All right. Good evening everybody. Thank you all for being here. Uh my name is Brent Mammston. I'm the chairman of the Lunberg Sewer Commission. Uh we are starting a little bit late due to technical difficulties. Thank you for your patience. I'm going to start the
meeting by asking everybody to join me in the pledge of allegiance of this American flag I have. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic
for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you all. All right. In accordance with the requirements of open meeting law, please be advised that this meeting of the
sewer commission is being recorded and will be able to be found on the Lunberg Access YouTube channel after the meeting. Um, we have the following information is provided for members of the public that would like to participate in the meeting remotely. To
participate remotely from a computer, please use Hold on, I need to move something here. Please use the link uh to join the public meeting webinar found on the posted agenda or from a telephone dial
toll-free number 888-4754499 and enter the webinar ID code 8318724940. If you have not registered with Zoom, you will be asked u for your name and email address. No, no participant ID is needed. Just press brown when asked.
Now, we'll do a roll call um for all members. Uh followed by a roll call of our staff. I'm going to start with uh Joseph Hurley.
He is not here. Um also we'll go to Dan Proctor here. And of course, Arthur Kadis here. Thank you. And Brett Ramston is here.
Um, and just to double check, Scott Dollar is not present. Moving on to this. I texted him, but um, I haven't got a response yet. Okay. Thank you very much. You're welcome.
Appreciate that, Arthur. Um and for the record, Arthur, uh when we're um meeting in the hybrid meeting, um with my hearing incapacity, um I don't hear you on that on that speaker
very well in case I miss things you are saying. I just wanted to be aware of that, sir. Um Okay. But I hear you very well now because you're piped into my hearing aids. So, perfect. moving right along. Um the staff um Andrew Valerie
here, Jane Renley here, and Bill Bernard is not present, I understand. All right, then. Um let's move on to any public comments. Do
you see any public? No public. Right. Do we have any um comments um or announcements from our commission or staff at this time? All right, moving right along. Uh let's
jump into our current business. Um the minutes from 61025 need to be approved. Um I looked them over. I found it looking um excellent as usual. Is there anybody that wants to comment
before we bring it to a vote? All right. I'm looking for a motion to approve the minutes from 10 uh 610 2025. I'll make a motion to approve the minutes. From 610. Thank you, Sarah. I'm looking for that
motion to be seconded. I'll second that. Thank you, Arthur. The motion's been made and seconded. I'm going to do a roll call vote. Um Dan Proctor. Hi. Arthur Catus.
Hi. And I for myself. Is it Cadis or Catis? Arthur. Cadis is fine. Yep. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. And uh let's see. All right. Well, let's uh move into the sewer business manager
updates. Uh, is there anything to report, Andrew, from the Dana Street repairs at this time? Uh, yeah. So, Pride Environmental um worked on the station last week. Um, they checked to be sure that the bypass piping would
work. Uh, they dug down a little bit to the pipe coming out of the pit. Um, they'll install a thrust block to support that pipe. and um see and they're waiting on uh delivery of two fittings before they can actually start
that work. Uh but it's tenfully scheduled for uh June 30th, so this coming Monday. Very good. Arthur, did you have something you wanted to add or ask? No, I didn't. Oh, thank you. And um
Dan, did you have anything you wanted to ask about the Dana Street project? No, that's good news. I'll be there June 30th to watch them. I got to say you got you get to see it. Front row seat. Yeah, that'll be great. Interested to see what that's all about, honestly. Sure. Yep.
Excellent. Something something you know something about too. A little bit. Like to learn. Oh, absolutely. And then uh regarding the manhole repairs, the IFB, is there anything uh to talk about there, Andrew?
Yes. Um so in situ form, they submitted most their uh required u materials to us. Um so Bill is still reviewing that when he returns on Monday. Um you know, he'll be able to dig further into that.
Um it's just for compliance in specifications more so. Uh but the work on that is tenorably scheduled to begin in July as well. Excellent. Very good. And then we have um some file
cleaning to take care of, I understand. I looked at that paperwork. There's uh 48 boxes, I understand, at the school. Yes. Yes, there were uh 48 boxes. Uh I know that I think Jane uh you went through them previously at some point.
