people ordinarily have their wills tested from time to time? When I was using my well I did my I don't Dennis, you don't have your well tested, do you? Say that again. Do you get your well tested? That's what I was supposed to do today. Oh, okay. So, yeah, I I mean it's smart to get your well tested.

If you're drinking it, I think more comfortable. [clears throat] Well, it's very easy to test your well. Yeah. You don't have to just uh go to the well. You just take your water. Yeah. On a cold side. Yeah. And then take the bottle from the town. Yeah. That's all you $20. [cough] [clears throat] It's kind of silly not to test your well at that point. That's an option and I don't think it's mandatory that anybody test the well.

We didn't for like the first 10 years we lived in our house. It was tested when we bought the house and it was fine. And the only thing we have is manganese and iron. Just all rock down there. Well, if you know people who have recent well tested, good or bad, if you can get those to us or to me, that'd be great. So, we can accumulate data. So, what we're trying to do is data. We're trying to be data driven, not emotional or so. um the budget um going forward in July of 2026 through June of 2027, what the board of selectmen and the board of finance is proposing is a budget of $95,476. And as I said, it does include some money for water testing. So that's good.

So and for legal counsel is 50,000. You're waiting for one more quote. I'm waiting for one before you decide what how many to you or we want to do. Yeah. Well, we need that one quote to open up the wells and purge them and get them ready.

Sorry, it's not included in this. I don't know why. Okay. Excuse me. Okay. So, um moving on. Approval of minutes. So in we didn't have a meeting in January. In the meeting in February, we tabled for whatever reason um approving the minutes from December 2025. Most are being worked on the board in 2025. A bug out of your shoulder. Excuse me. There we go. He's gone. Um so I don't know. I mean, I guess it would be just me and Dennis and Dimmitri and you, Brian,

to say, can we approve the minutes from December 2025 if we need them? Don't have them. I don't have a paper copy of them. So, if you'd like to, we can table it again and get back to it in March. Right. Should we table it again and get back to it in March then? So, we have everyone has a chance to review them. Well, I think we can vote for approving them. So, what's what did they do? Well, I'll make a motion to approve the minutes for December of 2025. I'll make that motion. Make the motion. Second.

Okay. All in favor? I. Thank you. And then we also have to approve the minutes for the meeting from February 10th, 2026. Anyone have those or had a chance to read them? Um, I thought Erica did a great job with these minutes. Um, she really captured everything. Basically, it just talked about the election of officers, um, budget expenses,

uh, review of the meeting that we went attended with the selectman and the status of the private beach associations with the sewer project. Deep communication, which deep, as I'm telling you, still to this day, has not set a meeting with Mara or anyone in the town. Um, I know I've been focused on the PBAS at this point. I have a motion to accept the minutes from the February 20 February 10, 2026 meeting. Motion. Thank you, Demetri. Second. I'll second. Thank you, Brian. All in favor? I.

Any discussion? I should I should have said any discussion first. Any discussion? All in favor? I

I any opposed? Any abstain? Thank you. Okay. Information main items communication and correspondence really the only written correspondent with two actually written correspondence was really this quote from environmental consulting which I already talked about for opening the wells. I mean not world meeting but for testing levels and um I did receive [snorts] uh draft minutes from the PDA's meeting which was uh held in January uh February February I'm sorry and um as part of communication I will say that um Marvin and I did attend or listened in to the private beach association's meeting yesterday and I'll I'll come back to that because I'm going out of order. Sorry. The Floyd presentation I thought was great. I thought he did a really good job. I know most of you didn't intend. I don't know if you got any information from that.

