[Music] um I call a water SE commission's meeting at this time I'd like to ask everyone to please rise and face FL that we have on top of the refrigerator plge aliance pledge allegiance flag the United States of America to the stands one nation God indivisible and justice for all thank you [Music] uh well at this time I'd like to um well first introduce myself I'm Steve Bishop uh chairman of the um water sewer commissioner uh Jim Jen also water sewer commissioner Steve Bernstein also Water and Sewer commissioner the whole team tonight and we have uh Weston and stansson here today to do a presentation Elm Street sewer extension of water B improvements um we're going to hold on questions till after or or during or what would you like to H is CL people want to go any some Cas it might be better to let us get through some of the stuff it may answer some of the questions as we go but if there's something you want to ask it'ss on your mind that's fine very good we don't have a huge audience so we'll work it out awesome thanks D without further Ado take it away thank you awes so Brian's going to run through the PowerPoint I'll just give it just as a quick ruction so this is the um second public meeting we've had we decided when we were setting up the public Outreach to give you know a couple different opportunities and different locations for people to come so we did a basically the same presentation a couple weeks ago a few weeks ago um at the library um so the presentation is very similar um some things you know have evolved over the last few weeks um the biggest thing being so we've met with the finance committee the select board um and at this point uh the intent was to have an article on the upcoming town meeting this coming Monday um and at this point we' we've kicked that can down the road we're postponing it until the fall um the biggest reason that you know based on the meetings that we've had with the other committees is we've got some momentum going with the potential developer at 47 Elm uh and we're trying to get some more solid information um on what's potentially going to happen with that property and um buy some time for that so that um at the time of the town meeting boat we'll have more hopefully more definitive information um on what it means for that property that was one of the um the bigger concerns um that was raised um so anyway um with that being said I'll let Ryan run through the uh the presentation and we'll all be available to answer questions like I said as as we go or or you wait till the end we'll do it ATA perfect thanks Steve um so you know the the Bruins are on tonight so I'll try to be as efficient as possible uh to get through this this presentation you want to see it exactly exactly um but uh we'll start out I'll just give a quick overview of the project go through some of the uh the specifics and what we're proposing for the infrastructure improvements on Elm Street and U Miller Terrace uh getting into some of the background information you know essentially how we got to where we are today and what are some of the driving forces behind you know what the project is um as with all construction projects there's a Associated cost with it so we'll run through some of the budgeted costs and what the current plans are to kind of recover those costs uh at the end of construction and then try and finish up with some uh design status updates and where we're going to go from here um so the overall scope of the project includes approximately 400 ft of gravity sewer that's proposed to be installed along Elm Street in Miller Terrace um the proposed is going to front o imately 50 properties along both of those streets uh grav sewers will head down to a m Wastewater pumping station uh at this point it's the somewhat low point of the area which is down towards East Main Street on Elm Street um and simultaneously with the sewer work we're looking to do approximately 4,500 linear feet of water M improvements to the existing water M so upgrading the existing water M from its current current status and that's only on El Street not on terce um so really the reason that we're here today uh kind of wise and the grant funding that the town was able to procure for this project um as you see up there the design of the project was entirely Grant funded through Mass works and and an economic development build Grant um and the town further pursued more grant opportunities um any more questions you said you said it was going to be on the betterman slide yeah um but through uh through some further efforts the town was able to procure um a partial grant for the construction of the project which is approximately $3.5 million and it should be noted that that is one of the larger Construction Grants that mats awarded in the state um and really the impetus behind the grant funding lies with the potential Redevelopment opportunities at 47 Elm Street um and I'm sure all the people here are pretty familiar with that property um I'm not going to get into the history of it here but I did just want to outline that you know as of 2015 you know the uh the property's been in receivership uh when re Barton declared bankruptcy and since then you know the town and the state have made several steps to try and clean the site up make it a viable usable site um for potential development um so the 40 the property at 40 47 Elm Street was identified as a priority economic Target area in the town's 2021 master plan um one of the big