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Norfolk board discusses Kingsbury Pond monitoring with USGS and MassDEP and considers residency rule for appointees
Summary
Select Board members heard that USGS could restart monitoring at Kingsbury Pond under an interagency agreement and that MassDEP may issue a related permit in late fall; the board also opened discussion of a policy that would require registered-voter status for appointees to certain committees, with carve-outs proposed for ad hoc groups and employees.
Town staff told the Norfolk Select Board on July 13 that they have spoken with the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection about water monitoring at Kingsbury Pond. Staff said MassDEP appears likely to issue a permit for Franklin in the late fall and that USGS is willing to reactivate monitoring at Kingsbury Pond under an interagency agreement if the town proceeds. Staff said the town could move forward independently and that USGS data from other kettle ponds would allow Norfolk to compare conditions regionally.
Board members asked whether neighboring Franklin would participate; staff said Franklin was not ready to partner but was not opposed. Staff also reported outreach to the Charles River Watershed Alliance, which did not volunteer funding or partnership at this time.
Separately, staff flagged a placeholder policy the Select Board might adopt: requiring Select Board appointees to certain committees (those with fiduciary or permitting responsibilities) to be registered voters in Norfolk. Board members supported developing a policy with legal review and discussed carve-outs for ad hoc working groups (for example, communications or Kingsbury Pond working groups) and for employee appointments that serve on committees despite not being town residents.
What’s next: staff will draft a residency/registered-voter policy for legal review and continue discussions with USGS and MassDEP about equipment, scope and cost for monitoring; the Select Board indicated interest in moving ahead with monitoring and in advertising membership for working groups.