Yes. Uh Paula wanted to um certain things be pulled out to put add to the files in um the office. So I had gone through but I always thought there was a lot more than
that there. So somebody must have cleaned out. we're missing something. I think that because we were there with Bill um so uh you know labeling everything there are there are definitely a lot of boxes uh and a lot of uh a lot of item numbers from years
past. So I did um oh actually Scott wants to come in. One moment. Um so I did send that along to you guys as um what they approve what the state approved of. Um I actually put a little bit too much detail into it. I didn't have to do all that, but it's good to
have it on the record as to what's going to be destroyed. So, so the state has all that information and uh we have all that information. So, how how far do these date back yet? Oh, 94. Um, yeah, 94.
Um, do we know if I assume everything important has been transferred digitally? Yep. Everything that's important that we actually need can have. um we have and we're we're storing we're going to keep but everything else I mean it's really
it's not needed. It's it's past its prime. It's it's just it's not you know no one's ever going to look at it. So it's um I mean it's great that we kept records of that nature, but it's it's really just kind of wasting space at this point. So I'd like to welcome Scott
D to the meeting. Hello, sir. Apologize. a uh I don't know if I had seven in my head or whatever. I did get them the email this morning, but uh where it was the Brett's copy, it didn't have the hyperlink, so I was like struggling
trying to find the hyperlink, too. Luckily, Arthur texted me. So, I apologize for my tardiness. I had that same hyperlink problem myself, too. Yeah, it's it the one that he sends to
you where it's got like the highlights. it doesn't seem to uh have the hyperlinks. I was like struggling trying to find an old email that had it and I was like, "Oh, there it is." And uh so I apologize. No worries. Glad to have yours. Yeah,
I'll definitely keep that in mind for uh next time that everyone's has a proper link. My apologies. Wow. No, it's fine. It's just easy when it's when it's there because I'm opening up reading the agenda or whatever and then I'm like h it's not like I have it saved
in Zoom or anything like that. Yeah, thank you Andrew. Appreciate that. And uh well on the public site that you just download the the minutes on the sewer commission on the town site. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I do every time because I look for
the email and I'm like screw it. and I just go right to the public site and I go right to sewer commission um you know the notes for 2025 and then I it's right there. All right, great. Yeah, generally like I said I'd write you know I like to send it um your email obviously u but
yes it's always on the website as well usually the uh Wednesday or Thursday beforehand so I make sure that it's posted as well so it's always on Excellent. So, Andrew, um, is this something that we need to
vote on for disposal of these files or is this just informational? It's just moreformational, um, to let the commission know um, you know, what we're doing or you know, what you know, we plan on doing. Um, because
you know, Bill was you know, really am you know, he wanted to get rid of those files because they're that building is going to be decommissioned in that portion. So, there's you know, certain files, you know, that we are saving, but it's basically like the ones that we really truly don't need that are just
obsolete. Um, it's just time for them to go. Very good. All right, then. Of course, I'm having a visual issue with my email for a moment. Very good. of all, thank you for
bringing that to our attention, of course. Um, also, um, there was something else you sent us. What was that? UD, ADU. Yep, that's Oh, that's it, right? Oh, okay. Right.
Please proceed. Um, so we're not quite there yet. I don't know if we if we really want to get into the quarterly demands at the moment. Um, but I'm sure we we will. um having a little uh
so we update they updated the Muna system and um I have an email in to um our tech support um what's his name? Randy. I'm waiting for him to email me back. Um so the issues with our demand
um getting demands it's not the issue. They'll actually print on the proper billing sheets, but it's adding the strange numbers uh $30 amounts or $20 amounts. So, it's basically taking all the overdue bills
and adding a crazy fee. It the fee should only be $10. Um and so I had to reverse that today. Got that reversed. So, I need uh once I get that worked on um then then we can send them out. I I just want
to make sure that it's we're not overcharging customers for um even being late, you know. So, understood and I'm sure everyone appreciates that too. Yeah, I I would hope so, but it's a little frustrating on my part as well.
Um so, um but I'm working on it actively. So, hopefully ne next meeting we'll have a uh better uh better outlook as you know that we got them out. So yeah, we appreciate your efforts. Thank you.