things out of that Master Plan was the town's need for in infrastructure Investments to promote Economic Development throughout the entire town um currently devco North America is pursuing ownership of the property um obviously there's significant remediation work that needs to occur there before they can actually do anything on it um and the infrastructure improvements with water and sewer are absolutely necessary for the property to fully developed um the most recent information we have right now is that devco is proposing the development of approximately 140 to 150 apartments and a little bit of uh commercial space on that site as well um so the project itself uh the total budgeted cost can be broken down between the water main improvement work and the steart extension work um currently the water main work is estim it's budgeted between $2 million and $2.4 million uh sewer Works budgeted between $5.3 and $6 million which gives us our total budgeted cost anywhere between 7.3 and $8.4 million uh so diving even further how you going to pay for this project right off the top the mass Works Grant the construction Grant $3.5 million comes right off at the top of the total budget costs uh the water main workor since it's an improvement to the existing water utilities um it'll be put on the water users through the water rates so that 2 uh 2 million to 2.4 million will be paid through the existing water rates uh and all the users and if you take off the massworks grant remove the water rates that leaves a remaining share of 1.8 to 2.5 million that's needed to pay for the steward project so the big thing is how how are we proposing to pay for that so in the past what we've typically done are vment assessments so when the when the sewer project is finished and it's been accepted by the town uh the properties that are fronted by the project and are in in turn bettered by the actual project being installed or issued betterment to their property now when we talk about issuing a betterment to the property we it's typically done through um what we what we calculate as equival equivalent dwelling units or edus and in this case one edu is equal to a single family home um right now the total estimated for the project are anywhere between 209 and 219 edus so to calculate the betterment cost taking that remaining share and dividing it by the amount of betterments that we're projecting we're looking at a resulting betterment range of anywhere between 8600 $8,600 or $1,200 or $122,000 I'm sorry um once the schol project is finished that assess that betterment assessment gets issued to the properties uh on the project area um typically you have 30 days to uh pay it up front if you opt to pay it up front otherwise it gets assessed to your taxes and get paid over 20 years with a 5% loan uh and calculating that out it's anywhere between 690 to $960 per year um one huge thing to point out if the grant weren't if we didn't have this Mass works construction Grant the vints are pretty pretty much astronomical from what they would be um with the ven um so talking about the edus um I said there were about 50 properties that were fronted by the project um right now there's about 64 edus so there's a couple you know there's an apartment complex and a couple multif family homes so that essentially equates out to about 64 edus for the existing properties along Elm in M Elm Street and Miller Terrace um the proposed development for 47 Elm Street uh it's estimated about 140 to 55 edus um So based on those numbers uh the 47 ohm sheet developers looking at you you know pretty much 70% of the remaining costs uh that they're going to have to cover for it um so for the sewer connections um it's actually a town bylaw that it's necessary to connect into the sewer within seven years um this has been this has happened on all the other sewer projects um I know it started at 2 years and then they went back and changed it to 5 years and that subsequently has changed to S years um and really you know this this time requirement really helps out the user rates and limiting the impact on the user rates the more people you have connecting to the Sewer the lower the user rates are going to be in the end um and looking at some of the current uh water water rates in the area we're estimating approximately $100 per quarter for those SE user rates um regarding the actual tying cost at each of the properties um it really depends on several different factors you know how far back your house is from the property line and from the from the street uh what the digging conditions are going to be like out there um and essentially where you're trying to put that sewer service is it going to be in an area where it's all grass or is it going to go under the ex just and dry it away it's up to you where you want to choose to put it um in talking with some of the local developers or with the local construction companies uh that are responsible for doing some of these sewer connections um they're seeing an average cost range you know assuming 100 feet back from the road and standard digging conditions you know anywhere from 7 to $10,000 for that tie-in fee um and looking at you know some comparative costs for Title 5 systems um they're seeing anywhere you know they say on average it's about $20,000 uh there's an example I think it's over around talet street that we've been told it was upwards of $40,000 to replace their their septic system um One new thing that we looked into a