Special Meeting of the Water and Sewer Commission

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Special Water and Sewer Minutes 07-23-26 188 KB

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Town of Richmond

Special Meeting of Water and Sewer Commission

Minutes of July 23, 2026

Members Present: Merrick Gillies, Bard Hill, Greg Rabideau, David Sander, Morgan Wolaver

Members Absent:  None
 

Staff Present: Josh Arneson, Town Manager; Steve Cote, Water Resources Superintendent

 

Others Present: The meeting was recorded for MMCTV Erin Wagg, Gary Bressor, Jean Bressor

MMCTV Video:  https://youtu.be/4FlVlzxuf_s?si=3TvK0AXUHA5T3Tl4 

Call to Order: 6:00 PM

Welcome: Wolaver

Public Comment: None

Additions or Deletions to the Agenda:

Wolaver asked Sander to take over as Chair of the meeting. 

Items for Presentation or Discussion with those present

Discussion of potentially relocating the wastewater pump station to the 401 Bridge St. parcel, possible executive session
Timestamp: 0:12
3a1 email on drilling results
3a2 Richmond VT - Bridge Street PS Location 2 for Ledge Probes R2
3a3 Richmond Bridge St PS and FM - Revised 10 1 2025 - REDUCED 1 

Cote summarized that if they kept the pump station in the existing location, it would be about 9-foot tall with camouflaged concrete.  By moving it to the proposed location, they confirmed with test drilling that the pump station would be a manhole ~18-inches out of the ground with a control panel located under the vision of the retaining wall for the ramp to the bridge. The location is ideal because it is out of the floodplain and does not require a standalone generator which the other sites would require.

The Bressor’s presented eight discussion items from a letter submitted at the meeting:

“Item 1 — Since we have a foundation near where the pump station would be located, how would we share the site? I assume the entry point for vehicles would be the low area with the curb cut next to the site of the pump station. I would want to be a part of the design discussions with the engineers before anything is drawn up so designs are not presented that we would not agree to. Access to the building going on the site must be relatively as it is now.

Item 2 — We would like the current 50’ by 50’ site to have all the equipment removed, leveled, seeded and deeded to us so we can maintain it as a continuation of our lawn.

Item 3 — The location of the sewer line extension and the pump station will be an easement, not a deed, as we plan to maintain the site as part of the surrounding area.

Item 4 — As part of the installation of the sewer line the storm water discharge pipe will be removed and we ask that it be routed to another low area nearby when it is replaced.

Item 5 - We ask that the town install a catch basin at the site where our old driveway meets Bridge Street and tie the catch basin into the one across the road.

Item 6 — We ask the town to release the easement on our land where they formerly entered the wellhead property regarding using that land for vehicle access. The town would retain an easement for the waterline.

Item 7 — We ask the town to give us an easement across the side/back portion of the Round Church property (near the sledding hill) in order for us to reach the corner of our land behind the Round Church with water, sewer, electric and communication lines. The town would preserve the sewer stub installed for the former Brunell house and allow us to connect onto that as well as onto the new 12” water main.

Item 8 — We plan to develop our property on the corner of Bridge Street and Thompson Road and want to tie into the new water line with an 8” water main leading to our property. The location has been marked out on the ground by Steve Cote. We also would like to tie into the sewer manhole and storm drain just north of the entrance to the property and bring those lines onto our property. We would also like to widen the entrance to Bridge Street when the sidewalk and curb is re-installed. The outfall of the storm water is on our property.”

Sander stated that in principle this could be agreeable, but they would need due diligence to go through item by item and figure out just what's involved.  Gillies stated that they should compare the cost basis of the pump station estimates with the cost basis for the stubs and work to see if it benefits the Town.  Hill observed that the current Ordinance says any extensions of water are to be paid by the developer.  BressorG stated that he would rather not accept money and use that for the items listed as he would have to pay income taxes.  Cote stated that if the Historical Society writes a letter requesting adding curb stops that is an easy one, but the other items need a monetary value.  Hill summarized the Ordinance which states that an extension of water or sewer lines to a new house/development that's not on the existing line is at the owner's or developer's expense.  BressorG stated that he'll get prices for the sewer and stormwater to know what to ask for the pump station land.  Hill stated that cash is easier for the Commission to be nimble with the other things like who is going to do what with permits and payments. Arneson stated that the cost to upgrade from the current ¾-inch to an 8-inch waterline determines the net value of what the Bressors or Commission would pay.  Rabideau stated that if Town stormwater is draining across your land, then they owe you some kind of fix, but farther away from the project site at the proposed 10 unit subdivision, it feels like something Bressors should just pay for the upgrades.  Wolaver stated that he likes the idea of not using cash, if they're saving money by moving the pump station to a different location then they have to prove that they're saving that much money.  The process to come up with the value of the easement to moving onto the Bressor’s property is difficult to do. Cote wondered about the value of putting the pump station back underground, less obtrusive, and essentially hidden better than before. Wolaver suggested they get a third party to evaluate those values.  Cote summarized that it would cost $4.5 million to rebuild a pump station in the current location because they have to remove the old one before starting construction, and during that whole time they have to do bypass pumping and traffic control. 


Discuss Items for Next Agenda:
-Follow up on August 3 Water Sewer Commission Meeting to Discussion of potentially relocating the wastewater pump station to the 401 Bridge St. parcel


Adjournment

Hill moved to adjourn.  Rabideau seconded.
Roll Call Vote: Gillies, Hill, Rabideau, Sander, Wolaver in favor.  Motion approved.

Meeting adjourned at: 7:34 PM 

Chat file from Zoom:  None