ARLINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
JUNE 5, 2003
Mr. Stevens called the meeting to order at 7:30pm at the second floor conference room of the Town Hall Annex. Present were Nathaniel Stevens, David White, Christine Wallace, Timothy Sullivan, Catherine Garnett and Judith Hodges of the Commission. David Stoff, 88 Fairmont St., was present to discuss comments on the NPDES permit for the CSOs in Cambridge.
7:30pm MISCELLANEOUS –
White/Wallace motioned to approve the 5/15/03 minutes with edits; motion passed unanimously, with Mr. Sullivan in abstention due to absence.
The budget of the Conservation Commission was discussed. Due to the 10% cut, in order to pay the administrator this next fiscal year, options of furlough or reduction of office hours wereand agreed upon a 5 week furlough for Ms. Beckwith. Three weeks will be done in summer and 2 in the winter. If we get a lot of fees by the winter time we can reevaluate the need for the winter furlough.
White/Garnett motioned to approve the 5 weeks of furlough; motion passed unanimously.
The invasive weed removal work proposed by ACT at Meadowbrook Park would cost $950. We do not have this money at this time and therefore cannot proceed with this work.
White/Sullivan motioned to reimburse Ms. Beckwith for expenses (ink cartridge and seed mix); motion passed unanimously.
7:45pm HILLS POND, MENOTOMY ROCKS PARK – working session for various work items for maintenance
This session was postponed to June 19, 2003.
MISCELLANEOUS (cont.) –
Mr. Stoff presented information on the NPDES permit for the CSO discharges from Cambridge to the Alewife Brook. The water quality standard B is currently under a variance and the proposal from Cambridge/MWRA is to reduce this standard to BCSO. This would allow the sewage to overflow into the Brook during storm events and permit the use of the waterway as a sewage conveyance.
The water quality standard approach to controlling discharges is not sufficient to protect the Alewife Brook. The TMDL (total minimum daily load) approach should be used since it allows for the pollution source to be eliminated. The level of pollution control in the current plan is said to be controlled by the economic limits of the Use Attainability Analysis however, this analysis cannot remove an existing use of the waterway.
The Alewife Brook is used as a recreational waterway, non-motorized boating, and the floodwaters reach to residential yards and homes and these uses are a secondary contact.
The wet weather capacity of the sewer system should be calculated for each new development within the system to have information regarding reduction in capacity. Stormwater impacts should be mitigated 4:1. Regulations should be uniform across watershed. The 1997 plan has not been revisited to look at the issue of future growth within the watershed.
Ms. Beckwith will draft comments on this and the Commission will review.
The Commission voted to convene at approximately 9:15pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Cori Beckwith, Administrator
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