little bit since the last meeting uh was the title 5 Loan program so the Board of Health actually uses this Title 5 Loan program to assist um homeowners in in you know fixing their their septic systems um and it can be used for new sewer connections so similar to the betterment assessment um you can you can have the Board of Health you can get a loan through the Board of Health it's a 15-year loan at 5% of loan that's paid over 15 years through the property taxes as well um so getting into the design status um you know the current design uh Grant we need to be finished with the design by the end of the fiscal year so by the end of June so we're currently wrapping up final design right now uh some of the major things that we look at as we go into the final design and kind of shape what the cost of the project is going to be are you know Pump Station sight options where the force m is going to discharge into from the from the pump station and as let's talk about what's below the surface what's what are we going to be digging through uh in the area um right now uh the potential Pump Station site is down at library Park um it's not the ideal site that we'd like to use um but it's one of the better options that we have with all things considered um and regarding the forest main routing it's going to tie into the existing sewer that's over on PL Pine Street um into the existing Forest main that comes from the Town Center Pump Station over at week um so for next steps um we're going to work at finalizing the design report as we come into the the final design try to compile some permits we're currently doing public Outreach um and then once we finalized the contract documents close out the design Grant monies by the end of the fiscal year we can kind of move into the construction phase of the project um this slide is a little different from what's what was shown last time uh mainly because the town meeting authorization isn't going to happen in May it'll happen in October 2024 um the design completion is still going to stay on the June 2024 deadline um at this point we're looking to bid before Tom meeting in September of 2024 uh which will hopefully help us out if there's anything that pops up for town meeting um assuming this this article passes at town meeting in October we're hoping to start construction in November of 2024 um and typically we would see anywhere from a year uh for this type of construction uh but assuming you know a little extra time for final Paving or estimating maybe around May 2026 which still puts us before our construction Grant deadline of June fiscal year 2026 at the end of June um that was a lot of information uh with that I open it up to questions if anybody has any questions for me or for the panel yes the homeowner M it's going to get built the same as somebody on hel street is that correct for the yep yes even with no water me even with no water me so the water costs are done through the water rates and that's specific that's shared throughout the entire town uh the sewer is just specific to that area so that's the the sewer rates will be the sewer betterment assessence will be issued to all the property owners Red by the sewer because there's water throughout the entirety of the town it's shared through that that's the water user rates are used for that type of uh Improvement the water utility Improvement so it's separate from from the water I believe in the last meeting uh we we had 20 years to pay for this now you mentioned 15 English is my second language but you know think that's what I heard last time yep so the 20 years is for the betterment assessment the title five loan assistance program is a 15year loan so that's separate that's just for the the actual construction and connection into the into the SE Sy St one more question why do we have to hide a private contract at the dier trench from our house to the why the homeowner doesn't decide to do it himself so I think it's a I don't know I think it's a town it has to be an approved well they can pull her on permit yeah I think they can pull her on permit because I'm a home owner I can you know go pull a permit to do whatever on my house so I go ahead and pull the perit to dig a trench mhm but it has to be a like an insur bonded company that comes in and doesn't work right yeah I believe yeah the long as we Insurance that's fine but I'm digging on my own property anyway the house have insurance I diging you know public property or someone else house will be different my own home M need to be approved approved by the water department noly you got have like when you know the building do something in a house they come and inspect what we did yeah right so the same idea correct yep okay is there is there a list of approved contractors that we can get yep Robin has that yes and and is the street going to be repaved the whole thing after this is all done not just patched yes yep so the plan right now is there will be a temporary patch after construction's finished there's what we call the settlement period so that it settles the common Mill overly the entirety of the road and at the last meeting I know you guys said that there was going to be votes for everybody to vote but I think you're now saying it's extended to October is that correct correct correct yep so but the way you're sounding it looks like every they have we have to vote right correct the town has to vote we don't have the support of the town just right the End of the