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Sewer Commission 05/14/2026
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(Episode Description is AI generated and may be errors in accuracy)
You can learn a lot about a town by listening to how it runs the systems nobody sees. We start the night with the nuts and bolts of public governance: reorganizing the Board of Sewer Commissioners, approving minutes, and moving straight into the superintendent’s report where the real work lives. We talk new sewer connections, pump station cleanup, no-dumping signage, and a resident complaint that turns into a plan for a chain link fence across a sewer easement with a maintenance gate so we can still get equipment where it needs to go.
From there, it’s budgets and projects. We review the FY27 sewer budget and what it takes to defend an enterprise fund plan at annual town meeting. We run through active infrastructure items like manhole lining, subdivision testing for gravity sewer deflection and low-pressure lines, developer coordination and permits, and the Route 44 pump control upgrade with new PLC and VFD equipment to replace obsolete gear that caused failures. We also cover how road resurfacing impacts our assets, including manhole frame and cover work timed to paving schedules.
Then we shift into a public hiring decision with real stakes. We interview two finalists for sewer superintendent and dig into collections system operations, plan review, GIS mapping, contractor oversight, payroll and union step schedules, and the hardest unknown of all: getting clear answers from Taunton on treatment plant upgrades and cost sharing. After deliberation, we take a roll call vote and select Kylie Breedy as our next superintendent. If you care about municipal infrastructure, wastewater collections, and how local government makes high-impact decisions, listen through to the vote and tell us what you would prioritize first. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.
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Reorganizing The Sewer Commission
SPEAKER_03I call our monthly meeting of the Board of Sewer Commissioners to order here at 6 p.m. on this lovely Thursday night on the fourteenth of May. As we've done every May. The first item is we reorganize the board. So we are at that phase. And uh if there's anybody who wants to make a nomination, uh we speak. I'd like to nominate Joseph Bencourt for chairman.
SPEAKER_05Second. All those in favor?
SPEAKER_03No, no, no, no. We're gonna have discussion.
SPEAKER_04Thank you.
SPEAKER_03To which there'll be none. Thank you. Thank you for your vote of confidence. I hope I've been doing the job in a fashion that meets your expectation.
SPEAKER_04That's why you got my nomination. Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_03Uh all those in favor? Aye. Aye. Yeah, Mr. Batancourt is our chairman for another year. Uh nomination for a chairman, a vice chairman of our committee. I'd like to nominate Joe Bickle for Vice Chair. I second that motion. Are you willing to accept? I am. Good. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Mr. Bickle
Approving Executive And Open Minutes
SPEAKER_03is our vice chair. Now, the next item is uh approval of minutes for our executive session that was taken in April. Um if you looked at the minutes, it tells exactly what we did. We went and discussed between the board members how the relationship of possible salary range, contract time, etc., etc., for the proposed new superintendent. Um and we had a motion to adjourn. And we had a roll call motion to get out, and we'll go back in business. Motion to accept. So moved. Second. Motion to move and it is seconded. Uh moved by Mr. Pickle, seconded by Mr. Kelleher to accept the executive session minutes. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. It's a three-o vote. Now we'll do the same thing with the minutes on the last month. Everybody have a chance to go through and see what was in. I do. Under the approval of minutes, Mr.
SPEAKER_07Keller's name is spelled wrong.
SPEAKER_03Keller He. Mr. Bickle and second to Mr. Kellerhe. Slack it, huh? Yeah, right. Well correct it before you pass it down to town hall. Okay. Do we have a motion to accept? So amended second it. Uh minutes have been moved by Mr. Bickle, seconded by Mr. Kelleher. All those in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. Three-hole vote. Okay. Now onward and upward to the business at hand. No correspondence. Superintendent's report.
Monthly Operations And Site Cleanups
SPEAKER_03Thank you. One more to go. One more to go. And they see he's running out of paper and he's running out of pictures. Oh my word. He showed us the same thing last month.
SPEAKER_08Pretty close, yeah, pretty close. May 14th, 2026, Department of Operations Superintendent's Report. We have had three connections to the sewer system this past month. The guys continue with station cleanup with now being trained through growing season, more or less keeping up with the grass mowing now. The Abervites have now been replaced over the Nottingham Drive Pumping Station as well as looming seeding and mulching at the station. They also placed a no-dumping sign at the Elm Street West pumping station, similar to what we did over at the First Street pumping station, and one of the neighbors was disposing of yard waste behind the station as well. So we had a
Easement Fence And Trespass Concerns
SPEAKER_08post sign over there. I had a complaint from Gasby Drive residence from a uh it was a five or six unit condo over there. Um we have a sewer easement running between Gasby Drive and Park Place, and this is part of our phase seven project. The resident was complaining that strangers are parking uh their cars at Park Place, utilizing the easement and walking through their property on Gaspi Drive to get over to the Massasoit State Park. I contacted a fence company to install a six-foot chain link fence across the easement. Uh hopefully they'll deter what's happening. Uh the fence will have a 10-foot-wide gate so that we can gain access uh for maintenance within that easement. Are those gates on both ends of the easement? No, it's just one, so where this residence is, it's uh gonna be between park your in park place. Right, no, Gaspi. So it's between Gasby, yep.
SPEAKER_03Easement's right video on the left that you're going to call it. If it goes up the hill and around the house, yeah.
SPEAKER_08So we got uh I put it uh just before it goes up into the park place. I put I'm putting the fence in the gate there. So uh uh they they place the supporting post for the fence. The uh the actual fence hasn't been put up yet. Uh I'm expecting that to be within a couple weeks. What's the reason why is the park overrun? I mean, generally there's plenty of parking down there. I I'm not sure what they're doing, why they're doing it, but that's the complaint I got. They said there was people walking through, walking their dogs through, and everything. You know, uh so she asked me if I could do something there.
