By Beth David, Editor
At its meeting on 9/14/26, the Fairhaven Select Board discussed the possibility of holding a regional meeting to discuss solutions to wastewater issues affecting municipalities from Westport to Wareham. The board also decided to hold off on creating a Tourism Committee, but did not dismiss the idea outright.
The town has met with City of New Bedford officials, including Jaime Ponte, the Commissioner of the Department of Public Infrastructure. Fairhaven Town Administrator, Keith Hickey, and SB member, Rick Trapilo, met with Mr. Ponte recently to discuss the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) from the city’s treatment plant. CSO is water that is discharged into the harbor and outer harbor that is not treated, but gets discharged because the city’s Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) is overwhelmed when it rains.
The board also discussed an anticipated problem with the disposal of the solid waste from the WWTP because the company the town uses now, in Woonsocket, might close by 2029.
The SB and public works superintendent, Vinnie Furtado, agreed that the town might benefit from regional cooperation on both issues.
Mr. Trapilo has been very outspoken about the problem with New Bedford’s WWTP discharging tens of millions of gallons of untreated water into the harbor every month when it rains.
He had drafted a letter some months ago hoping to prod the city into working on the problem, but at Monday’s meeting he suggested that the board shelve that idea. After meeting with Mr. Ponte, Mr. Trapilo said he realized the city simply does not have the resources to upgrade its plant.
The board and Mr. Furtado discussed a variety of options, including the option of contacting the Buzzards Bay Water Quality Working Group. It includes municipalities in the Buzzards Bay Watershed and the Buzzards Bay Coalition. The group has no set schedule for meetings.
The board voted to allow Mr. Trapilo to contact state Sen. Mark Montigny and Rep. Mark Sylvia to help facilitate the regional meeting to talk about ways to control costs of wastewater disposal.
The board also heard from Jennifer Cardoza about creating a Tourism Committee. The town eliminate the Tourism Department due to budget constraints at the end of the last fiscal year (6/30). The department not only promoted Fairhaven regionally as tourism destination, but also worked on economic development, and ran a series of successful community and cultural events that each brought hundreds of people to Fairhaven.
The town also has an Economic Development Committee (EDC) that is active in working in some of the same areas as the closed department. EDC Chairperson, Cathy Melanson, has told the board in the past that her committee will try to fill the gap on some things, but it cannot do it all.
Ms. Cardoza said that her proposed Tourism Committee would be focused on tourism, events, and promoting what Fairhaven has to offer. The EDC, she said, is focused more on business growth and development.
SB Chairperson, Andrew Romano, said he had some questions about what the EDC is doing. He also said they need to talk about if they want the EDC running events.
SB member, Pam Kuechler, the board’s liaison to the EDC, said they have some events planned. She also reminded the board that the town has spoken to the city of New Bedford about possibly using their platforms to promote Fairhaven events.
Board members mostly said they were supportive of the idea, but that they needed to sort out more specifically where the EDC’s focus would be and what the charge of the Tourism Committee would be.
SB member, Andrew Saunders, suggested that Ms. Cardoza find out how her sample community, Middleboro, handles the relationship between their two similar committees.
In another matter, the board also met with Lt. Kevin Swain and Safety Officer, Scott Coelho, about suggested parking control measures on three streets: Ash Street at the intersection of Adams Street; Bridge Street at the intersection of Alden Road; Hedge Street.
On Ash Street, which is one of the streets leading to Hastings Middle School, the department requested moving the “No Parking Here To Corner” sign 29 feet. It would make it more obvious to motorists. An additional sign would also be added to the south side to make it easier for school buses and large vehicles to turn onto Ash Street.
On Hedge Street, the department requested a Handicap Parking Only sign in front of 41 Hedge Street. Off. Coelho said the owner is “well aware” that the street is public and anyone with a handicap placard can use the spot.
The department also requested a “No Left Turn” sign at 240 Bridge Street at the Bridge Street exit. The building is on the corner of Bridge Street and Alden Road.
There have been numerous accidents when drivers turne to go to the highway because they have to cross three lanes of traffic.
Off. Coelho told the board that the owner installed a sign, but it is not enforceable. In his written request he said it was not an “official DOT approved sign,” so it was not enforceable.
The board approved all three requests.
In other business, the board set 10/14 as a committee reappointment night. The board had postponed all committee reappointments due to the bylaws changes that passed at Town Meeting in May. All committee members must reapply for their positions or the will not be reappointed. Mr. Romano stressed to members of the public that they should apply for boards they are interested in even if it looks like there are no openings. He said some committee members may not want to get reappointed, so there could be more openings than is apparent.
Visit the town’s website at https://fairhaven-ma.gov/volunteer-opportunities/ to see openings and to fill out the online volunteer application.
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Click here to download the 9/17/26 issue: 09-17-26 Remember911
9-11 Audio file courtesy of Elizabeth Cardoso-Medeiros
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