Rome committee reports septic-permit review underway; backlog of about 3,500 emails may contain inspection reports

The Rome Water Quality Committee said on Feb. 18 that it is progressing through a multi-month effort to sort and record septic-permit inspection reports, but that staff backlog is slowing completion.

Michelle Stafford, who presented the committee’s septic report, told members the team expects “two more months” to complete work identifying which inspection reports are already on file and which remain required. She said a backlog of approximately 3,500 emails that the town CEO has not yet reviewed may include inspection reports the committee needs to reconcile.

Stafford said the permit-review work is being done in coordination with a parallel “7LA” project. Committee member Matt Farragher noted the regional organization is updating its website and will share materials; Farragher said 7LA already covers the town’s water-quality testing, which the committee agreed reduces the need for additional town-funded testing.

The committee approved its Jan. 14, 2026, minutes during the meeting and set follow-up tasks for sorting existing records and confirming outstanding inspections. Members did not vote on funding or new inspections at the meeting; the discussion focused on record identification, document-sharing and preparing educational materials for upcoming public outreach.

Next procedural steps include continued review of historical emails and records, consolidation of documents on a Google-shared site that Farragher is establishing, and progress reports to the committee at future meetings. The group scheduled its next meeting for March 19, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m.