Recap: Sewer Commission and Fire Headquarters Building Committee

Notes and information from the two recent meetings at Town Hall.

Recap: Sewer Commission and Fire Headquarters Building Committee
Sewer Commission members at the September 13, 2022 meeting. Image courtesy Millbury Public Access.

Would you like to join a local cadre of people interested in bringing the news to people? Want to report on meetings that you're already watching? Contact us to get onto our list, as we will be hiring freelance writers soon.


The Sewer Commission held a meeting on September 13, 2022; called to order at 4:35pm. Attendees were Happy Erickson and Gary Nelson. Of note:

  • No abatement activity due for this meeting.
  • The commission unanimously approved paying an invoice of $302,955. There will be two more bills coming at that amount.
  • Keith Caruso gave an operations update. The Department of Public Works is looking into a trailer-mounted sewer jet (Caruso later shared an example of the equipment with the Bramanville Tribune), and gave some information on the costs. The goal is that the new purchase will last the town for 25 years.
  • The commission reviewed the projects that engineers Weston and Sampson are working on. They also looked at a contract from Weston and Sampson to do some phased inspections regarding sump pumps into the sewage. The cost will be $140,000.
  • There will be a study near 146 about water flow, also through Weston and Sampson, and the commission will learn whether this study will continue based on future conversations with the firm.
  • Discussion of an inflow and infiltration, or I&I, assessment as part of the Clearview building.
  • The Sewer Commission is also researching the utilization numbers of sewer services in municipal buildings. Millbury is one of the few towns in the area that does not charge their municipalities for sewer use in town buildings. It was noted that some of the money is offset because the town gives the commission some office space.

The meeting adjourned at 4:53pm. Next meeting will be on October 11, 2022. This meeting can be viewed via Millbury Public Access.


The Fire Headquarters Building Committee met on September 14, 2022, at 5:30pm. Of note:

  • The committee approved multiple invoices.
  • The committee also approved two change orders relative to the current construction project. Those change orders are numbers 8 and 9.
  • CHA Consulting introduced a new member of their team to the committee. The firm noted that excavation and demolition is taking a little longer than planned, but "the expectation is that... we will have a schedule we can rely on moving forward." The engineers answered some additional questions from the committee regarding the calendar and the construction progress.
  • Town Manager Sean Hendricks discussed the blasting communication plan. "We want to make sure people don't find out only when the horn blows." In addition, Hendricks noted that the town does not want to finish the road paving on Elm Street until the headquarters is completed.
  • Selectman Scott Despres noted that the recent rain created additional run-off of water and dirt down Waters Street, and CHA is addressing it.

The meeting adjourned at 6:00pm. Next meeting will be in October. This meeting can be viewed via Millbury Public Access.