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Farmington selectmen open hearings on cemetery easement for Well 4R and a $100,000 SRF wastewater evaluation
Summary
Selectmen opened required public hearings on a proposed easement for a new drinking well (Well 4R) on Farmington Cemetery Association land and on a $100,000 Clean Water SRF-funded wastewater capacity evaluation that the SRF indicated could be eligible for 100% principal forgiveness; both warrant articles were advanced for placement on the town warrant.
The Farmington Board of Selectmen on Feb. 19 opened two statutorily required public hearings tied to warrant articles for the town meeting: one to authorize a bond or note in excess of $100,000 to acquire easements and property rights needed to construct a new drinking water well (Well 4R) on land owned by the Farmington Cemetery Association, and a second to accept a Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) allocation of $100,000 to evaluate the Town’s wastewater treatment capacity.
Interim Town Administrator Paul Sanderson told the board the form of the cemetery agreement and the warrant language have been reviewed by Town Counsel and the Department of Revenue Administration. "This is to deal with what will be Article #9 on the warrant having to do with the agreement between the Town of Farmington and the Farmington Cemetery Association regarding the acquisition of easements and property rights for the purpose of constructing Well 4R," Sanderson said.
On the wastewater planning item, Sanderson said the SRF has granted a $100,000 allocation "initially in the form of a note" but that "the SRF has said that the Town is eligible for 100% principal forgiveness so even though it appears that we will be borrowing $100,000 we will in fact with completion of this particular evaluation have 100% forgiveness of that $100,000 obligation." He said the work is to be an evaluation and planning effort and that, if voters approve the warrant article, the town will move forward to implement the grant-funded planning.
Chairman Gerry Vachon and members agreed to leave both hearings open for one hour while other business proceeded. At the meeting’s close, the board voted to close the public hearings and "proceed with both articles on the warrant," a procedural vote to place the items on the Town Meeting warrant. The motion to proceed passed on a 5-0 vote.
Why it matters: the cemetery easement and the wastewater planning study both tie to how Farmington will manage drinking water sources and wastewater capacity over coming years. The SRF-funded planning carries the prospect of principal forgiveness if program conditions are met, reducing the town’s long-term borrowing impact, while the cemetery easement is a land-use and infrastructure action that will create a protective radius around a public drinking water well.
The board left the hearings open during the meeting and then closed them and signed the warrant for posting as required by RSA 33:8-a. The hearings’ records, supporting Memorandum of Agreement and financial materials are on file with town staff and were described as having been reviewed by Town Counsel and the Department of Revenue Administration.
Next steps: both warrant articles will appear on the town warrant for voter consideration at Town Meeting; if voters approve the SRF-related article, the town will proceed with SRF planning and the principal-forgiveness process, and if voters approve the cemetery easement financing, the town will execute agreements and acquisition steps identified in the Memorandum of Agreement.
