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A Call to Action
Wareham Fire District
Board of Water Commissioners
At the recent Special District Meeting held on June 23, 2009 a group of residents submitted a citizen petition warrant article to prevent the Wareham Fire District Board of Water Commissioners from carrying out our duties as elected officials of the District. The petition would have prevented the District from constructing a new water tower at a specific location which, not surprisingly, was in the vicinity of their residences. After a legal ruling by District Counsel and the District Meeting Moderator advising the petitioners that the article was not a legal or valid motion, it was moved for further study.
It should be stated for the record the need for a third water tower has been well documented in the District’s Capital Improvement Plan for over ten years and has been the subject of warrant articles for the Annual District Meetings in 2008 ( appropriation of design funds) and 2009 ( appropriation of construction funds). The project was routinely discussed at multiple Water Commission meetings, at the above mentioned Annual District Meetings and at related local permitting meetings, most recently, the Town of Wareham’s Zoning Board of Appeals. Despite vocal opposition by property abutters, the ZBA voted unanimously to approve the project as all required criteria for the approval had been met.
For the benefit of all voters present at that June 23, 2009 Special District Meeting, the consulting engineers retained by the District were asked to present their work related to the siting process. The presentation concisely summarized the process used to evaluate the water tower siting options, secure necessary permits, design and publically bid the water tower. These efforts took nearly two years to complete and led to the conclusion the site selected at 281 Glen Charlie Road is the recommended site based on an engineering analysis that considered capital cost, proximity to existing infrastructure of the District, land ownership and environmental impact on the natural and built environment. Despite this very open and transparent siting process over the last two years, a voter at the Special District Meeting suggested
the site was selected based on the direct influence of the Water Commissioners.
The Board of Water Commissioners want to be abundantly clear that this allegation is totally without merit and seems to be a convenient smoke screen for the real reason for this citizen objection which is the age old “not in my backyard” or NIMBY argument. To the contrary, we as Water Commissioners are bound by our oath of office and our Mission Statement to make all decisions in a transparent manner which will result “….in the highest quality service and to efficiently maintain competence, availability, and professionalism to those we serve….”. Furthermore, as Water Commissioners, we are bound to “….continually evaluate and improve our services” to the District’s water customers.
On August 4, 2009, this same group of citizen petitioners will again try to prevent this project from moving forward at a Special District meeting. To date, this group has offered no viable alternative to the approved and funded plan. To the contrary, their solution is to simply say build it anywhere else except in our back yard. As the Board of Water Commissioners, it is our responsibility and obligation to all District voters to defeat this citizen petition. Failing to do so will delay this necessary and critical project by at least one year, cost the District voters considerably more money (at least $100,000) to completely redo siting, permitting and design work that has been completed, fully approved and funded. Additionally, we will not be able to execute a construction bid in hand that has been obtained in a
very favorable bidding climate which likely saved the District at least $200,000 to $300,000 forcing us to relocate the project to a more complex site which prior cost estimates suggested would cost at least $160,000 more to construct than at the Glen Charlie Road site. When summed together, passage of this self serving warrant article will likely cost all District voters an additional $560,000 to $660,000 to build the same project at another site that is less favorable than the one currently permitted, funded and about to go to construction.
The Board of Water Commissioners strongly urge all District Voters to attend this Special District Meeting on August 4, 2009 and support us in defeating this self serving article which is clearly not in the best interest of the District as a whole.
Jay Tamagini, Chairman
John English, Vice Chairman
Ted Hatch, Clerk
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