Committee debates outreach, TV recording and timing of betterment and user-fee estimates

During public comment and committee discussion, members debated whether the advisory committee should move meetings to town hall or otherwise increase visibility through live TV or different meeting times. Staff said recordings are posted and that programming rotation for Channel 18 would govern live-TV scheduling; committee members suggested quarterly in-person sessions or office hours to boost engagement.

Committee members pressed staff for projected betterment charges and user-fee estimates so property owners and landlords can evaluate long-term lease costs once sewer connections and user-fee structures are implemented. Staff said they are working with finance consultants to model flow‑based betterment allocations and expect a rough outline of betterment costs in the near future, with more detailed user-fee scenarios tied to FY28 budgeting.

The committee also discussed the need to coordinate more closely with the Board of Health as connection letters and individual customer questions arise, and to conduct neighborhood meetings as the project moves toward customer connection and billing.