Staff Training Licenses And Pay
SPEAKER_08Um, Sean and Chris have been attending a class to obtain their collective system certification. Uh, they actually did the testing here today. Uh they wait their results on the exam probably three or four weeks before they find out. They feel as though they did pretty good on it. Um, so they're expecting to pass. Uh, they both tested for the grade four collective system certification. Uh, so that's the highest grade you can get in that in that particular certification, and they'll be entitled to a uh a special achievement uh increase in their payment if they do get it. Fiscal
FY27 Budget And Town Meeting
SPEAKER_08year 27 budget. Chairman Benton Court and I met with the Finance Committee on April 21st. Uh the Finance Committee uh didn't have it appear to have an issue with the budget at that time, but did make an adjustment on that budget, reducing it by $1,500. Uh that now being that was from $3,184,044 down to $3,182,544. Turns out to be uh about a 2.5% increase in our budget. The annual town meeting is uh being held next Monday, May 18th at 7 p.m. over at the middle school here. Uh manhole
Manhole Lining And Pine Street Buildout
SPEAKER_08landing project, the notice proceed has been given to the contractor for the project. I am waiting for them to schedule the work. I would expect this work to take maybe a few days to more, no more than a week once they get started. They have up until September 30th, I think, to complete the work. Uh Pine Street subdivisions. I mentioned to you last month that the sewer main consisting of roughly 600 feet of gravity sewer and 150 feet of low pressure main had been installed. Pressure testing of the low pressure line was completed this past Monday, along with retesting of a manhole that had previously failed the vacuum test. Mandural gauge testing remains on the gravity line. You've got to wait 90 days after the install of the gravity main before you perform that test. And what that test does, it looks for a deflection in that pipe, anything greater than 5%. The contractor will be looking to start infrastructure work on the one remaining street soon, the next street being called Longleaf Lane. That has additional uh an additional nine uh blocks serviced by gravity, four gravity, and five being serviced by uh low pressure. Broadway crossing, uh the 4EB project across the market basket on 38. Uh Broadway Crossing has now pulled building permits on the first cluster of buildings. They've had footings in there for almost seems like a year and a half, two years now. They haven't done any work, but they finally did pay make their first payment to us and do have building permits now squared away with the water department as well. And I have been working with the project manager for the Mass DOT road opening permit. As the utility owner, we are responsible to apply for that particular permit through mass department of transportation. The Route 44 pump control project, the work on this project resumes April 20th. Uh work being completed on May 5th. Um have invoices here, a couple invoices actually on the project. Um it's pretty much wrapped up, and we're working on to develop a punch list. And actually, looking at things over so far, we really can't find anything to punch on it. Uh I'll have to say that's the first time we've had a project that uh that nothing was found. Um, but you can see those pictures there. That is all the new equipment that's in there. The new PLC on the left and the and the new VFDs on the right. They're a lot bigger than the older ones. Um, the place is running uh fabulous now, um, so hopefully we don't have any issues like we were having with uh with failures of VFTs and um and not being able to obtain them because they were obsolete. Uh luckily we did obtain them, they were very expensive. Highway department projects.
Route 44 Controls And Roadwork Coordination
SPEAKER_08The highway department has started with some of their roadway resurfacing projects for the year. Currently working on King Phillip Street, starting from Mill Street and working down to South Main Street. Uh, we don't have any sewer manholes over there, so we've got nothing to worry about. We do have a couple, there's a low pressure line running in there. Uh, there is a couple um what we call curb stops, little curb stops on the side of the road, similar to what you would have for water line. And uh there was two of them that needed to be raised up, but they were on the edges of the road, they're in an acre of a driveway. But other than that, no manholes in the road to contend with. Uh they have also milling in uh paving Britain Street on the west side of Broadway, working towards King Phillip Street. This was part of that Northranium Water District project they did last year with replacing the water main. We do have roughly eight manhole frames and covers that are getting changed out as part of that work. That uh work is scheduled for tomorrow weather committee for them to change all our frames and covers. In the fall, they do plan on paving King Street starting at the Route 24 overpass and working up to Locust Street. And we are uh currently working on a number of manual replacements for that uh for that section. Um I have placed an order with our uh the person that we buy the manual frames and covers from uh for our 15 additional frames and covers they have on hand. We do have about 10 out here, but um, if you remember back when we were getting APA funds, I believe I ordered 50 of them. We ran through quite a bit of them with all the paving projects that are going on.
SPEAKER_03So I got on that. Robana, just curiosity, uh we how many new connections we had since the first of the go back and count that.
SPEAKER_08I know we had six last week last month that I recorded.
SPEAKER_03Would you agree at the next meeting?
SPEAKER_08You you will be here. Yeah, yeah, I will be here.
SPEAKER_03Unless we can find it in the meeting that I don't think that's gonna happen unless we get a three-year-old vote. Well that might happen. Okay.
Warrant Articles And Hiring Process
SPEAKER_03So uh annual town meeting warrant. Yep. Come in and click.
SPEAKER_02Hello.
SPEAKER_08So as you know, the uh meeting is on Monday. And we'll see what we have for articles on that that pertain to us. Yes, okay.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, article for Article 15 is that uh share with the bond uh credit, and uh then article seven is the budget credit. Right. Okay.
SPEAKER_08And article nine being the uh transfer from the battery reserve to pay the tool of construction debt.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Okay. That's right.
Interview With Kylie Breedy
SPEAKER_03Anything else on that? Okay, now what we have here, gentlemen, is uh one of our candidates for our superintendent's job. It's Kylie Breedy. Uh Kylie, this is Mr. Joseph. Oh, this is Jeffy Kellar. Pleasure to meet you. Uh and you know the Turkey over the corner we we we we interviewed the world. So these gentlemen would like to just get uh an idea of who you are, where you're from, and uh to see whether or not you're gonna fit in. You know, yeah.