Street that's why I just wanted to be sure that the town has to vote and say Yes first and one of things that we're considering what Ryan said about opening bids before town meeting is one of the you know the uncertainties is the cost and and so if we have bids in hand we have a better number on what the cost of the project is going to be a much better number prices could go up these 8,5 they could they could go up or down and we we've given a wide range we have a high level of confidence that will be in that range um no guarantee that's why if we actually have a Contractor on board um with an actual bid you know then we' got better we' got better in conclusion October is the voting October meting it's no longer now in may it is not in not next Monday no not because it was May last year yep y yeah because it's funny because I know you I think you said it this is pretty much going to be the same as but I know I'm sure a lot of people now aren't going to be aware of what we'll let them know I'm sure you guys everything yeah I tried to lead in with that yeah the one thing the biggest thing that has changed it's October and there's more you know there's more work to be done over the summer um to get to get people on board to get the local boards on board with it and like I said the biggest thing is is trying to get some better Clarity on 47 LM and if you know what you know what's going to happen there MH and you said commercial and residential when you say commercial what are your thoughts on that what is your thoughts Paul you know what they so they they said 10,000 of commercial space yeah and I'm Paul I'm the town PR um so this was a conversation we've had with them they don't own the site and they haven't provided the town with any any application because in order in order for anything to get built anywhere in town especially if something of of a size like that they have to go through the planning board which are public hearings and they haven't they haven't provided us with anything and they can't because they don't own the site anyway so uh that's down the road but all what we've heard from them is you know again as was pointed out about 140 150 units and you know the first floor would be some sort of commercial development but that could change once you know again a lot of pieces have to fall into place to get to that point but if it does then that's all a public hearing as well a planning board uh we would notice people within the neighborhood um but you know that's that's a little ways away and a lot of steps the um pumping station you had talked about that not the ideal site but is that the site for it and it's not going to be changed Midstream through this at this point the library Park is the site pursuing we don't have 100% approval yet for that we're working towards that um we've looked at a couple of other sites that have kind of been rolled out at this point and that one just so next on our list want to make sure it's not in front of my house that's all where is it in library Park uh it'll likely be at the front if you're looking at library Park it'll probably be in the front left corner um somewhere around there and it's not like we're just going to throw this building right there and have it be in the open there's plenty of ways that we can put Aesthetics around it and make it so it's it Blends in with the environment if that's what if that's what we want most of it's below grade but there are above grade structures screen screen any other questions are you going to have any more of these meetings before October do you know I would imagine yeah I know we still have we have more meetings with the with the members of the the finance committee and the select board um so yeah I think it's safe to say we will schedule another meeting like this before the town meeting V yeah yeah like because we got the letter on our street obviously about these meetings so I'm sure they come all for October be good to know so we will receive another letter if you have another meeting coming up or we have to follow up we'll send it up we'll do it the same way we'll do it the same way yeah I mean it's so the this is T I mean this is for anybody in town that wants to come but we send the letters obviously we send the letters to the people that are most directly impacted from you're the ones that have the most the most in the game yeah so we will do the same thing we we hadn't finalized that I I'll commit that we'll do another uh meeting similar to this in the summer when we have more information on on what's going on at at 47 element what the what the final plan is probably in September not in the summer right yeah SE yeah we'll take a summer off does the funding go away if the they don't if yeah so this is kind of our last chair that's why we were hoping to get it done in the at this upcoming meeting but um so Ryan went through the schedule so basically the U the construction Grant monies um have to be used up by the end of June 26 okay and and I don't know where you're putting 140 units on that property the one across street but if they only put in 10 units do our costs go up so we have to look at how that impacts everything so yes the vent number will change it's I doubted they would only build 10 unit I mean just would the economical more have they submitted any prary designs or anything no as I was saying earlier they haven't submitted anything and they can't they just try to decide if they're going to if they're