First step to recovery is to admit that you have a problem.

The decisions regarding the sewer pond have been laid to rest on a fictitious table until the next board meeting in December. And possibly could continue to be ignored on into January of 2009. But the board did decide to go ahead and go for the golf course sprinkler system grant. The members of the golf association should be happy about that.

Have you ever seen the ESPN commercial that has a panel of four football experts sitting in on a Congressional hearing about global warming? They are a panel of experts in the wrong setting. This is the same scene with the town personnel and board regarding the lift station and its broken pumps, along with the sewer lagoons and their unlawful bypass. No one would ever expect this organization to be the experts and to have the solutions to this big of an ordeal. Yet the group continues to drag out all aspects of this situation further and further.

The pumps have to be replaced. The panel of experts is Meyers Engineering. Hire them to do a scope, design, and bid package for the modifications that need to be made to the lift station. Quit getting bogged down on these things that nobody expects this entity to have the solutions to. Hand the ball off to the professionals and let them do the work that needs to be done. Request their presence at the next meeting for discussions.

This is a very serious situation that needs to be addressed as efficiently as possible.(By Experts) To continue to allow raw sewage be piped to an area that it wasn't design to be piped to is beyond reason. These pumps have been broken since April of 2008. Millions of gallons of raw sewage have disappeared from storage in the lagoons. Along with the untold amounts of sewage that continued to leak away via the makeshift alterations. The capacity is an issue, the leakage is an issue, and the pumps are an issue. The fix for the pumps and redesign of the lift station is going to be expensive. The new capacity requirements for the sewage treatment facility is going to be expensive. And the fines from DEQ are going to be expensive. The new mayor is going to be in for a rude awakening come January when the DEQ issues their final verdict. Brace yourselves it is going to be expensive. It will be at least six figures. Not sure what that leading number will be. 1, 2, 3, 4......?

This is a very strong position that is being taken. Much rather eat crow than its alternative.