Southborough wastewater committee seeks $10,000 to start financial model, backs joint Route 9 study

The Wastewater Study Committee for the Town of Southborough voted May 21 to pursue roughly $10,000 from available Economic Development consulting funds as seed money to hire consultants to build an initial financial model for a proposed development district (referred to in the meeting as the “diff”).

The committee also agreed to support, in principle, a Westboro-led Route 9 gateway corridor study that Westboro estimated at about $150,000, and to prepare a letter of support for a MassDevelopment one-stop services grant application that could cover some or all of the study cost. A member volunteered to draft the support letter and circulate it for review.

Why it matters: committee members said a credible financial model and clearer data about developable parcels and projected commercial tax revenue are prerequisites for persuading voters at town meeting. Members repeatedly emphasized that public education will be a major lift and that taking only the map for a development district to town meeting—separate from a full development program—may be politically useful but will not itself authorize construction or taxes absent a later plan.

Committee discussion and next steps Members who briefed the Planning Board on May 11 reported the board’s reception was “friendly” but cautious, with repeated questions about how the public would be educated and how zoning and permitting interact with a district designation. The committee debated whether to present just the district area map at town meeting (an approach some members said could “stake a claim” without creating immediate tax obligations) or hold off until the committee can provide a full development program, site concepts and financial projections.

The committee noted some statutory ambiguity in “chapter 4” language about whether the area and program must be adopted together and said it has asked town counsel for clarification before committing to a town‑meeting strategy.

On financing and modeling, members said outside financial-modeling firms are typically hired to produce the tax‑revenue and development‑scenario analyses towns need to show voters. The group agreed to try to encumber about $10,000 from FY26 Economic Development consulting funds to get an initial consultant to frame the work and scope, and to then pursue a larger one‑stop or FY27 grant to cover subsequent phases.

On regional coordination, members described a Westboro‑led meeting of developers and planners that produced a rough RKG estimate of about $150,000 to study the Route 9 corridor; Westboro has indicated it expects cost‑sharing and a roughly 50/50 split was discussed in the joint meeting. Committee members said the report would supply useful zoning and market data that would make wastewater planning more defensible but expressed concern about the town’s ability to come up with a $75,000 share if one‑stop funding does not cover the full total.

Process and governance concerns The committee discussed process concerns raised by a planning‑board member about the use of executive sessions to discuss potential sites. A committee member said they had consulted town counsel and were advised that advisory discussions and communications with property owners can sometimes be discussed under lawful exemptions, but members agreed to be careful and transparent about the boundaries of executive‑session use going forward.

Separately, one member raised the possibility of a conflict of interest, saying that committee member Bob Moss had previously developed Madison Place; that point was raised as a note of concern about perceptions and potential recusal requirements if Moss’s private interests intersect with committee proposals.

What the committee decided - Seek authorization to encumber up to $10,000 from the FY26 Economic Development services line to engage an initial financial consultant and scope a fuller modeling contract. - Deputize two members to move the MassDevelopment/one‑stop application process forward and to speak with the select board about funding options. - Draft and send a letter of support for the Route 9 gateway one‑stop application; a member volunteered to draft and circulate the letter. - Continue outreach and planning with the aim of returning to the Planning Board and select board when more concrete financial modeling and site analysis are available.

Members set a near‑term follow-up to continue work on the modeling scope and grant support; no formal town‑meeting action on a district or plan was taken at the May 21 meeting.

Quotations and attribution The committee chair opened the meeting, saying, “I’ll call the wastewater study committee to order at 7:04 p.m. on Thursday, May 21st.” Members described the Planning Board’s response as “neutral to mildly supportive” and repeatedly raised the need for extensive public education before any town‑meeting vote.

Next steps and timeline The group asked one member to obtain Westboro’s draft application for review, and members agreed to try to finalize a short contract scope in June using any encumbered FY26 funds so a stronger FY27 grant request can follow. The committee scheduled a near‑term follow‑up meeting to keep the process moving.