All right. Um and then the um and then moving on. Yeah. The the ADU guidelines. I find that intriguing. And you sent us I did. So, um, Lunberg in their um, in
the bylaws, you know, if you look up the bylaws of Lunberg, it it is in there, uh, for ADUs and Fitsburg also has, you know, a bylaw as well. Unfortun right now in our sewer, uh, it's just not the wording is not incorporated into our
sewer bylaws, but that's something that we should number one um, I'm working on. I just need um, me and Bill need to get work with town council on that as well. And then uh just to see how we go about incorporating that wording into our um
sewer bylaws. So basically all the information that I did um send everyone is what the guidelines are um to have an ADU. And I think the last portion um it did say Lunenburgg
at the end if I'm correct. Um it does. Yep. Yep. So I made you know I I found that wording. So, if we can incorporate that obviously into our update our current bylaws, um that would be that'll be good.
Good research. Thank you. Does anybody have any questions while looking at this? Well, we were waiting on this all came up, right? because we were determining if we were going to uh what the legalities were charging the fee for
an ADU tie-in and how you know what the surrounding towns would be blah blah blah you know that's I believe where we left off like uh from the last meeting reading in the minutes did we get anywhere with that yet I apologize if I uh missed it
so other town like fit like I said I was looking up you know certain bylaws so basically I mean the warding for most like Pittsburgh and um that I could find is basically as ours. Um Lemonster I I unfortunately couldn't find anything on
any ADU guidelines whatsoever um that I re try to research. Um but like I said I mean there the guidelines are pretty straightforward. Um like I said the last part um Moonenberg I think it says the it's it wouldn't be treated as an
accessory right if I'm correct. I got to look at that. living up. Yeah. It's an individual unit. It has to be at least 1,200 square feet. Yeah. And I think you could probably find some information uh under the state guidance because from what the paper's saying that we can't
supersede at least we have to meet the state guidance and then bylaws if they're stricter. I don't know if it follows like that we can do them. But I I was just maybe that's a source of if all the other towns are kind of just wishy-washy on their information, maybe
we look at the state and bounce it off our bylaws, right? And um like I said, I know Lunberg, I mean, I pulled that information directly from just the Lunberg bylaws in general. just wording is not incorporated into our in
the sewer bylaws. But where this is a new thing really being dictated by the federal government um with easing all these extra restrictions I think it's something maybe we have to pioneer on it
uh of you know putting it because even just reading those guidelines I mean you could still have a add uh like Dan was mentioning last meeting you know two or three it could be a two or threebedroom unit. Um,
you know, so now do we think, geez, do we have a flat fee or is it a sliding scale on on the scope and the size of the ADU, especially if there's going to be multiple ADUs because it's not so much the tie in, it's also the the extra
use on the system, but the flow. Yeah. Yeah. And it certainly is a time to to get the extra money. I mean, if it's there and a bill permit is issued, I mean, I I don't think we're doing if we don't get something for it. I I I
certainly don't see it being a freebie just because you're already an existing customer because it's it is just more on the system. Um, but it does demand it does demand its own kitchen, its own bathroom, its own separate everything.
So I mean that right there probably justifies the fact that you can charge a second fee. Gentlemen, what about the idea right here on the bylaws it mentions it has to be um smaller than 50% of the gross
dwelling area. U maybe a starting point would be you know the the fee is what 3500 or 3600 at this point Andrew for a new hookup regular dwelling. Um it it does depend.
Um like I said, depends on the size. Yeah, that depends on the um basically it goes by bedrooms. I mean go by bedrooms, right? Then then it would seem to almost make sense that we should adopt some you know by by scale.
