The Kingston Sewer Commission is seeking to tighten the terms of a proposed contract for the Miramar sewer extension, eyeing a 75 percent upfront payment to help stabilize the town’s precarious fiscal position. During a review of the agreement with the Duxbury-based project, which is expected to bring in roughly $2 million in revenue, commissioners flagged several technical and financial concerns that could impact Kingston’s long-term sewer capacity and immediate cash flow.

Commissioner Brian noted a major red flag in the current draft regarding the definition of 44,000 gallons per day (GPD) assigned to the project. He warned that while betterment fees are calculated based on that figure, the actual peak flow for the residential development is likely closer to 23,000 GPD. We should be sure that's said because as you go into the document, it gets into talking about the ability to sell those and move them around, Brian said, emphasizing that developers must not be allowed to independently sell unused capacity to third parties. Under the town's existing buyback program, Kingston maintains authority over any capacity not utilized by a specific project.

The financial structure of the deal remains a primary focus as the town manages a projected budget gap and rising insurance costs. While the developer initially proposed a 65 percent initial payment, the Commission plans to hold firm on a higher figure. We have a real need for that cash immediately, Brian stated. I think we should be fighting for at least 75 percent. Superintendent Dave highlighted the broader benefit to the community, noting, The beauty of it too is you're having another town pay for your assets that you're not burdening the school system... it's a benefit that I see nothing wrong with.

Operational preferences also emerged during the discussion, particularly regarding how the new Duxbury connection will be billed. While the developer suggested installing wastewater meters, the Commission voiced a strong preference for using Duxbury’s water consumption data to remain consistent with Kingston’s standard billing practices. Superintendent Dave noted that maintaining wastewater meters at pump stations is notoriously difficult and requires frequent calibration, whereas water meters are already managed by the water department. The Commission also clarified that while Kingston will own and maintain the sewer line within its borders, local residents with functioning septic systems will not be forced to connect unless their systems fail.

The meeting also addressed ongoing frustrations with the town’s accounting processes. As the deadline for Town Meeting articles arrived, the Sewer Department was forced to submit placeholder figures due to a lack of certified data from the accounting department. One corrective article seeks to move $300,000 from the FY25 operating budget back to the FY27 fund balance to fix an error where a supplement was incorrectly categorized as an expenditure rather than revenue. The unfortunate thing is we haven't gotten sufficient information from the accounting department to actually know what our numbers are, Superintendent Dave said. One commissioner suggested that the article should simply be titled correcting the accounting mistakes.

The facility itself has faced a grueling 24-hour period marked by multiple equipment failures. Superintendent Dave described a wild series of events where staff had to scavenge battery backups from spare machinery at 10:00 PM to keep the SCADA system running. Simultaneously, a technician had to be flown in from Indiana to repair a drive that had been non-functional for 18 months. The repair was complicated by software issues that forced the team to roll back to programs from three years ago. You can't make this stuff up, Dave remarked after describing a simultaneous failure of a water supply solenoid.

In routine business, the Commission addressed a billing discrepancy for a property at 12 Curtis that had been estimated for 15 quarters. Staff member Jeanie explained that a final read determined the actual usage totaled $998.40 plus fees. Motion Made by B. Brian to approve the bill adjustment for 12 Curtis in the amount of $998.40 plus service fees. Motion Passed (Unanimous). The board also noted that the Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to deliberate on the 162-unit Cushman Farms project on April 7, following the closure of that project's public hearing.