SPEAKER_08So Rob, uh, do you want to start? Sure. You guys uh want to make the questions that Mr. Benton Port and I had uh gone through with her.
SPEAKER_03Some of it will be a rehash, yeah. And then they they they will have their own questions that they will talk about.
SPEAKER_08All right, Rob. Yep. All right, so uh again, one problem uh we are having is getting answers or even a response out of Taunton uh with questions on the treatment plan and the main compensation upgrades, uh more specifically the pain and amount that Rainham will uh will need to contribute for those costs. Uh question being in what way could you see yourself helping with that communication and the answers from Taunton that we haven't we are struggling with getting?
SPEAKER_00I would go to the town hall and just start asking for some names. And would that be hard to go to the DW? Would that be more to go to the treatment plan and try to communicate with all three? Try to get some of it. Would that be more to reach out to the uh city of time and see something like their local ones?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, we've had we've had uh multiple phone calls to them, emails, we just can't know what we're gonna certify. Yeah, yeah, it's just don't respond. Moving on to the next one. As you know, RAINAM is a sewage collective system with uh with no treatment planet. Uh you list having some collective system knowledge on your resume. I was wondering if you can elaborate on some of that knowledge on the uh collective system side.
SPEAKER_00So when I first started my career, um like about a decade ago, I worked at treatment plants down the cape, package plants. So it was kind of like a one-man show where we were the maintenance person, we were the operator, Blah was the person in the middle of the night calling the like source, similar to source, Robert the hour to pump our tanks. So that's kind of where my maintenance part of knowledge started, and then working out the pumps. I've isolated pumps, cleaned pumps, prime pumps, um, opened up animals, done combined space, cleaned out tanks, lock out cacao, all sorts of safety stuff.
SPEAKER_08Okay. Um a big responsibility of the sewer superintendent is conversing and meeting with project engineers and developers uh on projects connected to, or connecting, I'm sorry, connected or connecting to the sewer system. This requires knowledge of a sewer system along with plan review. Do you have knowledge on project review and familiarity with plans of this nature?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So I don't know if you guys saw my resume, but right now my current job with Beolia, aside from being a wastewater operator, is the site safety coordinator and then the industrial pre-treatment coordinator. So I work with 17 industries in giving them a discharge permit based off whatever they have. Like DQ, Johnson ⁇ Johnson, they're one of my categorical industrial users, electro panels, and um and we consistently get new people and go through new plans with new engineers or licensed site professionals, whatever it is. So yeah, I'm familiar with that. And then we have meetings like this with the city of time, it's just during the day once a month.
SPEAKER_08Some important roles of the superintendent include prosecuting a payroll. This also includes developing salary schedules for human resources, which is updated as part of the sewer union contract. This involves keeping track of the years of service step raises along with special achievement licensing increases and longevity payment schedules. Uh this information is also utilized for developing the budget. Are you comfortable with these responsibilities as being part of the superintendent's role?
SPEAKER_00Yes. Yes, I'm comfortable with it. I don't have any experience doing payroll, but I I know that's something I could easily learn. And even before he is officially like if given the job, I plan to learn stuff before even starting, because I would only get if I got it two weeks. So hopefully learn stuff before that starts. I don't think the payroll should be initially.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_08Okay. Uh putting together the budget is another role as superintendent while working with the sewer commission for approval. This process also includes verifying that the sewer user rate will sustain the budget and recommending any rate adjustments to the board. Budget submission is then submitted to the town accountant and finance committee to be approved for the annual town meeting in which you develop the warrant article for. Question being: have you any knowledge on this process or will you feel comfortable learning these procedures along with attending all meetings related to the process as well as annual town meeting for the approval of the budget, along with any other articles you may bring forward on the warrant?
SPEAKER_00Yes, I'm comfortable learning that, and the city meeting part is fine. If I'm aware of that.
SPEAKER_08Okay. Um draw posting, ask for a few minimum draw specifications to those being a grade four wastewater treatment operators license and a grade four collective systems license. Can you tell me uh what wastewater alleta license you may have or working towards?
SPEAKER_00I have the grade seven license due to working on a grade six plant and my experience brought it up to a seven a couple years ago. And I have the grade four collections exam license. It's just not um I put in my paperwork. It says I need till November of 2026 for it to be full status. So I have the license. I just need more experience outside of the treatment plant gate, doing like in time space.
SPEAKER_08So we always want us, I think, right?
SPEAKER_00She basically said keep doing what you're doing, but reapply in twenty November 26.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, a lot of it's based on the as a service. Yeah, so they want time served, time served.
SPEAKER_00She wanted to see more experience of actually going out of our treatment plant. And I wish I knew that applying because I could have done that a couple times at least. But uh yeah, so I do have the license.
SPEAKER_08Uh so department has six employees in which we will be directing, all of uh with different talents and personalities. Have you experience with overseeing any with personnel?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So with my job right now, one of the three hats being the site safety coordinator. I coordinate, put on, schedule, track all of the 21 employees at our treatment plants, safety, whatever safety stuff we have, whether it's meetings, trainings, hands-on trainings. Um those are all the different personalities that I work with.
SPEAKER_0821.
SPEAKER_0021 hour place.
SPEAKER_08Uh you have any familiarity with the system of this type?
SPEAKER_00Yes. I did Arc GIS at what's that was back in 2014, so I'd love to take a class on it again. It was fun, but yeah, I'm familiar with GIS.
SPEAKER_08Developing that key like putting the plans in?
SPEAKER_00We had projects. I can't remember what my project was, but we presented we had like um we presented it.
