The Rockland Board of Sewer Commissioners moved to close a financial loophole during their Monday night meeting, nearly doubling the penalty for well-water users who fail to report annual meter readings. The decision to hike the fee from $525 to $1,000 came after administrative staff revealed that some residents were intentionally ignoring reporting requirements because the fine was significantly lower than their actual usage bills.

Administrative staff member Robin alerted the board that the current $525 penalty had become an ineffective deterrent for the town’s 17 well-water accounts. Once a year I send out a letter to all the people who have well-water systems, Robin explained, noting that three accounts consistently fail to respond. Last year, a gentleman pointed out to me that because he responded, he paid $850 where he could have just ignored it and paid 525. So the 525 is an outdated amount.

Board members expressed a desire to set a rate that would incentivize compliance rather than serve as a convenient flat-rate alternative for heavy water users. We want people to respond and pay appropriately, said Chair Mathew Ryan. I'm looking at a $1,000 or $1,200 fee. People should just respond and do the right thing. Member Michael Mullen agreed that the town must ensure its costs are covered, stating, We just want to be made whole... Having a higher estimated bill is also an incentive for compliance. Member Walter Simmons questioned the baseline minimums for such accounts, adding, We want to have an incentive for people to work with us and cooperate. Motion Made by W. Simmons to increase the well-water non-response penalty fee to $1,000. Motion Passed (3-0-0).

The board also addressed several significant abatement requests resulting from household leaks. Steve McInness, representing a rental property at 7 Daniel Tig Drive, described a persistent leak under a secluded deck that caused two quarterly bills to skyrocket to over $1,200 and $769 respectively. The faucet outside underneath the deck had been dripping since last spring... it’s in a secluded spot and nobody was ever really able to get a hold of it, McInness told the board, explaining that an aged washer had finally crumbled. He noted that the water seeped directly into the ground rather than entering the sewer system. Chair Ryan observed that the historical data clearly showed a spike attributable to the leak. Motion Made by W. Simmons to approve an abatement of $1,970.54 for 7 Daniel Tig Drive. Motion Passed (3-0-0).

In a separate case at 6 Franklin Hunt Road, the board reviewed a request from a resident whose second-floor bathroom pipe leaked into her basement. Robin informed the board that the resident had used a wet-vac to remove the water and dumped it outside. The water landed in her basement and they wet-vac-ed it up and took it away. So it didn't go into the sewer, Robin said. Motion Made by M. Mullen to approve an abatement of $280.73 for 6 Franklin Hunt Road. Motion Passed (3-0-0). Requests for two other properties were tabled because the residents failed to attend the meeting.

Interim Superintendent David provided a major update regarding infrastructure funding, announcing that the town has been awarded an $800,000 Catalyst Grant. The funds are earmarked to study alternate discharge areas on the north side of town, specifically near Pond, Gardner, and Hingham Streets. We ended up getting the Catalyst Grant... upwards close to $800,000, David said. So that is to look at alternate discharge areas for sewer on the north side of town. Officials believe this initiative could potentially divert between 300,000 and 500,000 gallons of flow away from the main treatment plant, creating much-needed capacity as the town manages its ongoing sewer moratorium. David also noted that a $350,000 Community Energy Grant application has been submitted to fund new blower units for the plant.

Despite the grant success, the board remains cautious regarding the larger Phase 1 plant upgrades. Engineers at Wright-Pierce are currently working toward a 60% design deadline in mid-January. David suggested the town might need to split the first phase into two parts if State Revolving Fund (SRF) financing is not secured early next year. The board plans to engage with State Senator John Keenan and State Representative Joan Meschino to advocate for Rockland’s priority on the state funding list. This infrastructure pressure comes as the town continues to navigate a broader fiscal crisis and a municipal hiring freeze, though the sewer department operates as a separate enterprise fund.

The search for a permanent Sewer Superintendent remains in what Chair Ryan described as a holding pattern. The board is seeking a candidate with a rare combination of project management, fieldwork, and state procurement experience, offering a salary range between $110,000 and $140,000. We’re really looking for a unicorn here, Ryan said, noting that the interim team has performed so well that the public may not realize the vacancy exists. The hiring challenge we’ve faced over the last year has really been masked by the fact that we have an interim superintendent... No one really knows how much of a challenge this has been because everything's been handled by Robin and Dave. Member Simmons asked if the eventual hire would be expected to oversee the upcoming major construction phases, which Staff David confirmed would ideally require experience with Chapter 149 procurement laws.

Looking ahead to the new year, the board established a standing agenda item for FY27 budget planning beginning in January. Preliminary discussions indicated that legal fees for the department have dropped significantly, falling from $20,000 to approximately $5,000. I want to have an agenda item for FY27 budget planning... so we take advantage of the opportunity that the annual budget process provides, Ryan said. The commissioners set their next meetings for January 12 and January 26 to finalize warrant articles and review the revised rate study being conducted by Weston & Samson.