Bourne commissioners convert Keystone Place sewer allocation; public urges town to press MassDevelopment on Joint Base Cape Cod redevelopment impacts

The Bourne Board of Commissioners on June 23 unanimously converted Keystone Place in Buzzards Bay LLC's operational sewer allocation to "actual flow" and spent much of the meeting discussing long-range sewer planning tied to redevelopment at Joint Base Cape Cod.

During public comment, Peter Turner, who said he was speaking from the Select Board, urged the sewer commission to ask the Select Board to request a memorandum of understanding with MassDevelopment and MassDOT to secure mitigation and resources for Bourne. "We need a sewer solution in this town where residents are going to be forced to put $80,000 denitrification systems into their homes that are in this nitrogen overlay district," Turner said, arguing that piping wastewater to the base's treatment facility could be far cheaper for residents than individual systems.

The commission voted on agenda item 4 to convert Keystone Place's preliminary operational allocation to actual flow under section 5.2.1 of the sewer use regulations. A commissioner moved and a second was recorded; roll-call votes were recorded with MJ, Melissa, Jean, Peter and the chair voting yes.

Town staff told commissioners the new wastewater treatment plant has been brought online and should begin taking flow within days. "It was set today, and it's up and running," said Matt, the director, noting operators are adding a chemical intended to eliminate foaming and bacteriological issues. Staff said Kubota will submit a report on the condition of the plant membranes, and the new operations-and-maintenance agreement should add monitoring and staffing capacity.

Commissioners also reviewed the intermunicipal agreement (IMA) with Wareham that fixes a flat annual O&M payment (the document references a $400,000 flat fee for O&M with capital costs additional). Several commissioners recounted the IMA's history, including audits and a 2019 settlement, and noted the agreement was originally negotiated in 2010 and runs for 20 years (ending February 2030). Commissioners discussed starting joint or preparatory meetings with Wareham and possibly hiring consultants to clarify billing formulas, capital-share calculations and financing approaches ahead of the renewal timeline.

In the director's report, staff said Scenic Park is operating without issues, reported two recent sewer line breaks (Right Lane and Buttermilk Way) that were repaired in-house, and said grinder pump bids are under internal review. Commissioners left wastewater items on future agendas and set the next meeting for July 28.

Votes at a glance: The commission approved the Keystone Place allocation conversion (roll-call, unanimous) and approved meeting adjournment by roll-call vote (unanimous).