Um you know in a I mean I'm only thinking of this as you know as a complete layman house owner. I'd have to defer to to you guys and to even to Dan like if somebody's got an existing structure that may be tied into the system
originally, right? And is everybody on the same size waste pipe coming out of the house or is there some like if now if these people tie in, is this something that that we're going to be on the hook for now that we have to
increase the pipe size for the drain out of their house? Do you know what I'm saying? Like, look, I might just be totally off, but that's just me talking out loud. I mean, these things could people could I mean, look, if you got a three-bedroom house and you're allowed
two ADUs and they put can't be bigger than the three bedrooms. So, say they put two, that's four more bedrooms and two more kitchens and, you know, possibly three or four bathrooms going on this. Can the existing
draining system out of the personal property handle that or is Yeah. So to answer your question, I mean the 6inch pipes that are now So when it comes out of the house, it's 4 in and then it opens up to a 6 in. That's the standard
hookup for sewer. So yeah, they have a 6-in pipe that runs through their property that goes into the stub that was left by the town. So to answer your question, a 6-in sewer will handle additional bedrooms, two, three, four bedrooms, you know, bathrooms, the whole
bit. So there really should be no additional work of of any of that. The 6 in will be sufficient. I think what Brett's point was, if if these ADUs are roughly 50% of the size of the house, then should our fees be 50% of what was
charged originally? In other words, like Andrew said, if it was a three-bedroom house, which is 2250, then are we now doing 50% of that? I mean, is that, you know, a method we want to use as compared to a flat fee? You know, there's multiple ways we can do it, but
um I don't think people would not expect to pay something to add an ADU and tie into an additional pipe coming out. So, because it's going to be in some form of a a manhole or a Y connection or something that's already additionally is
already there and they're going to add to it. That's basically how Yeah. My my and I should have prefaced it better. My inquiry on that was okay. If this was true and the the 6-in pipe
couldn't handle the additional now, who foots the bill on the replacing it? you know, is it still covered under their initial permit fee or is this another permit or another thing we have to consider for
tacking a fee on, you know, if the town's responsible for tying them in? Would it still be covered under the original where they were the ones putting the additional strain, the additional unit? So, that was more of my
thing. No, understood. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I see where you're coming from and thank you Dan for what you said. Um, yeah, we appreciate that. I was thinking it as a, you know, as a what Dan clarified for me was a good starting place and then
should there be maybe we could, you know, and this is still the beginning of this discussion. Um, but if we look at properties and not necessarily from the initial hookup fee cuz fees have gone up, but the hookup fee that
would be allocated for that type of property at whatever time because they're going to go up again in, you know, 10 years, whatever it is. Um, let's say for the sake of argument, a three-bedroom house is 3500 now. Um then
if they have um they add one of these ADU dwellings um we say okay for any house that it would be 3500 at this point in time to hook up that it would be 50% that fee to
hook up an ADU and then potentially have a sort of a side not a side note but a um uh an adaptation, something added to that where a stipulation is what I'm
looking to say. Um, if for some reason the p the pipe that goes to the main and the street needs to be replaced, that has to also be addressed by the homeowner. And if they incurs more fees to the town,
you know, maybe the stipulation would have to be full cost again. Well, that's where my you know, that's where I was pretty much not that it needs to be done, but yeah, and that's why I was asking if it in reality is that something that might
that might come up, but where our system technically isn't that old? I'm sure the code was up to, you know, over overkill at the time, you know, I just wanted to make sure it was still Dan, would you know that answer 20 years ago? Yeah. I mean,
I think the system was designed for a large amount of expansion, you know, as far as the mains in the street. Again, what it comes down to is you have the main in the street, which might be, you know, a 10-in main. Then then they ran a stub off to the property line, which is
all those are all just 6 in. So, again, there's nothing bigger coming off the main to private properties than 6 in. But, okay, my knowledge, a 6-in pipe will handle a lot a lot a lot of water. So, you know, waste. So, I don't think
that's a problem. Whether there's a problem in the system itself, I mean, that's, you know, unfortunately what I don't know because I haven't been here that long and I'm trying to learn obviously, but, you know, that's that's another whole subject. That's what the pipe cleanings are for.
Exactly. And the pump replacement and the right our maintenance people do an amazing job. So, right. Very good. Well, um I think we're off to a good start here. Um from here, um do we all want to think
about this a little bit and see if this is a a direction we want to Yeah, I would like to, you know, I know some of the other talent sew departments. So, I'll try to visit some of them and just get some information from them as far as what they're thinking, you know, down the road with
these ADUs. I mean, we're not the only community that's going to have them. So, it's statewide for sure. So, I know Andrew has started the wheels on on getting some information, you know, Fitsburg and Lemonster and what have you, but I'll see if I can do a little research as well. That'd be appreciate.
