The Brockton Finance Committee questioned city leaders about a recent fact‑finding trip to meet representatives of Aquaria (the Dighton desalination operator) and asked for more documentation and transparency; the committee recommended a resolve to have the mayor, the CFO, the DPW commissioner and the city solicitor appear before the full council.

Mayor Robert Sullivan, CFO Dr. Troy Clarkson and DPW Commissioner Patrick Hill all told the committee the August trip to the Miami area was exploratory. Clarkson said the stated objectives were to review the remaining years in Brockton’s operating contract with Aquaria, “begin to understand what a successor contract might look like,” and to “explore the possibility of a purchase.” He and Commissioner Hill said the visit included a plant tour and general, nonbinding discussions; they said no negotiated purchase price was agreed on during that visit.

Councilors sharply questioned the trip’s scope and participant selection. Councilor Darren Clark (who filed the resolve) asked why the city solicitor was not invited and why one elected councilor was included while others were not. Mayor Sullivan and Dr. Clarkson said there were no negotiations at the meeting that would have required opposing counsel or the city solicitor to be present; the mayor and CFO said Aquaria’s team requested an in‑person visit and that one councilor who had prior involvement with Aquaria was available and had previously negotiated with the company.

Councilor Moses Rodriguez, who attended part of the trip and said he paid his own way, defended the visit as a necessary fact‑finding mission. Rodriguez and others said earlier purchase discussions had expired and that Aquaria raised its price in subsequent contacts.

Clarkson said the city currently spends about $9,000,000 a year in fixed payments under the Aquaria contract and that, since 2010, Brockton has paid roughly $102,000,000 in fixed costs for the service. He told the committee that acquisition of the Dighton plant could — depending on purchase terms, financing and potential third‑party customers — be financially preferable to continuing large fixed annual payments, but he said no purchase price was negotiated on the trip and that further study is required.

Commissioner Hill announced the city will institute a ban on outside watering effective Oct. 8 because Silver Lake levels are low; he said Silver Lake is roughly 52 inches below normal and that DEP advised drought management steps. Hill said the city will ramp Aquaria output up to the facility’s maximum permitted rate (3,810,000 gallons per day) over coming days to offset lake levels; he warned the direct operating cost will be significant, estimating that 30 days at that rate could cost nearly $200,000.

Councilors requested any notes, memoranda or materials produced from the trip. Councilor Farwell said the committee had not received any documents and urged staff to provide all records; the solicitor said there were no legal negotiations at the trip and that if negotiations occur the solicitor and opposing counsel would participate. The committee recommended the resolve favorably to the full council.