Phone Scammer Alert!

WARNING!!! TOWN OF BARNSTABLE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES!!!
Please be advised that the Hyannis Firefighter’s and Hyannis Fire Department are NOT soliciting donations via phone and asking for people’s credit card information. A Centerville resident received a call from a person named Glenn representing a group named Fire Charity Group. The telephone number was 781.484.2558. Apparently, they claimed to be raising funds for local fire departments.  If you have been solicited, please contact the Barnstable Police 508.775.0387 to log the incidents occurrence and information. Please remember if you’re ever solicited for donations by any public safety union or department to contact them directly for confirmation of the fundraising effort’s legitimacy.

Cemetery Etiquette

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Due to recent reported violations of the Rules & Regulations governing Town Cemeteries please review them HERE to familiarize yourself when visiting Mosswood or any other Town owned cemetery.  Particular attention to the following rule:

Domestic animals of any type shall not be permitted in the cemeteries, except certified animals assisting persons with disabilities.

MassDEP Water Report for Cotuit

In 2003 the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) completed Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP)  reports for all public water systems in the state.

2003 Report for Cotuit Fire District Water Department

View Cotuit Water System Report HERE 

What is a SWAP Report?

Protecting sources of drinking water is essential for maintaining and improving the quality of human health and the environment. Source water assessments characterize the susceptibility of a drinking water source to contamination by summarizing information about the activities and land uses within recharge areas. Potential sources of contamination are identified for each individual city or town in each water supply protection area to use as support for planning decisions. Information gathered during the assessment process was incorporated into recommendations for actions that can be taken at the local level to protect drinking water sources.

The Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) Program was established in 1996 by the USEPA as part of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments. SWAP emphasized the importance of source water protection as a pollution prevention tool that can be used as part of a comprehensive multi-barrier approach to source water protection. States were required to:

  1. delineate recharge areas for all public drinking water sources;
  2. inventory land uses within these recharge areas;
  3. assess the susceptibility of sources to contamination; and
  4. publicize the results.

The assessments help to focus protection efforts to minimize risks of individuals drinking contaminated water. These efforts may include developing source water protection plans, encouraging the use of Best Management Practices (BMP), establishing local protection teams and using other source protection measures.

What will the assessment tell me?

The assessment will tell you:

  1. Whether your drinking water is from a surface or a groundwater source,
  2. The locations of the wells or the intakes,
  3. The water supply protection area,
  4. Potential Sources of Contamination (PSC) within the protection areas,
  5. What recommended steps you should take to maintain or improve protection.

As a reminder, assessments are not conducted for systems that serve fewer than 25 people or have fewer than 15 service connections.

This report has not been updated since 2003.

Pine Ridge Road Given Green Light to be Paved

At Last night’s Town Council meeting we approved Agenda item 2017-149 APPROPRIATION AND LOAN ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $125,500 PURSUANT TO TEMPORARY REPAIR TO PRIVATE ROADS PROGRAM  REGARDING PINE RIDGE ROAD in COTUIT

Chapter 174 of the Acts of 1994 and its subsequent amendment under Chapter 350 of the Acts of 2014 authorizes the Town to borrow and expend funds for the purpose of making repairs to private roads. Under this Program the abutters to roads being repaired can be charged betterment assessments for 100% of the actual costs of repairs which they can elect to pay in one lump sum or over a period of up to 20 years (with interest). None of these roads will be taken by the Town of Barnstable and will remain private roads. A majority of the property abutters to Pine Ridge Road in Cotuit have expressed an interest in having repairs made to their private road and 63% of the abutters have signed a Consent and Acknowledgement Agreement for Betterment Assessment. The proposed work is the removal and replacement of the existing pavement, cleaning of existing drainage, and installation of additional drainage structures.

The cost of improvements: Estimated as $125,500 with a cost per 16 abutters, distributed as 16 shares, not to exceed $7,850 per abutter share.

FISCAL IMPACT: There is no cost to the Town, as all costs will be covered by betterments assessed on the abutters. The Town will issue a bond to cover the cost of the repairs and use the revenue collected from the betterment assessments to make the annual loan repayments on the bond.

If you live on a private road that is in need of drainage, repair or repaving this program provides a mechanism for you but requires 51% of the abutters to agree before 100% of the owners share in the betterment costs.  Feel free to contact me with any questions.

District Election Results

Cotuit Fire District Results of approximately 258 voters

Congratulations to newly elected :

Fire Commissioner : Adam Zais (205) Cynthia Gardner (53)

Prudential Committee Member : Lisa Mycock Kelly (233)

Water Commissioner : Tom Hoppensteadt (164) Wayne Coluccini (93)

Thank you to all who threw their hats into the ring!! Not running for reelection: Ted Barnicle, Laurie Hadley and Tom Hadley. Thank you for your years of service.