Current Priorities
Educational Efforts
View the Collaborative's new educational brochure:
"The Color of Water: Bring Back the Blue"
Learn more about the Collaborative'../cape-keepers/speakers-bureau">Speaker's Bureau.
Current Priorities
During Fiscal Year 2004 Barnstable County created the Blue Ribbon Committee on regional wastewater. This committee was tasked with determining the scope of responsibilities with which a regional wastewater entity will be charged. The committee’s mission also was to examine potential funding sources and options that may be created to fund water quality improvement projects on Cape Cod. The product of these efforts is the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative.
The Mission Statement of the Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative is:
To offer a coordinated approach to enhance the water and wastewater management efforts of towns, the Regional Government and the Community, and to provide cost effective and environmentally sound wastewater infrastructure, thereby protecting Cape Cod’s shared water resources. The Collaborative seeks funding support for the Cape communities, establishes priorities, directs strategy, builds support for action, and fosters regionalism.
The Collaborative is comprised of a representative from each of the 15 Cape Cod communities and two members appointed by the County Commissioners. The Collaborative is staffed by a part time Executive Director. The Collaborative’s priorities in FY 09 reflect the needs of the mission statement above.
FY ’09 Priorities are as follows:
#1 Pursue federal and state funds to support Cape Cod community water and wastewater initiatives.- Develop and disseminate information to state and federal officials in support of the needs of the Cape.Work to secure passage of S2379.
- Develop testimony in support of the bill, identify and work with interested groups, including but not limited to watershed associations, chambers of commerce, CHAPA, MMA and environmental organizations, to secure support for the legislation.
- Maintain communication with EPA and DEP regarding allocation of federal grant funds to nutrient management initiatives.
- Publish and distribute CCWPC public information materials through newspapers, businesses, non-profits and local governments.
- Maintain and improve the Cape Keepers website as a primary source of up to date information and as a resource to the public and local officials.
- Meet with local officials to highlight available county services to assist in nutrient management.
#3 Begin development of regional wastewater management plan
- Develop a scope for the plan.
- Identify appropriate staff to undertake the plan development.
- Initiate the planning process and adhere to schedule.
#4 Administer Shared Watershed Grants
- Oversee tasks as detailed in MOAs with recipients.
- Ensure completion of work plans as scheduled.
- Schedule public briefings on study outcomes.
#5 Develop and maintain and detailed database outlining status of water and wastewater management efforts in each of the 15 Cape Communities
- Database is scoped and developed.
- Database is populated with up to date information for all communities.
- Database is housed and maintained on Cape Keepers website.
#6 Encourage regionalism
- Identify opportunities for regional cooperation.
- Work with possible partners to develop regional solutions
- Identify and pursue funding in support of specific regional initiatives.
The Cape Cod Water Protection Collaborative has established an ambitious agenda for FY 09. The CCWPC plans to expend major efforts seeking passage of S2379, the wastewater bill that provides the financial relief and management tools required to make nitrogen abatement more affordable for Cape communities. This task will rightly consume the majority of the time of the Executive Director. At the same time, there will be a renewed emphasis on increasing public awareness of the nitrogen problem, fostering regionalism, managing existing shared watershed grants to communities, and working directly with local officials. The FY09 budget is actually less than that budgeted in FY08 because the CCWPC used funds from prior fiscal years in FY08. The FY 09 budget is a reasonable approximation of the maintenance costs of the CCWPC.
It is the intent of the CCWPC to not hire additional staff beyond the part time ED and to utilize the expertise within existing county departments to support completion of the task list. The CCWPC plans to use interdepartmental contracts to internally procure the required services and, in doing so, remain as lean and efficient as possible.
Legislative Efforts
The Collaborative strongly supports S2379, a bill filed by the entire
Cape delegation and chiefly sponsored by Senator O'Leary. The most
current text and status of bill can be obtained by clicking on this link.
You may also view a summary of the bill and the Collaborative'../images/legislation/gonzalez.pdf">letter of support for the bill.