SPEAKER_08Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00To whoever. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Because we uh if we had our uh consulting engineer like scan the scan the plans in and then put it on the actual map. Yeah. Uh we are currently wrapping up a project at our Route 44 Pumper Station with updating of the control system and have recently given a notice of award for a manhole landing project uh with this uh which the superintendent will be managing with the contractor. Uh have you had any involvement with project management and oversight with a contractor in a andor a project?
SPEAKER_00I would say yes with my industrial pre-treatment work. I do have oversight to say what needs to be sampled and where, how often, and issuing a permit. That would be my experience with contract contractors. Aside from the treatment plant getting uh an upgrade over the last time. Oh, yes, yeah, it would have been jumped too.
SPEAKER_08So you didn't you have some involvement with that as well?
SPEAKER_00We have some involvement just as being the operators, working with engineers of where to sample or what makes sense with the blowers and the bioreactor, you know. So we did have some sample.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. So Linda Joven or question, sure.
SPEAKER_05Uh good evening. Good evening. Uh pleasure to meet you, and again, congratulations on making your way through a very respectable group of candidates. Thank you. Thank you, Rob, for helping decipher some of those classifications and certifications. Um, my area of expertise is medical emergencies and house files, so I needed some help on that. Do you have any supervisory time?
SPEAKER_00My supervisory time is the last five years being the site safety coordinator. Okay. So um I did bring a couple things of paperwork for Veolia since we're global. We have um each facility has a site safety coordinator, and the responsibilities have just become more and more and more. And with IPP, the industrial pre-treatment work I do, it's like a one-man show. So I guess you could say I supervise myself. And then working as the wastewater operator, one day a week we're totally alone. So they count that as we supervise ourselves.
SPEAKER_05So I um it's just kind of a two-part question. Uh, could you share with us an instance where you had a disagreement, a dispute, a discrepancy with an inferior, or or even a superior for that matter, um, and how you worked to a resolution on that? In other words, what was the problem and how did you resolve it?
SPEAKER_00Um I guess I could say an example would back in safety because it's such a difficult thing getting people to agree on safety. We had um some issues with people not using harnesses. So um we use real life examples, which was pretty easy because we went through an upgrade and we had contractors not being safe. So we just used them as an example of what could happen if somebody fell, somebody fell off a ladder. So that real life experience was able to us have a real training in the classroom, use your harness, all the lot that tied out of what things being used for the harness, and it was kind of like a full circle moment.
SPEAKER_07Very good. Excellent. Um welcome, congratulations, I'm glad that you're sitting here. Um my question's a little bit different. What attracts you to this position?
SPEAKER_00Um, I thought about it a really long time ago because I went to Worcester State, I did environmental science, everybody's like, what are you gonna do? How are you gonna make money? And and I thought of it a long time ago. I was like, I guess maybe I could be a superintendent like somewhere down the road, and I've had a bunch of really, really random experience that somehow has all worked together for this role, and it's just been interesting. But um, I originally got into the field because I liked water quality and then I it was easy for me to obtain licensing and I'm motivated by licenses and money and just kept going and going and going. So for now, um I'm in a union and it's nearly so I'm not gonna become a chief, but they do they think I'm valued permit. I just can't step up to a chief that I have because of time of service.
SPEAKER_07Okay. Um excellent. Both candidates that were interviewing are gonna be stepping into a situation where you're an outsider. Typically, this position has been promoted within, so both of you will have face the same challenges. So, with that, what would you say is your greatest attribute?
SPEAKER_00My greatest attribute or this position doesn't have to be this position, just your your greatest attribute. Um I think I get along with people pretty well and I at a broad kind of personality level. I think um my personality and then my work ethic is just like there's no like agenda or the job is a very public position, so it's like you probably are good or bad still like in the public guy. So my personality, the work ethic, and um like if I was gonna go, I would just start right away. Like for knowing things. Like I know you have 35 pump stations, the union contract, the budget, just all these things I would want to know fast. So I the very first day at least know some so and I do know some pump stations, I know some of the workers, because I get samples from them once a month.
SPEAKER_07So they were collected.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know two out of the six. So that's what I mean, that's what our treatment plan is. Our uh the admin used to call it the land and mystic choice, so all different personalities, but it makes for a fine job.
SPEAKER_07The flip side of that coin, and this can get uncomfortable, is what is your biggest weakness or what do you need to work on?
SPEAKER_00My biggest weakness would be my age in the field, because I know there's a lot of older people, and I'm an external candidate.
SPEAKER_07And can't change your age, you can't change your external candidate. What do you in your personal, not not personal life, but professional life, what do you obviously you see, very smart, very driven by licenses and education. What are you striving to improve on? Because no one's perfect.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um so professionally, what do you think you need to improve on?
SPEAKER_00Maybe more of like a work-life balance. Okay. I would say a work-life balance, which would be it would be it would be uh um obviously if I did get the position at the very beginning, it would be a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. But I don't want to work 24-7 all day, every day. I would have to taper that off.
SPEAKER_07Um where would you like to see yourself in 10 years, 20 years? Do you still be local? Are you I see that?
SPEAKER_00I'm local right now, yeah. Um 20 years.
SPEAKER_0710 years.
SPEAKER_00In 10 years? 10 years, 20 years, wherever. But my life goal is to own a house in my own name. Yeah. So that hopefully within 10 years. And then I don't want to work past 60. So that's my goal. That's my goal. Okay. I don't want to um she wants to make it to 90, too.
SPEAKER_05She doesn't want to work in 1900.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just don't want to um I just wanna I just wanna put in my time and um, you know, do some other stuff. So I do I do value my family and my time with my family. Um I don't want to see myself working my life away. But I this is a job I'm passionate about. I feel like I just like it. I've always disliked it and to make it so easy. So that's the toss-up. I don't want my job to be my whole life.
