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Jericho task force says Riverside wastewater study is key to adding housing, lowering education taxes
Summary
A town task force told attendees that building a community wastewater system for the Riverside/Under Hill Flats area is the most direct way to allow new housing and reduce per‑pupil education costs; the group is digging test pits and will present preliminary engineering and cost estimates to the select board and public before any vote.
A town task force member said this week that adding a community wastewater treatment system in the Riverside/Under Hill Flats area is the leading step Jericho can take to unlock housing and lower the town’s per‑pupil education tax burden.
“The number one thing Jericho can do to lower property taxes is to add more housing,” the task force member said, arguing that community wastewater — not an “open pit” system — would be a leach‑field style treatment similar to other community systems in town.
Why it matters: the speaker said many of Jericho’s septic systems were built in the 1970s through early 1990s and are approaching 30–50 years of age, with some wells showing pollution that limits residents’ ability to use their homes normally. The task force described the work as technically driven and overseen by select board members serving on the team.
What’s next: the task force is digging test pits and conducting preliminary engineering to identify feasible leach‑field locations and generate cost estimates. Once the engineering work is complete, the select board will engage the public on a concrete proposal and any required financing or warrant articles.
Budget and authority: the task force emphasized that preliminary engineering and cost estimates will precede any formal select board recommendation or ballot question. No formal funding or vote was reported in the meeting; the town will present options publicly after staff compile cost and siting information.
Context and tradeoffs: supporters said centralized wastewater would enable denser housing and more children in local schools — a claim supported in the meeting by a cited 37% decline in the school population over two decades — which in turn could lower the education tax rate by spreading fixed school costs over more students. Opponents and specific technical tradeoffs were not recorded in the transcript.
The task force did not set a timetable for a final proposal; members said additional fieldwork and cost estimates are required before the select board presents a specific plan to voters.
