The Kingston Sewer Commission moved to significantly expand the town’s infrastructure on Tuesday, tentatively approving a massive sewer connection for a new residential development on the Miramar property. The project, situated on the Duxbury-Kingston line, involves the construction of single-family homes totaling approximately 400 bedrooms. This connection is projected to bring in a windfall of roughly $5.3 million in fees, calculated at the town’s current rate of $40,000 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU).

Brian, the Commission Chair, noted that while sewer capacity for the site was unavailable decades ago, recent system upgrades have made the expansion feasible. Everything's in place now and capacity should be adequate subject to some review, he said, recalling discussions about the property dating back to 2004. Mark Casey of South Shore Survey Consultants explained the urgency for the owners, stating, Miramar had been running a deficit of almost $300,000 a year... Give us a dollar figure and we’ll say yes or no and give you a significant portion of that amount up front. Ben Vera, representing Miramar, emphasized the immediate benefit to town finances, offering a 70% non-refundable deposit upon signing. We just brought millions of dollars into the coffers that didn't come out of your pocketbook on taxes, Vera noted. Motion Made by Brian to tentatively agree to accept the possibility of a Miramar project and block out the requested capacity, with fees to be finalized within weeks and capacity becoming permanent upon receipt of a down payment. Motion Passed (3-0-0).

The commission plans to leverage the anticipated Miramar revenue to fund a $705,000 contract with CDM Smith for 30% engineering design. This design phase is critical for extending sewer service to South Street, Main Street, Ocean Hill, and Town and Country. Brian underscored the environmental stakes, noting that nitrogen levels in South Street wells—which provide 50% of the town’s water supply—have risen from zero to as high as five parts per million over the last 25 years. I think the town is way over with the water supply issue, Brian said. Motion Made by Brian to move forward with the CDM 30% design proposal pending the acquisition of the funds. Motion Passed (3-0-0).

Despite the incoming revenue, Superintendent Dave warned of a looming burn rate as operational costs skyrocket. He projected that electricity and sludge disposal alone will cost the town $640,000 in FY27, representing more than half of the department’s operating budget. We need to look as a department on how we can cover the increasing operational costs, Dave told the board, suggesting the commission investigate waste-to-energy technologies like Trashology to mitigate electricity spikes.

Ongoing maintenance issues also drew frustration, particularly at the Riverside Drive pump station. Dave reported that catch baskets designed to trap debris are being overwhelmed by flushable wipes. The basket to catch all the rags was full within 12 hours, Dave reported. We're going to go out there and start investigating manhole by manhole. Technical discussions during the meeting also touched on system efficiency, with Commissioner Ryan and the board debating the use of 1,000-gallon interceptor tanks for new connections to simplify engineering. Commissioner Bill suggested the town could further maximize revenue by acting as a broker for unused sewer capacity, buying it back at historical rates and reselling it at current market value. Can we take it back for 13,000? Give them 13 and then sell it for 44? Bill asked. That would be the best way to do it.

The meeting concluded with a focus on administrative cleanup. Dave highlighted a potential $159,000 discrepancy in debt sheets and lingering questions regarding interest earned on prepaid betterments, such as a $1.6 million payment from the local mall. To resolve these data issues, the board supported a plan to close the sewer office for two to four hours weekly, allowing staff to verify parcel data and ensure accurate billing. Elaine Fiori and the board also discussed hiring a municipal finance consulting firm to stabilize the enterprise fund’s accounting following high staff turnover.