I still hadn't gotten any either. I thought Katie was going to still get along. Let's let's go through Katie and not go directly to the foyer presentation because every time you reach out to an attorney it cost money and the town gets built for that. So we'll go through Katie as uh Martha directed us to to get that. I think Katie the hesitation there is that they really want you to attend in person but since you can't you had a good reason and you were sick I don't see a reason for not getting the documentation from Kis [cough] will you sorry will you get that or should I I think you just call call Katie

okay I'm sorry the board of selement Um uh as I said, Martha was on the phone last night with me and the PBAs and we'll talk about that shortly. Um Dennis and I did have a meeting with Martha and she was just trying to get us on board as being new chairs and what our responsibilities were, how to open the building, how to unlock it, um how to lock it back up, that kind of nature. Sort of like a lot of housekeeping. Um uh with Deep as I said there Deep had promised to reach out to the town in February and they have not and to the state March 10th there has been no communication from Deep at all to to the town and that's sad because we can't go in any direction until we meet with Deep really. So we're kind of at a standstill right now. We can do our background work and do all that but we still it's not very necessary that we meet Who's the point of contact at the

uh well Mar? No, I mean at the Oh, Carlos

Carlos, he is the head engineer on this and uh I guess my understanding is most of his decisions rest with him. So there are some questions still that need to be answered from deep uh mostly about finances for the PBS not water. So the last I heard deep last when Mara uh had did have meeting with Deep, Mark uh relayed that Deep said uh we were polluting the Connecticut water wells over by area B north of 19 one north of uh 165. Well, Connecticut Water doesn't agree with that. They sent me an email saying no, we have no concerns. Our water is clean. And they sent me their test results. So, so no. And that's why it's more it's important that we gather as much data as we can.

And like I said, my well is literally the closest well to their wells, and it's clean. I sent you all that. I mean, I don't know what they're doing up there, but they're doing something. Some sort of construction is going to be happening on the other side of the train tracks. And when you touch the bridges, the DOT work Well, the DOT, it's it's the it's the water. It's in the water departments on their land. My my dog took a little stroll over there.

I have to go see what was going in. So that is part of the information that is sort of still up in the air is the um regard to the funding of the the dot bridges uh the work under it for the sewer project how that's going to come into play. Um and I think there's another bridge. Oh. Oh the other thing is they don't have an answer yet from Amtrak. So that's still open here. Amtrak regarding they have to have permission from Amtrak I guess to go I guess because somewhere in the path or they have to put pipes underneath. Oh for Amtrak bridge.

So they don't have that commitment yet for Amtrak. I think they already put the pipes where they're putting the new Hulver on 156. There's no pipes yet in the ground for this project. remember they had sewer pipes on the side of the road when they were doing where they have the lights right now. Those stacked lights they had sewer pipes. There was no construction. Excuse me. Were those sewer pipes or was that the culprit that go underneath? It was they had they had sewer pipes. I My daughter's an engineer so we were nosy and we drove by slowly going through there and she goes, "Those are definitely sewer pipes. They

maybe storm water pipes. I don't know, but there's been no construction at all. There have been no contracts signed yet. I don't know if they were pre-installing them.

The the park beach associations are being pushed by deep to sign contracts by March 17th, which is in 7 days from today. But I think they're hesitant in some ways waiting for some information from deep like some of the financial questions. One of the big questions for deep I think which hasn't been clarified and I think I'm not going to say for sure is what comes first. So if you take 15 million and you apply it first to the co the cost of construction of the shared infrastructure you reduce it. Let's say the cost is 25 million and you apply the 15 million first. Then you apply clean water funds. We only going to apply clean water pumps to the 10 million remaining. That makes a big difference. That makes about a 4.4 million difference or $6,000 per household difference. Uh if you do it the other way and you apply the clean water funds first and then apply 15 million to the balance, that's a big big savings for all the communities. So that seems to be in deep slap to come back with that. I know we uh looked into the harper funds which are being used for some of the bridge work. Harper clearly which is also run by D clearly came back and said no you will apply the Harper funds first and then clean water pumps

Harper funs a RP pa so no so I don't know it seems you know still in the hands deep and that's one of the questions that has to come back there's a couple outstanding things we don't know what the cost of the pump houses right now because uh rain vapor hasn't come back with their escalation prices regarding in regard to uh cement which is I guess a big concern. So we don't know we don't have all the figures yet and yet deep is really pushing the PBAs to sign contracts by next Tuesday.

So we're pretty much turning water. Um well I don't know. I I only have so much information. Yeah, that's what I mean.

