Watershed Management Q & A

Who will manage the WMP project?
A steering committee with diverse representation will oversee the project from start to finish and will regularly report their progress to the Board of Selectmen. The committee consists of the following people:

Dave Scarborough – vice president of SLAM
Bill Lord – former Madison Selectman
Paul Littlefield – representing the Planning Commission
Joe Dame – representing the Advisory Budget
Josh Shackford – representing the DPW
Ralph Lutjen – representing the Madison Conservation Commission

What if DES does not approve the watershed management plan (such that they would not forgive the loan principal)?
The risk of DES not approving the plan is essentially zero. This is a program created for the purpose of encouraging communities like ours to do exactly this kind of study. This is a well-established program that many NH towns have successfully gone through. DES wants us to be successful and have established guardrails to ensure our success.

There is a DES agent assigned to guide us through the entire process to ensure our compliance. DES will review and approve the scope of work, the engineering firm we choose, and the contract we sign with them. The assigned DES agent will actually attend steering group meetings and monitor the progress of the project all the way to completion.

What will the plan obligate the Town to do in the future?
There is no implicit obligation for the Town to do anything based on the findings and recommendations in the watershed management plan. It will be up to the Town administration and voters to decide what to act on and in what timeframe.

Is there a financial risk to Madison given current and prospective cuts in federal funding?

The NH Clean Water State Revolving Fund receives its funding from the EPA and so this is a fair question given recent events. We have spoken with DES about this concern and believe there is little to no financial risk to Madison. Most CWSRF projects are huge by comparison and cost millions of dollars. At $100K, this project is easily funded. It is likely that our formal application for CWSRF funding will not be approved unless the funds are already available and set aside. Furthermore, the Town will never have to put its own money at risk for the project. Invoices from the engineering company will be paid directly with funds from CWSRF. If the CWSRF were to notify us mid-project of a funding cut, we would immediately notify the engineering firm to stop work thus minimizing any liability.

What happens next and when will the plan be completed?
With voter approval of warrant article 22, the Town will submit the formal application for CWSRF funding. While the application is being reviewed, the steering committee will meet to define the project scope of work and request for quotation (RFQ). The RFQ will be reviewed and approved by DES and then posted by DES to their system which is monitored by qualified environmental engineering firms. It will likely be in the summer timeframe when RFQ responses will be reviewed, a firm will be chosen and a contract will be negotiated. Once chosen, work will begin by the engineering firm and will take from 12-24 months to complete. The steering committee will monitor their work from start to completion.

What will the watershed management plan actually detail?
There is a framework for watershed management plans that the EPA has established and which the engineering firm we choose will follow. In short, the plan will do the following:

● Identify sources of pollution that are currently or could in the future affect our water quality.
● Define steps we can take to mitigate the existing and potential sources of pollution.
● Define steps we can take with our planning and zoning to ensure that future growth is consistent with protecting our watershed.
● If projects are identified that will require significant investment, the plan will identify prospective funding sources and partners.
● Make recommendations for educating the community on the findings, what they mean, and steps we can individually take to protect the watershed.