SPEAKER_07Do you think you'll ever get bored of this? Because we are transitioning from expansions to no more expansions. This is just a monitoring type situation where me in my seat, it looks like it could be redundant. Um are you okay with that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Because if it was if I wasn't here, I wasn't like jumping at the bed to leave my job and it is redundant. So um if this works out, amazing. If it doesn't, I'll be okay.
SPEAKER_07This board is sticklers with numbers and budgets. Are you comfortable creating those? And I know probably I'm making an assumption you haven't had to create budgets yet.
SPEAKER_00In my personal life, yes.
SPEAKER_07Okay, personally. So you've got this board here, and then we give you the yay or the nay, we have conversations, and then you've got to go to town hall and talk to the finance committee, um, and they're gonna have their own opinions on things. And then comes town meetings, and occasionally you'll get a resident that says, What's going on with this, that, and the other. So that's just an area. Are you comfortable learning how to do that? Are you okay with constructive criticism? Okay.
SPEAKER_05Well, what I have a fat beat question as well. You already answered a lot of it uh as far as the department's operation and their personnel. You touched on some of that stuff. Um, what some people would call this the homework question. Uh, what do you know of the town, its history, and its likely future challenges?
SPEAKER_00What do I know of the town just in general, or at least one?
SPEAKER_05Uh beyond the department.
SPEAKER_00I was born and raised here. Um I went to the schools um 44, 138. I don't even really know what else there. Brandium is very small. I know most of the infrastructure is fairly new, if we're talking wastewater. Like I know most of that's fairly new, which is desirable for me to want to work here.
SPEAKER_05Um future challenges for the town probably every department might face?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um the drinking water up there and um future challenges probably go into our treatment plant still. I can still see that. I'm hoping to, if given the position, getting answers and um, you know, getting a new local limit study through Beta, the City of Taunton's engineer, and they kind of dictate what's acceptable and what's not, and maybe get an increase as well. We'll see. This would be the first time there would be a crossover from the treatment plant to here where there's insight in the city of Taunton to be like, oh, she has insight from being there, that this has never happened before. So who knows?
SPEAKER_03When is the contract up with Tom? 2032. 32. Okay, so there's 26 years. That's within the 10-year projection you were looking forward to. That's when the the the contract is due for renewal, and that's the most likely time that we would be able to get uh an additional capacity, so to speak. Uh, there were a number of opportunities over the past five years that nobody could quite put it down on the paper and say, yeah, let's do it, type routine. Yeah. So uh that would be uh addressing his and his question about what's the problem in the future that's gonna be Taunton.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And our discharge permit hasn't changed yet, we never got a cap on increased flow. So once that discharge permit changes, I I think a lot of things will change.
SPEAKER_03So what you're saying, yes. Okay, well you you are when you say we haven't got a cap, you're saying Taunton hasn't got the cap changed. They designed it without a permit?
SPEAKER_00They designed it with our current permit, which we haven't got anyone, I think. I'm not sure. I'm not sure when we're gonna.
SPEAKER_03Well, some of the backstory that uh Rob and I have been exposed to in quite undependent, they didn't get the permit, the actual permit to build the 8.3 million gallon sewer treatment on it, and they went and built something slightly bigger. And and I've said this to the this board that Rob when I were there, and I said, well, if Uncle comes down from Boston and slaps you with a fine for not doing what you're supposed to do, don't call Rainham for a piece of the change. Because we don't control that. There is, that's in my opinion, that's the most difficult thing that this board has to contend with. The knowledge that we don't know what Taunton is going to do, and we can't posture ourselves properly to be ready for it. So that's whoever sits in the chair, they're going to be faced with that.
SPEAKER_05Any other questions? You think your previous knowledge of the Taunton players could aid in that process?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. If they agree to um work with me. If they listen. If they listen. Yeah. But they did they have made jokes if I did transfer over here about uh volume up the pipe just not. So they yeah, they they would um the only contracts up in two years, so that will be a whole nother thing too, if they get it, or if it goes up to somebody, or if it goes back to the city. Chances are it will still be lower.
SPEAKER_03I don't believe it will ever go back to the city. The city is not prepared, not equipped, or knew they do they want to be responsible for this. So it's easier to have somebody do it. Yeah. Okay. That's what I have. Thank you. Great job. Thank you. Thank you. Um we will uh we hopefully will have an answer tonight, and you will be notified very quickly. Leave a phone number with Rob. Okay, ready to go.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Okay, you get it? It's on your application.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_00Um questions.
Contract Details And Next Steps
SPEAKER_00So with this position, I think you touched on it the last time. It's a three-year contract?
SPEAKER_03It can be a three, it can be more, depending, you know, that type of thing.
SPEAKER_00So would I find if I was given the position, would it say that like on the offer letter? Three-year-old.
SPEAKER_03If you're awarded, if you're the winner tonight, you were going to, we're going to schedule a meeting. We've already talked about what the salary would be. That's fine, but there are a few other items that we need to agree upon in the vacation, sick time, and stuff like that. So there will be a piece of paper signed by you and us. Contract. Okay. But uh as far as uh if the job uh once it's voted, it's your job. And uh with the salary that you know you've got, and I just want to tweak the other items that mean something to you. Your contract link would be in that document, yes.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so that's that's what I had a question on because I wasn't sure.