I know the private beaches are eager to go forward and that's their direction, but I think they're still saying, "Wait, we need we need to cross our tees and dot our eyes and that is going to have to come from deep." So, it's in deep. Uh that's all the communication I have covered everything. Um, so the next on the agenda is public comment. So I'm opening up to anybody who would like to make a comment at this point. [clears throat] Anybody? Anybody on the on the remote? [snorts]

Okay. Only once. Paula, anyone? [cough] [clears throat] Yeah. Is that it? Going once, going twice, going three times. Uh, public comment is closed. The old business, we pretty much already talked about that. Um, it's the meeting minutes. Um and thank you so much I want to say for getting the information on the sub on the uh cess poolools that's going to become very important to us um as we go forward and one building was knocked down. Yeah. Okay.

With the actually I think it was more than one building because I think there was a house behind it and there was a residence attached to it. Where was that? What street? The kitty land. Oh yeah. Yeah. On the house. There was a house behind it. Yeah, that's gone through and there was a the apartment next to it. So, those are all gone. Yeah. And that was where there was a lot of contamination. That's what we figured. Yeah, that's what we figured. Lead in the ground and other various things. Yeah. Lead in from the lead paint the years healing lead paint. Yep.

Um see something else. Excuse me. These are the that I took from the caution sharing agreement. Really hasn't been anything further about the cost sharing agreement. I don't know particularly. I think they're talking about now going back to a cautionary agreement from 2020, although Jim had made several recommendations in the over the past few two two years. So, I'm not really sure what's going to happen with that. Um they're also talking about uh in terms of the hookup fee. The hookup fee.

So hookup fee, the hookup fee is an additional fee. It's not the fee that you pay to dig up your front yard and decommission your tank and run a new pipe. The hookup fee is a fee that after you've done that and the man the contractor the approved contractor that you are paying out of pocket connects your pipe to the lateral and therefore there has to be somebody watching that certified person to do that connection. The old WPCA said that would be a charge of $6,000. The PBAs have not decided anything at all on that matter. I did see I thought that perhaps it would be part of the maintenance contract. So as they talk about going to East Lime to sign a contract for the maintenance of the system overall that maybe that would be built into it because we all have to do that. It would be one price same price for everybody at that point. But um they don't they do have They just got by a draft uh or proposal, not even a proposal yet with price on it for the um OAM from East Live to maintain the building, the pump station or the validate station or the system in general. So, they don't have that figure yet. So, that's another outstanding figure that they have to get. I mean, you have to tell people what they're going to pay and I don't think that they can do that quite yet.

They being the private PBA they're really staring this project at this point is sort of in the back seat and again the town's sort of waiting for direction from David so um so we will learn from what the PBA has learned

okay um I tell you from that meeting I want to be sure I tell you everything I know I don't want to hold back information that I feel you should know. I think you should know what I know. So, um that's uh the other outstanding question would be uh payment. So, and I'd have to go back and reread um the bids for the shared infrastructure and see if they include a price for paving because at one point the town said they were going to pick up the cost of repaving the town streets including Portland Avenue and Pond Road, I think. But if we're not part of the project right now and the three P the three PBAs go forward, who picks up the cost of repaving Portland Avenue and Palm Road? And I don't think it was built into the plans for the PBA. So, I'd have to go back and look and see if that was a price quote included in the bids desire to do the paving and if it's patch paving or, you know, a hole repaving the ropes because if they're going to put the horse man all the way down Portland Avenue, I expect they're going to dig up all of Portland Avenue unless they somehow can snake it in there.

They haven't repaved any of the roads in our area. They've done it once since I've lived there. 28 years. It's interesting. Yeah, it's interesting you mentioned that because my neighbor across your across the street from me on the extension um called the town after the last snowstorm

to to comment to and I don't know exactly who we talked to, but he had a new driveway put in last year and they ripped up the end of his driveway a little bit, you know. So he called and said, "Hey, you guys got to come fix it." Whoever he talked to said, "Well, you'll have to wait for the sewer group to figure out what they're doing." So already so we all know that there's people evidently where we called or whatever department it was that are they're saying, "Well, we can't do anything until the sewer group figures out what they're doing." And as you can hear our famous leaders say, "Well, we can't figure that out yet either." So, but I just thought I'd mention that, Mary.

