County commissioners' road tour spotlights dredging, clean-water innovation and immigration forum in Falmouth

Mark Forest described a county road tour the commissioners launched to meet municipal officials and residents across all 15 Cape Cod towns. The short-term goal, he said, is direct engagement on localized issues such as dredging, wastewater, housing and public safety.

At a stop in the Town of Falmouth, Forest said the commissioners discussed Falmouth's dredging needs and wastewater initiatives. He referenced a county partnership on a urine-diversion initiative and said the county's Barnstable County Clean Water Center (formerly described as an alternative septic system test site) is expanding work testing innovative sanitation technologies.

Forest said the county has received grant support from the Gates Foundation to develop and test innovative toilets intended to improve sanitation outcomes locally and in international settings; the county is building testing capability to evaluate such technologies.

Forest also described a Falmouth-led immigration forum that brought together the police chief, superintendent, lawyers and the town manager to inform residents about rights and local procedures following ICE activity; he framed the forum as an example of local leadership and county support for community dialogue.

Forest said the road tour's visits help the county identify where technical or financial support from county departments or the Cape Cod Commission might help towns reconcile competing priorities such as housing and water protection.