Chatham Summer Town Meeting Addresses PFAS Threat, Sewer Progress, Housing Plans

CHATHAM -- August 4, 2021, Chatham's 75th Annual Summer Town Meeting spotlights PFAS contamination, housing, and a $137 million sewer program. Select Board Chair Peter Koukoulos and DPW Director Tom Temple confirmed that Well 5 remains offline after exceeding the state's 20-parts-per-trillion PFAS limit, while Director of Natural Resources Robert Duncanson warned that a second consecutive drought has left the town's sole-source aquifer well below seasonal norms and that a source-assessment study has not yet begun. Finance Director Alex Salia reported the FY2022 capital budget at $2,881,000 with no tax-rate impact, property values trending up 9.5 percent, and the AAA bond rating reaffirmed April 29, 2021. SRAC member Jill Nickerson-McDonald noted that of $137 million authorized for the Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan, roughly $68 million has been borrowed and more than $20 million in grants received, with current outstanding project debt at $47.5 million. SRAC member Phil Richardson presented a concept plan for 25 cluster homes on the town-acquired Buckley property at 1533 Main Street, with Director of Community Development Katie Donovan confirming a 50-50 affordable-to-attainable split and a robust public engagement process still ahead.