Conservation Commission Backs Stormwater Fund Ahead of October 1 Town Vote

PEPPERELL — September 25, 2018 — Pepperell Conservation Commission unanimously backed a stormwater enterprise fund and cleared two other conservation matters at its September 25 meeting. The commission voted to support Warrant Articles 4 and 5, headed to the October 1 special town meeting, which would create and fund the enterprise fund at an initial flat rate of roughly $50 per parcel annually — about $12.50 per quarter — to comply with the federal NPDES MS4 Phase 2 stormwater permit that took effect July 1. The public works presenter, identified as Ken, warned that non-compliance could expose the town to EPA fines of "$25,000 a day" and argued the dedicated fund is the only mechanism that protects stormwater spending from being cut during school overrides or equipment emergencies, noting that neighboring Westford runs a stormwater program that grew from $600,000 to $1.5 million annually. The commission also issued a unanimous order of conditions for Pepperell Hydro's FERC-mandated kayak and canoe access improvements on the Nashua River, and approved a negative determination allowing proposed buyers Anthony and Lauren Dennis to construct a barn and horse fence within the buffer zone at 44 Prescott Street, conditioned on installation of compost socks as a manure-runoff barrier near the Nissitissit River, an Outstanding Resource Water.