SPEAKER_03And we would uh we would get you would have a raise uh schedule in there for each year. The winner. Yeah. Well she's talking about her question, what would the winner before? That was my question. A second. A second into uh, yeah. Yeah, we could say whatever the boys down in downtown do, but uh uh I don't agree with the their limitation. So it's more apt to be more than what uh they'll fight for the police and fire on the highway and they'll say you're gonna get two and a quarter. And this is an enterprise account, this is a business. We I personally treat it as a business because that's what I did for 40 years. Well, thank you for coming in. We will be tonight.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. It's nice to meet you. Thank you. Bye, Dr. Thank you. Nice seeing you.
SPEAKER_03Great night. Bye now. Thank you.
SPEAKER_08What time is uh uh it's probably over five o'clock? Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Do you have a date next tonight with the lovely wife you guys? Do the rest of the town know I do not. I normally do.
SPEAKER_05I normally do. We we'll be together, but we have some other things to do. So go ahead and prepare prepared for the weekend, so it's not the standard mud full of casemilla right now. I'll sneak it in there. That's that's the Thursday night. I've I've been contemplating going over the faster than yeah. I wish we could join you, but too many things to do.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, uh I had uh had a meeting with the treasurer, and uh we got out of there at 3 30. I went home, had a cup of tea, and a few practice meeting.
SPEAKER_05Was it on the stock on? Yeah, you did that. And so was going out. We're talking about the truck traffic.
SPEAKER_08I like those splatts. Yeah, the back wind and that was done on his truck, and then you put that tinted things on and you can't see the play. Oh yeah, yeah, that could be
Interview With David
SPEAKER_08quite hi.
SPEAKER_06How are you doing? Good about you. All right, Joe. David, David, please. I'm Jeff Keller. Play, John. Thank you. Go on.
SPEAKER_03The board wanted to be able to see you face to face and ask you a few questions. Uh so what Rob's going to do is just leave with the questions he asked you before, and you respond so that they can hear, and then they're gonna have a few questions for you. So just to get to know who you are, type of thing.
SPEAKER_08All righty, so uh moving on, we got um, let's see, as you said, kind of the questions we asked in uh in the little interview we had with you. Uh one problem we are having uh is getting answers or even a response out of Taunton with uh questions on the treatment plant and any pumping station upgrades, more specifically the payment amount that Rainham will need to contribute for those costs. Uh in what way may you be able to uh help us with communication answers from Taunton?
SPEAKER_06Communication and phone calls, emails, let you know, mail letters, certified letters. I mean, I I deal with that with Brockton's treatment plan. I've actually gone to the town hall with unannounced to see if I can speak with somebody just to try to get some answers, you know what I mean. So that's how I try to handle that. Okay. We're not the only one's going through. That sounds like it, right? And I I deal with what I do, water and sewer, so I gotta deal with them for both. It's not easy.
SPEAKER_08I can't imagine. As you know, uranium is a collective, a sewage collective system with no treatment plant. Uh you list having some community collective system knowledge on your resume. Can you elaborate some on your knowledge uh on that collective system side?
SPEAKER_06Well, I've been working in the municipal park for 14 years, and I worked my way up from labor to foreman to now superintendent. Uh I've got to I I did a lot of learning on my own. They didn't do a lot because of all the the sewer stations and the control panels and how they work, and so I just did a lot of that myself. Uh I've been doing you know we clean we clean the wet wells we jet dead end mains you know just a lot of maintenance i've i've been doing it for a while before the municipal part I was installing it source uh sports mains and gravity in Boston and surrounding town and stuff I did a lot of excavation I've been doing that for over 20 years now a big responsibility of the sewer superintendent is conversing and meeting with project engineers and developers on projects connected connecting or connected to the sewer system uh this requires knowledge of the sewer system along with plan review do you have any knowledge on project review and familiarity with plans of this nature I uh I did doing that the last few years one big project we had we just replaced the 20 inch sewer force main from our main station to the Barker treatment plant so that was weekly construction meetings and reviewing plans and then we get you know the um certified payroll we gotta go through and this is just yeah I there's a whole list of things we could you know do it's just part of the job you know that you do I've been mentally exhausted between the annual time meeting and I this is actually my third evening meeting this week between Brack and Cloncom because I got to get into sewer easements to we've got air relief valves and cleanout ports we got to get in and it's just it's yeah it's cumbersome yes but it's what you gotta do.
SPEAKER_08Yes you know what I mean it's you know like you said this is my third third act this week but you know budget meetings you know you got PIN car meetings you got board meetings you got I mean some important roles of the superintendent include processing the payroll this also includes developing salary schedules for human resources which is updated as part of the SUUNI contract this involves keeping track of years of service step raises along with special achievement licensing increases and longevity payment schedules this information is also utilized when developing the budget are you comfortable with these responsibilities as being part of the superintendent's role yes I got no problem but I can't we do that right now I don't have an issue with that uh putting together the budget is another role as superintendent while working with the sewer commission for approval this process also includes verifying that the sewer user rate will sustain the budget in recommending any rate adjustments to the board. Budget submission is then submitted to the town account and finance committee to be approved for the annual town meeting in which you develop the work article article 4. Have you any knowledge on this process or will you uh feel comfortable learning these procedures along with attending all meetings relating to the process as well as annual town meeting for approval of the budget along with any other articles bringing forward on the work?
SPEAKER_06Yes I know I my current role right now I do just went through that with the annual town meeting I have four articles you've got to get up in front of the town explain what you're doing you know but I I currently do all that in the role I play right now I don't have any issues with doing that.
SPEAKER_08The job posting asked for a few minimum drug specifications two of those being a grade four wastewater treatment operators license and a grade four collective systems license can you tell me what wastewater related licenses you may have uh or working towards I currently have none right now I am I just got sir I well I just got from NUI uh the okay to take my grade four exam so I'm also I haven't taken it yet but I am to do that and then I don't have other than that but uh OM to a tree yeah uh the sewer department has six employees in which you will be directing uh all the different talents and personalities have you experience with the overseeing personnel? Yes I currently oversee eight employees right now and you know big schedules make sure everything's getting done what tasks this department has been undertaking with our consulting engineer is the development of a GIS mapping system for the sewer system known as ACGIS do you have any familiarity with system of this type we we just start in GIS so I am somewhat familiar with it.
