WHY ARE WE ONLY ABLE TO USE JUST ONE WELL FOR TOWN WATER?

At the July 25th 2022 Select Board meeting, Selectman John Cody expressed his appreciation that the Water and Sewer Department came before the board and explained the water and sewer issues they are working on. He believes the highway garage addition is now a want and a new well is a need. Selectman Cody would like to see all the Federal “American Rescue Plan Act” (ARPA) Covid relief funds support the Water and Sewer Department. What Selectman John Cody was addressing is the fact that our Town is, and has been for some time now (as of this past March), operating on only one well in providing water to both residential and commercial users/customers.

Highest & Best Use For The ARPA Money

At the Select Board meeting two weeks earlier, on July 11th 2022 our Selectmen were updated with major concerns within the Town Water and Sewer Department. It was explained to our Select Board by Water & Sewer Commissioner Marc Nickerson, that town water has been coming from only one well. One of the two permitted wells behind Lowes needed to be fixed and is now being retested. If anything happens to the only well working, the town will be without water or the water that is stored in the water tower would need to be used. The Water & Sewer Commissioners would like to use the third well behind Lowes. That permit would cost approximately $200,000.00 and a request to use the ARPA Funds was made.

Our Town Administrator (now retired), Greg Dodge, was to confirm the eligibility of the ARPA Funds to be used and the discussion was to continue at the July 25th Board of Selectmen’s meeting (which according to the meeting minutes, did not occur other than Selectman John Cody expressing his appreciation for being made aware of the need to take action).

Hello Select Board? Anybody Home?

So, what are the Selectmen doing about the Town’s one and only operating well as a source of water? Select Board Chairman Joe Trombley, who’s part of the majority of Selectmen, seems intent on ignoring the pressing necessity of a much needed second water supply. Trombley will argue at great length in support of a “want” over a “need” and shuts down the attempts of Selectman Cody who is trying to get the MAJORITY of the Select Board to discuss and resolve the water well issue.

It appears there are Select Board members more interested in spending taxpayer money on a “want” like adding on to the Highway Department Garage, which is not a need, rather than making sure of the “need” to get a second water well into operation. The majority of our Select Board members should focus on identifying Town priorities and work to resolve those.

Of all the articles the Selectmen submitted to raise funds on this year’s Town Warrants (which in all honesty is a very poor method to "manage" the needs/services for town residents) WHY DIDN'T THE SELECTMEN PROPOSE AN ARTICLE TO FUND THE PERMIT FOR BRINGING ON A SECOND WELL (since there was no commitment to appropriately use the Federal ARPA funding for getting a 2nd well on line)?