Advisers endorse Misquamicut sewer extension

WESTERLY The Public Works Committee voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of the proposed extension of sewers to a portion of the Misquamicut area, but it suggested that the Town Council consider alternatives that would affect the financing and staging of the project, and give some residents more time to tie into it.

The committees resolution endorsing the project says that the treatment plant on Margin Street has sufficient capacity to handle the wastewater that would be generated by adding the 778 homes and 33 businesses in the project area to the system. That determination was based on reports submitted by Beta Engineering, the towns consulting engineering service.

About 35 property owners attended the meeting, and the committee heard from people who spoke both for and against the project.

Town Manager Steven Hartford and other town officials have proposed a two-phase $24 million project to initially extend the sewer line to Atlantic Avenue, from Maplewood Avenue to Winnapaug Road, and along Winnapaug Road. The second phase covers most of the rest of the Misquamicut Fire District.

The project would be paid for with about $19 million in revenue bonds to be issued by the Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency. The bonds would be paid off mostly by businesses and homeowners in the affected area. The businesses will pay for more than 20 percent of the cost of the project.

Other proposed funding for the project includes $1.3 million from the town for road restoration work, and $500,000 from an Interceptor Bond Fund grant from the Rhode Island Clean Water Act Environmental Trust Fund.

The Town Council is expected to vote on whether to approve moving the project to the design phase in June. Current cost projections for the sewer extension are based on conceptual plans developed by Beta and by Pare Engineering, another engineering firm.

Under the proposal, businesses and residences would be assessed annual fees based on projected sewer use as opposed to a more traditional assessment method based on lot frontage. The resolution approved by the committee calls the sewer use assessment a more equitable method. The resolution also states that the revenue bonds will not effect the towns bond rating.

The resolution includes five points for the Town Council to consider, including a recommendation to limit use of the sewer fund reserve fund to no more than $900,000. As it is, the plan calls for using about $2 million of the $2.7 million fund, with the money being paid back with money generated by user fees.

The committee also asked the council to consider extending the forbearance period being offered to residents of Misquamicut who have already installed denitrifciation septic systems. Officials have discussed a 10-year forbearance period during which residents with denitrification systems would not be required to hook up to the sewer line.

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Advisers endorse Misquamicut sewer extension