So, we have to look at that and see what was in the bids. And if if it's not included in the bids or the uh horse man um then we have to figure out who's paying for the for the paving if the town is not a partner in this. I don't know. What about the um the first rec uh referendum where the town approved the 9 million 9.5 million 9 would it come out of that because that that's still on the table since the town approved it. I don't know. Okay. I don't know.

I'm just you know that would be money that would be available. Mary can you hear me? Yep.

Okay. um Portland Avenue when the water came up from Connecticut Water. Connecticut Water gave the town $135,000 towards paving. So whether or not they're talking about the other two streets, I don't know. but uh that the town's going to pick up because there if if sewers do go in, it's going to be all three streets. So, uh but they've already have $135,000 in the in the bank and they've had that for the last I don't know five, seven years.

I don't have no idea how much payment cost but a little a lot. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Actually, we had a driveway done. It was shocking.

Um, [snorts] okay. Um, new business. We were talking perhaps so we meet on Mon on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:30 here. How's What do you feel about moving this these meetings to Monday, either the first or third Monday? And there's a couple reasons for that. um weather rooms available. Um it doesn't conflict with anyone else. And two, because some of us commute back and forth. So I'm thinking in the summer especially, it would be easier for some of us if it was on Monday. And third, because we also sometimes attend the other uh the other WPCA meetings and this this meeting now conflicts with the other ones. So, it's good for us and I think it's good for them [clears throat] that we share information across the board and you know that's my feeling about this. Where's your point about it?

I don't have a problem. Makes sense. [clears throat] Yeah.

Okay, good. So, I had talked to Martha about that and she said we would have to change them to be uh I guess special meetings, which means that since they're not like we would have to cancel these and those on Tuesdays on Mondays, excuse me, would be special meetings, which is fine. The only restriction in a special meeting um is that you can't change the agenda. Once you set the agenda up, you can't change it. You can't add to it or or take anything from it. So, I think we can deal with that. I wouldn't propose it for now for March because it's too soon, but maybe as we get toward May, we can we can consider changing it.

You're talking about April, not already in March. I'm sorry. That's okay. Right. Yeah, I'm changing for April, but we can work through that if you all agree with that. Great. Great. And that would put us back in the big hall. No, instead of this little tiny room, we're still here. Yeah, I I don't know if it was a small room and we had a big turnout that we'd have a problem. The other reason to move into Monday and alternate Monday is um so that the board of sele if they so choose um can attend and I think they want to be part of it. I think they want to be present. Still be at 7:30.

We could we can move it up earlier. The room is available. So earlier would be good. I think so.

Well, what what is your preference? Because I think Let me look at the calendar and see what we can do. But what would be your preference? Oh, thank you. Usually my husband can bring me home. I can pick you up. I would of course. What would be your preference, Demetri? I think um my meeting on Monday. Yeah. Two Mondays on the first and the third Monday. We could do like the second or fourth there's some alternate day or the same at a different time.

Maybe other maybe when they have a meeting on Monday and we have earlier we are going to be the same time with them. No, we'll make sure we're not at the same time as some. They meet at 5:30. They meet 5:30 and meeting can stay more longer longer than an hour. So maybe those days they don't have meeting that they don't have meetings. I agree. We can have at a time the alternate meetings from the meeting. Okay. And they can come to us if they want. I agree with you. So this is how

so I'll look at one that meetings and try to find a Monday that we can work through and just tell me what is your time preference. Oh, no. It doesn't. That doesn't mean much. Seven. Okay, we'll shoot for that. Great. Um, any not on here, but any general discussion that you'd like to open up at this point? Does. No. Anything else you want to say tonight? Me?

I can't talk. So, okay, that's fine. All right. So, then I'll call for a motion to adjourn. Second. Wow. All in favor? I any Thank you. Congratulations to 38 minutes. Wow, that's business. Get it done.