going to take it on sign on and start doing the clean up that's their biggest price and that's been one of the other you know like the reason the wants to know what's going on if if we build it and they don't come in right away then the town has that share that we're talking about it's going to be picked up by 47 LM and that's so they that's why they'd like some more clarity that that they're going to have somebody that's going to pick up that b and it's a tough It's a balancing act because you know we feel strong whether it's this developer or somebody else they can't do anything there of any substance without the sewer and without the water they don't have the fire pressure that they need with the water that's out there now so there's some sentiment that whether somebody's coming there or not you take this you use this Grant and you build that and that will significantly increase the chances that somebody is going to [Applause] so if if you if you guys decide to put all these units and El Street we going to have more Lighting on the street who's paying for that and we going to have sidewalks on the street who's paying for that well again that's that's really far down the road but if when that project comes in those things like Lighting on the site will become a factor down the road that's a that's because over the sun you know we a lot of more people on the neighborhood and we already paying for the sewer and we paying for the water so if they want to make money because obviously the interest making money right they are going to be investing money we want to do something with the property but in the same time whatever is investing they're looking forward to make a lot of money on that right so they have to chip in some more and then the residentials on the street that's the way I'm looking at it right if you want to want to invest you want to make all this money you know obviously they you know they should cheing more and do sidewalks on The Middle on on the on the street might as well and light the whole street right cuz they're going to have you know we have a lot of college from kids from college walking on that street a lot of times you know walking on the road there when it's fine you know I'm not against that at all right but if you going to put a lot more people in there so they should chip something extra because we you know we got enforced to Fe this so when when this is in front of the planning board this is an opportunity to talk about that yeah because obviously you know if they're coming up with a lot of millions of dollars so we don't have that type of money so they they could afford to pay for that and and you know we will have you we've we would love to get them to come down here and talk to the public as well we we put that out there and hopefully they will because again when they're here that's an opportunity for them to hear what your you know what no IC about that otherwise you know you know you find money to get rid of the property and just let them grow wild and have some V grow there you know rabbits deer coyotes whatever you we don't have to invest on this money the important thing to remember is that we have a $3.5 million Grant to help pay for this so anything I understand but at the same time I'm getting a bill that I didn't no no I understand I understand and if they want to invest this money they got to chip in so put a benefit on the whole street yeah if I can finish the this right now is just about the water and sewer it has nothing to do with the developer if if we'll have to do in the end because if we let all this go in the end you know this is already pass and now we got stuck with whatever comes up in the front of us you know we used to say before it goes gets too big we got to start telling everybody you know this is what we looking forward for otherwise we will vote for right we agree what we going to do it all right let's do this then right so otherwise when you get whatever you want you're going to say Hey you know now now you have to pay for it you got seven years to pay for 15 years to pay for it so Steve correct me if I'm wrong but the as far as the Vets going up I'm pretty sure the plan is if if for some reason the developer doesn't commit to the site and for some reason this was voted in without the developer committing ahead of time the plan was for the town to PVE that extra the extra portion and then lean that property correct y so the betterments wouldn't be going up that extra portion would be paid by the town and the town leans that property we lean it yes right right top manager made that comment meaning once somebody does buy the property they right which is again this whole Balancing Act you know you put another million plus dollars on the property is it less attractive for someone to come in and develop that property trying to find that right now out what you said and what you said is wildly different he said the money would go up if they didn't commit you said that the money is not going to go up if they if the project is um so we're basing it on 140 to 150 Apartments correct so if they come in with something less than that we have to re look at the numbers but that would be made clear before it's l on thank you yeah y it's not going to get voted in and then that's saying it's $20,000 thank you now you're right y thank you okay anyone else have any any questions concerns all right thank you very much we good we'll s around if anybody has any questions