ASHLAND – It will likely be a little longer before Ashland residents see an extra line on their water and sewer bills to pay for new state stormwater regulations.
“My concern at this point is just the lack of understanding in the community …. The education piece here is so huge,” Selectman Steven Mitchell said. “All (residents) see at this point is ‘the town is trying to extract more money from us.’”
Selectmen voted Wednesday night to enter into the Central Massachusetts Regional Stormwater Coalition – an estimated $4,000 cost – but did not take any other action. Some members suggested waiting until the fall Town Meeting to bring the added bill to a townwide vote.
The town’s Stormwater Advisory Committee originally hoped to secure Town Meeting approval in May, and get the first, new bills out to residents by late summer.
The money is designed to pay for implementing new state stormwater regulations. The regulations deal with the polluted water that runs off roofs and paved surfaces, called impervious surfaces. The committee has suggested property owners pay a base price for stormwater, and more depending on how much impervious surface is owned.
“Ashland has 83 miles of road,” Stormwater Advisory Committee member Robert St. Germain said. Roads are impervious surfaces that contribute to polluted water. “Everybody uses those roads. Everyone should contribute to those roads.”
The new regulations have already been delayed for six months, and they are expected to be in place by Aug. 30, St. Germain said.
“There’s a lot to be done and funding is the bottom line on this,” St. Germain said.
The new regulations require towns to inspect all catch basins and, depending on the results, clean more of them. The town also needs to create more state-mandated reports and plans. All told, the price tag could amount to more than $2 million over five years.
If Ashland is not in compliance, the town can be fined. St. Germain offered a few examples of past fines, including a $65,000 fine for Swampscott in 2015, for “failure to adopt ordinance and plan,” according to St. Germain’s presentation.
Selectmen Wednesday stressed the need to learn more.
“It’s important the public know that this is a mandate,” selectmen Chairman Carl Hakansson said. “It is something that we need to get done at some point.”
The Stormwater Advisory Committee plans to hold at least three forums in March and April. The first forum, on March 5, will be held at the Warren School. The April locations have yet to be determined.
Alison Bosma can be reached at 508-626-3957 or abosma@wickedlocal.com. Find her on Twitter at @AlisonBosma.