SPEAKER_06I got an asset management grant grant that we're working on right now it's doing all the assessments in GIS and all the sewer stations and manholes and everything throughout the town so it's I'm familiar with it because we're just starting it actually right now.
SPEAKER_08We are currently wrapping up the project at our Route 44 pump station with updating of the control system and have uh recently given a notice of award for a manual planning project which the superintendent will be managing with that contractor.
SPEAKER_06Have you had uh any involvement with project management in or oversight with a contract in the NR project this type yes we I've had one was as I mentioned the big superforce main project we did I was forming at the time and then I was transitioned as superintendent after towards the end of that project uh a lot of the projects we have like the I and I projects I deal with the contractors and the bidding and help with the bidding and all that too so I do deal with the contractors.
SPEAKER_05Hello there gentlemen okay good evening good evening thanks for joining us and congratulations on making it through an impressive list of candidates um rough help me decipher some of your classifications and certifications for which I really you know will help break them down so I do in my uh normal daily routine um we've answered my first part of my first half my first question which was do you have your supervisory time sounds like you may mirror image uh Rob's roles and responsibilities thoroughly already I wondered if you could share an instance where you had a disagreement or a dispute uh with an inferior or a superior um and how you worked to a resolution on that.
SPEAKER_06In other words what was the problem and how did you resolve I don't know if I can answer that because I really have never come across that.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_06I I mean if if it ever happened one thing would be to sit you know sit down like gentlemen and try to work it out and work together yeah we all got to work together we can't you know be battling back and forth there's got to be a solution for both parties somewhere so nothing you could recall but you do it through communication yes yes communication I think is a big key question everything.
SPEAKER_05Sure. Uh describe what you know about our infrastructure and this the personnel of this department kind of like it's I call that the homework question did you did you do any investigative work on the department itself?
SPEAKER_06I did I did but not so much personnel but I did go in and I looked at the collecting bargaining unit. Okay. So you kind of I kind of was looking through that to see what it was um I actually looked at put pulled up the agenda for the evening to see what that was um but other than that I really didn't like really get into research individuals or anything like that.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_06But I did kind of start looking around and see what you know because obviously you gotta know what the the employees are union employees there are collecting a bargain you gotta know what's in the contract. I was a union steward for 10 years so you can understand you know there's certain rules and what you gotta buy by.
SPEAKER_07Agreed. That's it Mr. awesome thank you thank you for being here appreciate um your time first question I have is what makes this job attractive to you? Why do you want it?
SPEAKER_06I like it I think I like it because it's dealing with one say one thing and that's to work. On my car I have to do both and it can get over you know it it can get to you after a while because you're trying to deal with one thing and the other thing in my water I it's a water and sewer which pertains uh enterprise fund. So I gotta kind of like divvy everything I gotta split it between the two so I gotta work on projects for the sewer division I got to work on so I think I'm getting overwhelmed with a lot of it uh I've only been involved for two and a half years um but I and I kind of like the sewer part of it more than the the water can be real challenging but I mean that's I trying to narrow it down the the focus would be on one is kind of what I like about if I was to come here is that I could focus on the one one thing and not have the two. Professionally what would you say your strongest attribute is unwilling to learn I mean I I like I had mentioned before there's a lot of things that I well I wasn't taught and I learned on my own rainy days I go take an operation mailbook and so are we willing to work learn and work with others even for them to show me what you know on the flip side of that no one's perfect you what do you need to work on could be anything everything yeah to work on everything you do it could be better it could be better.
SPEAKER_07Yeah you know nobody's perfect yeah uh this department is usually hired from within and promoted within for this role the two candidates were both outsiders so you walk through that door you're gonna be an outsider how are you going to fit in how are you gonna uh be part of the team and gain respect of um the employees that currently work here I could probably probably come in and you know obviously introduce myself maybe sit down with each one of them individually and maybe get to know them and talk to them and you know see how that's kind of the first thing I'd I'd do to introduce myself and you know they get they can ask me questions.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_07What so we are transforming from an expansion system to a maintenance system. There's not I don't think there's any expansions on the horizon right gentlemen or we're about done we're tapped out so it's gonna be a maintenance in my seat that could be a little redundant and uh boring to me are you okay with not a lot of action going on it's gonna be whole hung here for the foreseeable future fires or whatever draw is that long term goals where you see yourself in five years, ten years fifteen years hopefully it's still working for you guys here in Kong.
SPEAKER_03That's kind of what I have yeah awesome well we're gonna make a decision tonight and we will notify you if you are the candidate and in due respect we will also notify you that you weren't the candidate if that be the case. Okay. So you don't always have to wonder what the heck happened. We're gonna go through the process and uh then once we pick the candidate uh we'll contact both to let you know okay and uh then I will want to talk to the one that we've decided on to uh just tweak we've already agreed to the dollar mountain vacation and stuff like that but tweak the information that we need to get into the piece of paper that's called the contract. Okay. Do you have any questions for us?
SPEAKER_08No no I don't think so uh like I said I did a little bit of research the hours as to what you posted on the website I'm assuming the hours eight to four I have a call on Friday that or do you do is it it's um for the guys it's uh it's a little different than what you would be but um for the guys uh we have one guy that starts at seven he's out here at 330 and then on the on Friday they do half day Fridays yeah uh so he's seven to eleven the other guys are eight to eight to four thirty and then uh and then eight to twelve yeah uh but they have weekend duty yeah so there's a rotating schedule for weekends for them you're you're pretty much an eight to four eight to five eight to five thirty whatever it takes yeah whatever it takes yeah yeah so that's how it is there is yeah great question twenty four seven twenty four seven true it is twenty four seven it's right I get alarms all the time I because that how our how we work is is different than how you guys work here.
