Here's what 3rd Barnstable District candidates have to say on housing, water, ARPA money
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Incumbent Republican state Rep. David Vieira of East Falmouth will face off against Democrat challenger Kathleen Fox Alfano of Bourne in the Nov. 8 general election to represent the 3rd Barnstable District in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
The 3rd Barnstable District includes the town of Mashpee, Precincts 3, 4, 5, 6 in Bourne and Precincts 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 in Falmouth.
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The Massachusetts House of Representatives works with the state Senate and the governor to establish state laws and a state budget as part of the legislative branch of the state government, according to ballotpedia.org.
The Cape Cod Times asked both candidates about housing, clean water and American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Housing
The key factors that need to be addressed for housing on the Cape are affordability and access, Vieira said.
The towns need to continue to be flexible in allowing multi-use and denser developments, which would make them more economically viable to build and bring down rents, he said.
"That’s been our biggest issue, how do you build with this market and still be able to rent or sell this property in an affordable way?” Vieira said.
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Additionally, proper wastewater infrastructure needs to exist to promote development, he said.
Alfano agrees that the Cape suffers from a shortage of housing coupled with excessive prices for homes. She supports putting workforce housing at locations such as schools and hospitals, where teachers and nurses can live close to where they work.
Alfano also said municipalities need to work on zoning laws to enable denser developments balanced with the preservation of open space.
Alfano is on the board of trustees for the public library in Bourne and said they can't find an assistant director to hire since even a worker paid $80,000 has difficulty locating housing.
“That’s just one story out of hundreds, maybe more,” Alfano said.
Clean water
Alfano got involved in wastewater treatment when she learned that the Wareham wastewater treatment plant wanted to pipe 10 million gallons a day of treated wastewater into the Cape Cod Canal, she said.
She helped form the “Save the Canal” committee and became chair of the Bourne Wastewater Advisory Committee. The committee is working on its comprehensive wastewater treatment program, she said.
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“Doing this, I have learned so much about wastewater, about the horrible things nitrogen does to our waters, as well as phosphorous to our ponds,” Alfano said.
Sewer plants can treat wastewater, but there are also other options such as innovative alternative enhanced septic systems, she said. Alfano also believes property owners need to be educated in the proper use of lawn fertilizer so its use doesn't contribute to nitrogen pollution in bodies of water.
Alfano opposes the proposed plan to put a machine gun range at Joint Base Cape Cod because it rests atop a sole source aquifer. She also opposes Holtec International's proposal to release radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay from the decommissioned Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.
Vieira said he wants to use his position as representative to continue assisting municipalities with their wastewater treatment goals. He said he helped address that issue through state grants.
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In Falmouth, Vieira said he assisted expanding the town's existing sewer system and supported legislation that provides homeowners more time to pay off betterment fees when their homes are tied to local sewers.
Vieira also said the Cape needs to look at other alternatives to treating wastewater than just sewers, such as aquaculture or dredging.
Addressing the proposed machine gun range at Joint Base Cape Cod, Vieira wants to hear back from the Environmental Protection Agency on whether the project is safe before he chooses to support it.
American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding
Alfano said current uses for American Rescue Plan Act or ARPA funding such as wastewater treatment and storm water management are positive. Bourne bought two new ambulances with the money, and funds could also go toward housing developments and smaller projects such as improvements to local libraries, she said.
Vieira said substantial investments need to be made in housing and wastewater treatment with the federal funds. He also said investments need to be made in child care infrastructure.
Investments should also be made in economic development in general, such as making sure schools are equipped with the latest technology, he said.
“You really have to have a bird's-eye view of how all of these things are interrelated,” Vieira said.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: 3rd Barnstable District candidates provide views on housing, water
