At the July 31 meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen, the 7:45 pm appointment with CDM Smith, the engineering group the town has contracted with for decades to assist with the wastewater treatment system, began. By 9:00 pm it was just wrapping up. In between, the board of selectmen and the public heard from Bernadette Kolb, Senior Vice President of CDM Smith, and two disgruntled members of the community.
Kolb’s presentation was a comprehensive report on the current state of the public wastewater system and the next steps needing immediate implementation to help the town come into regulatory compliance.
After describing the manner in which wastewater flow currently is received to its discharge into Aucoot Cove, Kolb moved on to facility upgrades and recommendations.
Kolb said that upgrades to the facility would include disc filters, allowing each of the holding lagoons to operate independently from one another, and a bottom mounted aeration system in lagoon number one. She said that these upgrades would provide a reduction in the use of the unlined lagoons and that all work needed to be completed by December 1, 2019.
The technical details left few questions for the selectmen to ask. But the burning question at least for two residents remained unanswered – when will the town and its residents get more capacity.
Marion resident Sherman Briggs said, “We continue to hear no capacity.” He said that was a critical element that needed attention: the ability to bring more users on line would help defray the costs paid by all he said.
Kolb explained that the evening’s presentation was not focused on increased capacity – a conversation for another day.
Briggs countered, “CDM has never done us any favors.”
Also disappointed that other aspects of the ailing wastewater treatment facility was not being addressed on this evening was Assessor George T.J. Walker. He questioned issues surrounding a lawsuit related to groundwater discharge launched by the Buzzards Bay Coalition. Again he was told that those issues were not part of the presentation.
With a deadline of tomorrow for CDM Smith to submit a letter to various regulatory authorities addressing proposed improvements to the existing facility, the selectmen voted to authorize the firm’s recommendations on the lagoon optimization plan to those agencies for a 60 day review process.
The other hot item on the agenda was the ongoing legal action taking place against former members of the board of directors for the Carver, Marion, Wareham Regional Refuse Disposal District (CMWRRDD).
Town Administrator Paul Dawson brought the selectmen up to date on the judicial proceedings saying, “The auditors are still looking for documents.” He said that while forensic auditors search for documentation, the board of directors was busy making some much needed changes.
“They are trying to right the ship,” Dawson said adding that although the board members were fairly new, there were several who had been in place for a number of years.
Dawson said that Judge Jeffrey Locke of the Superior Court had ruled to freeze personal assets of at least two defendants, Ray Pickles and his wife. “I am monitoring the case closely,” he said. “What we know is that a lot of audit materials are missing, such as contracts and meeting minutes; there’s a lot to be found, if it can be found.”
Selectman John Waterman said moving forward, “There needs to be checks and balances.” He said there should be more then one signatory on checks and that a least several members of the CMWRRDD needed to have strong financial backgrounds, “They need to be willing to challenge and ask questions.” He also questioned the ability of the auditors, wondering aloud if they were up to the challenge at hand. “There should be a deadline for submitting financial documents for an audit,” he said.
Dawson said modifications to the overall district agreement was probably needed and reminded the selectmen that the district was a separate “body politic,” but that the board of selectmen in the three towns picked their representatives for the board.
Selectman Norm Hills currently sits on the district board as does Marion resident Steve Cushing.
In other business, the selectmen approved a proposal submitted by Jon Howard and Matt Glynn for an aquaculture license. This approval now clears the way for the project to move through the state regulatory process before returning to the selectmen for final review and approval.
Also John Rockwell of the Open Space Committee asked that the selectmen provide written support to the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path who are pursuing grant opportunities for plans to pave a portion of the Mattapoisett Industrial Park Drive, which will connect Marion to Mattapoisett and the larger bike path system. The selectmen agreed it was a worthy endeavor.
The next meeting of the Marion Board of Selectmen is scheduled for August 14 at 7:00 pm, location to be announced.
Marion Board of Selectmen
By Marilou Newell