EASTHAM WRAB-WWMPC
MINUTES OF 3/13/06 MEETING
Present at the meeting in the police station conference room at 3:00 p.m. were Chair Weiss, Co-Chair Whitmore, Lightfoot, Nugent, Boelitz, Sullivan and Bayne, and reporters Sussman and Miller.
The minutes of the 2/13 meeting were approved as written.
In order to accommodate interested former member Holt, the next two meetings will be moved from the usual second Monday to Wednesdays 4/26 and 5/24.
Weiss will let Irene Paine of local cable TV know that we are interested in her offer to do a water related show.
It was suggested by Boelitz that if board members are asked regarding the water potential of any piece of undeveloped land being considered for purchase by the Town, it will be appropriate to recommend research be done by the Open Space Committee or other town board, as we cannot say with certainty without such research.
WWMP RFP Weiss announced that there will be a meeting of some members of the boards with representatives of Stearns and Wheler, the firm considered most appropriate to do this task for Eastham, to determine if a reduced scope of work will meet our needs.
Meeting with the Wellfleet Water Board 3/16 Weiss, Whitmore, Nugent, Boelitz and Bayne will meet with the Wellfleet group at the Wellfleet Senior Center to discuss water issues of mutual interest at 7p.m. on 3/16. Bayne will forward e-mails between Schaefer of Wellfleet and Quink of DEP to these board members before the meeting.
Bayne reported that in an informal conversation with Nancy Finley, former Natural Resources Manager of the Seashore, Finley had expressed her renewed concern about potential draw down of vernal pools if a well were to be located in District H. She expected that Larry Martin, the NPS hydrologist, will be present for the pumping test to be run by Environmental Partners. In addition, Finley expressed her concern about the use of both the Boy Scout and the Wellfleet by-the-Sea properties in Wellfleet for similar reasons. Weiss explained that the earlier tests in District H which had affected the vernal pools had been conducted at a 1 million gpd rate, whereas the Moll’s Pond area needs are only in the 50,000 gpd range.
Limited public water supply warrant article On 2/22, Weiss and Whitmore attended a BOS meeting to discuss this article. Given the water boards’ concern about the current number of unanswered questions and the lack of public education regarding the water project, the BOS voted to abandon the place-holding warrant article with the expectation of bringing an article to next year’s Town Meeting. At that time, Vanderhoef hopes to present a town-wide phased plan, with phase 1 encompassing the Moll’s Pond area.
Continuing nitrate study Weiss distributed the most recent update of the ongoing study which included 2006 data to 3/8. Boelitz reiterated his deep concern that the percentage of homeowners complying with the sampling request is too low. He recommended once again that the BOH make compliance mandatory. Further discussion about other options for achieving the goal resulted in the following plan:
1. Weiss will request a brief meeting with the BOH to discuss our concerns regarding compliance.
2. The WRAB will draft a letter for review and issuance by the BOH which would go out with the vials. The letter will be informative and will make a compelling case for participation in the testing program.
3. The WRAB will stimulate more media attention to the issue.
Submitted by Sandy Bayne, clerk
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