Dennis board approves sewer flow allocation fee and wastewater rate structure

The Dennis Select Board on July 14 voted to adopt a one‑time flow allocation fee and a quarterly wastewater rate structure developed by the town's wastewater financial subgroup.

Mark Greenville of GHD, the town wastewater coordinator, told the board the proposed flow allocation fee would be charged when an application to connect is submitted. He explained, “The fee is collected by most towns, and it would be paid once an application to connect is submitted, to the town.” He said the subgroup recommended $1,500 per existing residential house and $10,000 per bedroom for new single‑family units constructed after a defined infrastructure readiness date of 02/01/2028; existing commercial would pay 2.5% of assessed building value, while new commercial would pay a per‑square‑foot structure charge as shown in the subgroup tables.

Greenville also presented a proposed rate structure for ongoing system operations. He said user rates are intended to cover annual operations and maintenance — not Phase 1 capital — and noted the average Cape municipal user bill range used for benchmarking. “The average rate for other Cape And Islands wastewater users is somewhere between 850 and 1050 dollars per year,” he said. Under the Dennis proposal, quarterly bills would include a $40 base fee per 0.25 plus tiered per‑1,000‑gallon charges to encourage conservation.

Board members asked detailed questions about accessory dwelling units, knock‑down/rebuild scenarios, and how Title 5/Board of Health approvals may affect grandfathering and enforcement. On the critical classification date, Greenville confirmed that properties with certificates of occupancy dated before 02/01/2028 would be treated as existing; those after would be treated as new for fee purposes. The board also discussed coordination with the Board of Health on enforcement logistics.

Select Board member (speaker 11) moved to accept the flow allocation fee as presented for existing and new residential connections; the motion was seconded and approved unanimously. The board then moved and unanimously approved the wastewater rate structure (quarterly billing, $40 base per 0.25 and tiered per‑1,000‑gallon usage charges).

Next steps include finalizing materials for public distribution (correcting unit labels such as “per thousand gallons” on slides) and coordination with town departments to prepare for implementation and any town‑meeting actions required by fee‑limitation law.