What voters need to know: Provincetown special town meeting on Nov. 9

PROVINCETOWN — Wastewater expansion is on the warrant for the special town meeting on Nov. 9. Five articles dealing with the modernization of the sewer system, expansion of gravity sewers, improvement of the central vacuum station, increased treatment capacity and a subsurface disposal bed make up the major considerations for voters.

The final sewer expansion project is a complicated issue, Select Board member Louise Venden said in a phone interview on Thursday. But she hopes voters approve the wastewater articles, with all the environmental challenges to "the fragile little spit of sand" that is Provincetown, she said.

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Future development, including housing and environmental concerns about wastewater impacting beaches and ponds, require sewer expansion and modernization, Venden said.

A vacuum sewer system emergency that shut down the commercial center of town — particularly restaurants — for two days in August after a storm drove home the consequences of failure and the need to consider challenges that would come with predicted sea level rise, climate change and more severe and frequent storms.

Article 5 asks for $75 million in funding authorization to expand the sewer system, increase disposal and treatment capacity by 50%, and incorporate a plan for20 years of managed growth.  The expansion would extend gravity sewers to the properties in town not currently connected. An estimated 100 properties (or 10%, of town properties) with on-site septic systems will need to connect when the sewer is available. Those properties have been identified as having cesspools or substandard septic systems.

It is anticipated that $25 million will come from grants and subsidies, and $5 million from other revenue sources including state paving funds and future rooms tax receipts. The remaining $45 million will come from betterments. There will be no additional cost to the property owners already served by the sewer.

There are caveats.

Property owners with cesspools, and those whose septic systems fail inspections will need to connect when the sewer line is available.

An estimated 90 properties will need to install grinder pumps to connect to the system. The expense will be offset by lower betterment costs.

An estimated 400 property owners who had septic systems installed after January of 2000 will not be required to connect (or pay a betterment) until their septic systems fail or when they choose to connect.

Properties with septic systems installed before 2000 will be required to have their systems inspected every five years. Owners will be required to pay for betterments when the sewer is available to them. More than 160 properties are in areas already served by the sewer system.

Betterment costs, sewer use charges, and sewer connection costs have been laid out in information sheets available on the town website. Connection costs are dependent on the location of the outflow pipe and the distance from the street. Betterment costs have been calculated at $7,000 per bedroom. Sewer use charges will be based on water usage.

Article 3 requests authorization for the town to borrow $2.2 million to improve the central vacuum station. The money will pay for new vacuum pumps, new sewage pumps, a new emergency generator, new electrical equipment and building upgrades.

Passage of article 4 would allow the repeal of the town’s special sewer legislation so the town can expand the sewer system.

Article 6 seeks to allow the alteration of a portion of Route 6. The alteration would allow for siting a satellite treatment facility at the current soccer field.

Plans to put a subsurface wastewater disposal site at Motta Field requires passage of Article 7. It would allow the Select Board to file a home rule petition requesting use of the field for incidental wastewater treatment and disposal purposes.

Article 2 seeks authorization to spend $1.75 million in Land Bank funds to acquire 1.9 acres on Commercial Street for conservation purposes. Use of Land Bank funds means the Town will not need to borrow money for the purchase.

Article 1 seeks $145,000 to complete an inventory of lead service lines. The Environmental Protection Agency has new regulations that require inventories be completed by Oct. 2024. The authorization will allow the water department to apply for state revolving fund loans and a related loan forgiveness program.  The state revolving fund has $20 million with 100% loan forgiveness for lead service line inventories.

Article 8 would amend town bylaws to incentivize the development of dormitory and employee housing. It is expected to be postponed until the annual town meeting in the spring. Venden said the town Planning Board wants to refine the wording and definitions in the bylaw before putting it before voters.

For more information on the special town warrant, go to https://www.provincetown-ma.gov/civicalerts.aspx?aid=1353

For detailed information on the sewer system modernization plans, including timelines for completion and connection, costs for connection and betterments, and maps showing properties served by sewers, properties that can delay connections, and modernization plans, go to https://www.provincetown-ma.gov/documentcenter/view/15538

Contact Denise Coffey at dcoffey@capecodonline.com. Follow her on Twitter: @DeniseCoffeyCCT. 

This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Town meeting: Provincetown voters will consider $75M sewer expansion