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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - SC - 04/07/2016 ° - TOWN OF COHASSET e_ } Sewer Commission 41 Highland Avenue Cohasset, MA 02025 COhASSET N _ i1 ° 781-383-4108 Date: Thursday, April 7, 2016 Time: 4:00 p.m. Place: Basement Meeting Room,Town Hall Present: Bryan Baldwin, Chairman Bill McGowan,Vice Chair Wayne Sawchuk, Clerk Chairman Baldwin called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. 1. Administration a. Next Meeting: scheduled for Thursday, April 21 @ 4 p.m. in the Basement Meeting Room- Town Hall. b. Personnel Interview: To take place at the end of the Sewer Meeting. C. Meeting Minutes: Motion by Mr. McGowan to approve the minutes of 3/24/2016 as writ- ten,seconded by Mr. Baldwin,and the vote was unanimous (3-0). 2. New Business a. Citizen's Petition—King Street: In attendance for this agenda item is Attorney Richard Hen- derson, representing Kathleen Bailey of 16 Ridge Top Road and Michael Bailey of 208 King Street; Brian Joyce, Director of Public Works The Bailey siblings are responsible for their family trust on King Street between Pond Street and Rt. 3A. No one lives in the 1932 farm house or the carriage house, and they are seeking an extension of the sewer main in King Street by approximately six hundred (600) feet uphill from Lily Pond to connect these existing homes, and permission for connections to be allocated to four(4)vacant lots. The petitioners are offering to pay for the infrastructure, insurance, and other fees such as police details so there would be no liability to the Town. DWP Director noted the petitioners would also be responsible for repaving King Street. The Citizen's Petition is currently in the warrant for Annual Town Meeting on May 2, 2016. Attorney Henderson stated that several 25 foot deep test pits have been excavated, and the prop- erty cannot support a septic system. He noted that there is precedent for private funding of sewer mains subsequently deeded to the Town. Chairman Baldwin noted that this was within the district on Jerusalem Road under completely different circumstances. Mr. Sawchuk noted that there are additional land parcels that would abut the proposed main that would likely seek connections as well subject to capacity. Chairman Baldwin noted that it was illegal to pass over a land parcel to serve another. Chairman Baldwin reiterated the Board's position expressed previously when a similar petition was placed on the warrant for 2015 Annual Town Meeting but subsequently withdrawn. It is not within Cohasset Board of Sewer Commissioners Page 1 the Board's jurisdiction to grant a request to expand the sewer district. That authority lies solely with Town Meeting. The Board of Selectmen will look to the Sewer Commission,the Advisory Com- mittee, and the Board of Health for recommendations before making a recommendation itself. The Board does not want to hinder the proponent's chances of gaining approval at Town Meeting, but it is reluctant to support the petition due to the precedent that would be set for future similar re- quests. Chairman Baldwin recommending speaking with the Board of Health to inquire if a case might be made for it to support the petition on environmental considerations, but cautioned that no data has yet to be presented by the Water Commission or the Board of Health that an environmental threat exists to Lily Pond from existing septic systems in the area. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection imposed the requirement and the extent to which sewer was ex- tended to the Lily Pond area. b. New Connection—31 Otis Avenue (Charles Henry): In attendance for this agenda item is Charles Henry,owner of 31 Otis Avenue;Andrew Spath of SitePro; Stephen Fabrizio of Fabrizio Construction Chairman Baldwin noted that an application for sewer connection has not yet been submitted to the Board for review and approval. He stated that since the home construction is well along,the Board is concerned that the homeowner is placing itself at significant risk of incurring addition cost if the service connection to the street is placed prior to receiving Board approval. Mr. Henry stated that a conflict with the placement of a potable water well has required relocation of the proposed sewer service location, and that a revision to the site plan is in progress. Chairman Baldwin reminded the homeowner that once the Board approves the service line location that he should ensure that the connection is inspected by the Board's agent before it is backfilled. The matter is continued to the 4/21/16 meeting for review. C. New Connection—589 Jerusalem Road (Matt Shannon): Mr. Shannon did not attend the meeting. Chairman Baldwin stated that he spoke with Mr. Shannon via telephone, noticing him that an application for sewer connection has not yet been submitted for review and approval. He reiterated the Board's approval was a prerequisite for a certificate of occupancy. d. 179 Hull Street: George Roukounakis of 99 Doane Street inquired on the status of new con- nections being granted. The Board acknowledged his property on Hull Street was on the list of properties seeking connection, and that capacity was available should he wish to seek approval for a connection. The Board requested that he have an engineered plan prepared indicating the loca- tion of the proposed home and the proposed route of the service connection. Once submitted to the Board for review, he would be placed on the agenda of the next available meeting. e. 2015 Cohasset Annual Report: Chairman Baldwin distributed a proposed report for the Com- mission for incorporation into the 2015 Cohasset Annual Report. Mr. McGowan Motioned to Approve the Annual Report Mr. Sawchuk Seconded Motion Approved 3—0 f. Billable Sewer Connections: Chairman Baldwin distributed the current list of properties con- nected to sewer dated 3/29/16. Cohasset Board of Sewer Commissioners Page 2 g. Large Home Review: Chairman Baldwin asked Mr. Sawchuk to review plans submitted for Large Home Review for the following properties: • 81 &87 Atlantic Avenue • 103 Ripley Road • 71 Nichols Road 5. Old Business a. Sewer Connections in Progress: Chairman Baldwin distributed the current list dated 3/26/15. b. Licensed Drainlayers: Chairman Baldwin distributed the current list dated 4/1/16, including CJ Tibbetts recently added. c. Sewer Connections in Progress: Chairman Baldwin distributed the current list dated 4/7/16. Of the 1,581 properties being billed for sewer, 58 have irrigation meters and a number of these properties have wells. The Water Department has to sort these quarterly. Action to be taken on two (2) properties not currently being billed. The meeting adjourned at 6:00 p.m. Documents Distributed and Reviewed: Meeting Minutes 3/24/16 Letter from Attorney Richard Henderson with an attached Citizen's Petition for King Street Sewer Con- nection dated 2/1/16 Sewer Connection Requests list dated 3/26/16 2016 Drainlayers Licensed to Work in Cohasset dated 4/1/16 Sewer Connections in Progress dated 4/7/16 Billable Sewer Connections dated 3/29/16 Cohasset Board of Sewer Commissioners Page 3