June 20, 2022 | Lauren LeBel llebel@thereminder.com
PALMER – The Palmer Town Council hosted a meeting on June 13, to vote on various fundings and continue a public hearing.
Beginning with old business, councilors voted unanimously to approve the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Loan Authorization for the roof. The total cost for designing and reconstructing the WWTP roof is $2,868,000.
Similarly, councilors approved the WWTP Loan Authorization for dewatering equipment for $2,225,000.
Next, councilors voted on the Honorary Naming Town Assets Ordinance. Robert Lavoie, councilor at large, explained that the Town Council would be responsible for the naming of public assets. This includes buildings, parks, squares, streets and ways, parcels of land, or portions thereof owned by the town. The council voted unanimously in approval.
A continuation from the May 9 public hearing on the Bring Your Own Brew (BYOB) Ordinance took place.
Ryan McNutt, town manager, provided new information on the topic. He said BYOB has been available to cities and towns in the commonwealth for over 20 years. He shared that he conducted some surveys to see how it is handled within other communities.
“You don’t need to have an ordinance. BYOB is technically as of right. You only create the ordinance and regulations when you want to put some type of parameters around it,” said McNutt. Therefore, any restaurant in the commonwealth can do BYOB, they just don’t have the regulations under the licensing board, he added.
With this ordinance, McNutt said, “It doesn’t solve all of the problems and it doesn’t answer all of the questions. People’s personal liability is still people’s personal liability…What this ordinance does is give the town the ability to have the local licensing board create regulations.”
McNutt said he would like to try it out as “an experiment” for about one year and see how many restaurants participate. He noted that all restaurants must apply to become BYOB certified, which will also help keep track of those participating.
Council President Barbara Barry read a resolution to approve the transfer of $150,000 from the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) for the design of 1,600 feet of sewer line and pumping station for Thorndike Street and Shearer Street.
McNutt explained that in 1970, the town put in a temporary six-inch sewer siphon on Thorndike Street. “Fifty-two years later, we would like to replace it with 1,600 feet of 12-inch sewer line and the associated pump house that would allow us to bring it up Shearer Street,” he said.
McNutt went on to say that this will alleviate a lot of work for the businesses on the road such as Big Y, McDonald’s, Wendy’s and more, that currently have their own grinder pumps to make sure that their lateral lines don’t get clogged.
The total price tag for this sewer is about $6 million, said McNutt. Councilors unanimously approved the $150,000 for this project from ARPA funds.