MASHPEE – The Town of Mashpee will host a four-part online forum on the Mashpee Clean Water Plan, which voters will decide the fate of at the May 3 town meeting and May 8 town election.
Town officials said that Mashpee’s saltwater bays and estuaries are suffering from algae blooms.
The blooms lead to low oxygen levels in the water, which kills fish and has other long-term environmental consequences.
The town’s Clean Water Plan proposes the construction of a wastewater collection system and treatment facility, alongside the use of shellfish to help clean up the water and reduce the need for traditional sewers.
The shellfish would also reduce the overall cost of the project, which the town said would be assisted by a zero-interest loan from the state, allowing for no increase in property taxes during Phase 1 of the plan.
The first two forums describing the plan and how it will be paid for will be hosted on Tuesday, April 13 at 2 pm and 7 pm.
GHD engineer Anastasia Rudenko and Mashpee Shellfish Constable Donovan McElligatt will speak at the first forum on the plan at 2 pm, while Town Manager Rodney Collins and Chairman of the Sewer Commission Tom Fudala will discuss costs during the second at 7 pm.
Another forum on Thursday, April 15 at 2 pm will also feature Collins and Fudala discussing costs.
The final forum will be hosted on Thursday, April 22 at 10 am focusing on what is at state for the plan.
That forum will feature shellfisherman Richard Cook, Realtor Tom O’Neill and resident Bill McKay.
Selectman Andrew Gottlieb will be at all of the forums, as well.
Registration for the forums is required, which can be done by emailing [email protected].
The overview of the project can be found here.
Special and annual town meeting will be held at 7 pm on May 3 at the Mashpee Middle-High School.
Town election will be hosted from 7 am to 8 pm on May 8 at the Quashnet School.
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