SPEAKER_03I get the alarms and then I call out the individuals in order to do it I get the alarms as well you get the alarms as well but I usually have some other people like our live and so we don't get the alarms you're lucky it'll keep you up all night sometimes especially in storms once we go to bed we don't want to be called that ticket there's a a problem at a pump in one of the pump stations and we've got to shut it down and get this that that no that's yeah isn't you called the 1130 in the morning before if I had about it oh yes so yeah it's you can you know you can be honest especially with me when I count me right now it's the two I got water so yeah yeah it's a lot it's a lot it can be you know you can't have sewer without water yeah that's right with the water distribution system it's just
Hours On-Call And Department Scope
SPEAKER_03as much maintenance you know there's gate main there's you know uh the gates and stuff you know you gotta there's all kinds yeah it's just yeah you have to be able to isolate your water lines and isolate.
SPEAKER_06So you gotta do the gate maintenance if the guys go around once a year and they kind of exercise all the gates and stuff and you know like you said the sewer sewer maintenance so I have to you know the guys are always out there trying to do something. Every backfall is you have to do on the water side right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah well we we don't we actually contract the backflow okay yeah it's it's sometimes it's easier that way we're not a we're not a huge department we're kind of a small department in a small office personnel so we like to I do enough trying to keep up with the DEP certifications stuff through the water and stuff or to try to do the paperwork for the backflow and we only got one secretary also that deals with myself and somebody else the another superintendent who handles like uh solid waste and storm water and all that sort of yeah yeah that's this is where it you can be yeah a lot not bad you can do it but it takes a long or something well I appreciate coming in very much thank you thanks for having me you will you will be notified all right thank you thank you good to see you good to see you well we
Board Deliberation And Retention
SPEAKER_03uh we got to the town meeting warrant and uh we there were no emergency business uh no commission report public forum or press time so we can take a few moments think about it if you have any general questions uh comments that you feel comfortable in putting into the record so to speak and uh and hopefully uh you'll be able to circle one of the two and uh do a tally and then we can take the formal vote and go from there and uh both it both parties uh equipped to do the job is Brainham's very lucky that we have two spots yeah exactly yeah we're very lucky to have these candidates and uh and I have to say all three are that the finalists were able would have been able to handle the job very well even though the third finalist uh got a job someplace else and but did it a little bit uncomfortable as far as I was concerned tried to get them for three times and couldn't make it so but other than that I think uh either one of them would be here ten years from now so I won't be and uh I'm not gonna worry about it but we we as you said Joe we've we have uh muddled our way uh to the point where we are in a maintenance situation we've cured most of the problems the biggest problems we struggled through for the past eight years but uh it's gonna be a good job for somebody and uh somebody who decided didn't want to stay for another year or two so that's okay.
SPEAKER_05Rob's gonna be gone you're gonna be gone so basically if this goes bad Jeff and I are holding back no no what happened is when you're contracting around gone who whoever is it here going back to a different vote wrong not seriousness but we got two candidates that I they they each have their strong suit I think they both okay well we're we're still open for business and uh we have nothing left to do except adjourn and do the performance of remitted administrative duties but uh are you prepared to vote not really not really I generally don't make quick decisions unless on the scene of an emergency to be very quick well the big no the life or death one it's a big it's a big decision and uh so I take my it's yes so the personal contact was what you didn't have until tonight that you had the application with the information of who they were and what they were so and I had this the similar dilemma after perusing their uh resumes and felt like one could maybe get up to speed a little bit quicker but maybe one was a little better look into the future um both qualify both very personable retention similar to like I just went through some promotional processes in the fire department retention is important I I feel as though um the department any department in town thrives when someone can kind of really grow grow with the job with the job um I think a Randy Buckner is a great example of a town administrator who kind of do with the job and in the end you end up with a really polished uh individual you know so and today's work on retaining people is a is a big deal a big consideration for less than the last hour I just well uh I started with you that wasn't I not been fair I mean are you willing to vote tonight I am willing to vote I already did okay so why don't you just uh take the paper that you had you had two names on it see trick and track and uh just circle the one that you want to hire
Vote Selects New Superintendent
SPEAKER_03Hold it up a couple of times. We're going to end up with one anyway. We have a decision and we have a superintendent. And the superintendent is Kali Brady. And we will confirm her hiring by a roll-call vote. Mr. Bickle? Yay. Mr. Callaher? Yay. Mr. Betoncourt. Yay. Our new superintendent is Carly Brady. We will contact both of the two candidates fairly quickly and let them know. And then I will finalize the document. The salary has already been agreed upon. And with both candidates. Both candidates had agreed with the salary, so that's not a problem. It's just that the I want to refine some of the other benefits that normally go into a contract so that that person has the knowledge of what they're entitled to. And I have a couple of ideas that I want to see so that I can call Joe Emerson and have him draw up the contract. He is our attorney that does all the labor for the town, so and I've known Joe since, oh God, the 80s. But thank you, gentlemen. Thank you for working through the process.
SPEAKER_07And congratulations to Miss Brady.
SPEAKER_03Yes. And uh when we're finished, you have a number, give every call, and and you can give Dave a call also, please. So we need a motion to adjourn for the purpose of performing administrative duties and no activity taken.
Adjournment
SPEAKER_03So moved by Mr. Bickle, seconded by Mr. Kelleher. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Aye. It's a 3-0 vote. We have adjourned at 7 10.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so very much for your service.