Yeah. And I would say too, only because we know, well, whatever. I'm finding out, you know, how slowly some things can, you know, get approved and pushed through. um you know the local town government
not a knock on it just you know a lot of things that have to a lot of moving parts but I don't want to you know like uh Bill was mentioning you know a few months ago about uh uh that fee that was uh you know I'm totally barely speaking
from memory um the fee that uh people were going to be that was expiring or whatever and going to a new format so Everyone, every builder and their mother was running down to get that grandfathered in permit. Yeah. Um Oh,
yeah. So, I I just don't want to be I just have a feeling this ADU stuff is really going to pick up steam at some point and it' be hard to chase it. Do you know what I mean? Like, you know, once they go up, they go up. I'd rather be
proactive and if it's something that we need to bring to the the town board, um I I think we, you know, should do it sooner than later. Um because it's going to be the you know think about it if you can put two on and these people are
going to put two you know and it this land in Lunenburgg you know and if the economy still continues the way it does people going to be looking for alternate income and it's this whole town's going to take a whole different
turn so I I'm thinking you know the you could have a hundred permits out for ADUs with no fees and then maybe you know there's only about once we
finally get the fees instituted maybe there's like 20 more units so now we just missed out on all that permitting money. Um, so that look, that's just my two cents towards it. But, um, I think
the sooner we get it in front of the powers that be, I I don't, you know, I don't think anybody's going to be like, "No, don't put a what do you, you know, I think we might get the question of, "What do you mean we don't have a second permit, you know, another permit fee for an add-on,
you know?" So, um, I don't think it's something that's going to meet a lot of resistance. And if anything, it's going to at least take some onus off other parts of the town. Um, or you know, hell off the sewer department. Um, but like I said,
that's just how I feel about it. I've only been here a couple years, but just seems to make sense. No, I agree. Yeah, absolutely. I just think we should be very proactive. And if it's easier just to do a flat fee, you know, maybe that's easier to do it
that way rather than analyzing, you know, how many bedrooms and how many bathrooms in each individual unit. That's more building department. That's what Yeah. And if we get that in place and the building department or your planning board, whatever, all wants to,
hey, maybe we should do it this way, well, then we already have it in place and then it's just putting tears on the on the permitting. Um, so yeah, I mean I like I said, I can't see much resistance in the fact that we already
charge to bring you on on new construction on a house. This is just new construction on your own property. Um, you know, it's it's not an upgrade. We certainly need to add a fee. There has to be a fee for a connection even on the
same property. There's got to be something. Well, Do we only have to go as far as asking the water department what are they charging for is it a sec are they charging another hookup fee? I got to believe they they're not going to branch the water lines off the original
structure, are they? Are they going to run a new line down? I don't know, but I'm sure they're not I'll talk to the water district about that. I'm just I'm just guessing. Yeah. No, it's a good point. They're not doing it for free, right? No, it's a good point. Yeah.
Uh, it might be that might be that simple. Yep. Yep. Very good. Well, we certainly want to keep that on the agenda. Um, and thank you Dan for um doing additional research
and Scott, thank you for your analytical uh analysis. Uh we need that, you know, to make sure we get everything covered down the line. So, I appreciate your input there. Um,
and uh before we start talking about uh future agenda items, uh does anybody else have anything they want to further discuss with the ADU? I don't I don't think so. That list that you know that Andrew had sent out answered a lot of little questions of
just what's involved with it, you know, for my own personal knowledge. Um, so yeah, that definitely helped. Excellent. Um, so future agenda items, uh, we certainly want to keep Dana Street on there. Um,
today's minutes, um, keep the manhole repair IFB on there. Um, anything regarding quarterly demands if you think it needs to be there, Andrew? Um, yeah, I I would like to leave that on uh for our next meeting of course.
Yeah, I suspected that's a great idea. Thank you. And of course, anything else you come across along the way you build um that you feel should be on there. Uh, and of course the ADU guidelines um for
further discussion and um maybe we can make make some decisions about reaching out to who we have to and having this down. Um, beyond that, um,
is there is there any public comment or comment from staff or commissioners at this time? Um I I'm not sure if anybody saw the uh email, but Joe Hurley had sent out an
email to everyone that he's been sick with the high fever and sorry to miss the last meeting, but that's why he's in the heat tonight. Oh no, I did not see that. That's too bad. Sorry to hear that. Um we wish him well
and thank you, Jane. I appreciate that. I did not see that email. Um all right. Well, the upcoming meetings, um our next one is going to be a hybrid at 7 p.m. um at the DPW
building on July 8th and then July 29th would be Zoom again at 6 pm and then we're going to be having an August 12th at 7 p.m. regular hybrid meeting at the BBW. And then August 26th
at 6 PM that's a Zoom meeting like this. That's what we have. Um and I thank everybody for your everybody's input um and cooperation tonight. And um I am now looking for um a motion
to adjourn our meeting. I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Can someone second that? Second. I'll second that. All right. Very good. Um, Scott D. I.
And Dan Proctor. I. Arthur Cadis. Hi. And I for myself. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you everybody. Um, good evening Lunberg. Have a good night. Take care. Everybody have a great