Feasibility Study To Examine DPW And Water Dept. Facility Needs

 HARWICH – Town Administrator Jay McGrail has approved a contract with Weston & Sampson for $29,500 to conduct a feasibility study examining building and site alternatives for the department of public works, and potentially the facility needs of the water/wastewater department.

Voters at the annual town meeting and on the annual election ballot in May rejected a request to fund a debt exclusion question seeking $1 million for architectural and engineering work to support construction for a new DPW facility and mechanical workshop.

The project was part of the town’s capital plan. Voters denied the funding 159-172 in town meeting and by a 435-519 vote on the debt exclusion ballot question. 

 McGrail told the select board Monday that the study would provide the groundwork to move the project forward and make a stronger case to residents. The first step on the $1 million plan was to come up with a feasibility study, which McGrail said would have been helpful to have in town meeting to provide specifics for voters on what was being proposed. 

 “Hopefully by doing this exercise now out of our engineering budget, we’ll be able to move the ball forward a little bit,” said McGrail.

 Plans also involve the water/wastewater department as well. McGrail said he has been talking with superintendent Jason Trepanier about the department’s building needs. The current building is in a water protection district. 

 McGrail said the idea is to work collaboratively with the two departments, potentially providing storage, a utility room and wastewater accommodations. Having one building, not two, would be cost effective, he said. 

The study will look at facility needs for the DPW and the water/wastewater departments, and a master plan will be developed in five phases, including programming, building and site plan alternatives, conceptual cost estimates, final report and presentation materials. McGrail said the study will take 14 weeks.

Select Board member Mark Kelleher said the disposal area covers 140 acres and the site should be considered. He said the present DPW site could be freed up and sold to offset costs and get the property back on the tax rolls. The study should look at that, he said.