Town manager calls sewer 'no-brainer'

OXFORD —  Building a new sewage treatment plant for the town is a “no-brainer,” says Town Manager Michael Chammings.

At the September 20 selectboard meeting, Chammings responded to questions raised by Paris Utility District Trustees about the proposed facility and clarified the reasoning behind the proposal.

Chammings said that the proposed site of the facility was within the town's Tax Increment Financing District, which would allow it to build the facility at zero cost to taxpayers.

In February voters approved a 502-acre Omnibus Municipal Development and Tax Increment Financing District that includes the Oxford Casino and 315 acres of commercial property along Route 26.

The TIF district gives the town a tax shelter, allowing it to capture property value and use it for approved infrastructure development.

Chammings explained the TIF district gave the town a tax-shift benefit that delivered "free money" into the town's coffers.

The cost of building the sewer system would be covered with over $18 million in dedicated, state-approved funds for sewer enhancement, Chammings said.

"The largest thing for that TIF zone was to handle public infrastructure of water and sewer in the future," Chammings told the board.

If the town built outside of the TIF district, Chammings explained, the cost would fall on taxpayers.

"It makes absolutely no sense to borrow money, raise property taxation, user fees, enhancement fees when we have monies put aside ... that would pay for it at zero cost," he said.

Last Friday Chammings said a public sewer system would accommodate several large businesses contemplating building in Oxford.

He said it would be more environmentally-friendly and efficient for the proposed businesses and the casino to tap into a town system than construct their own.

Residents who chose to connect to the sewer would need to pay a connection fee, Chammings said, but it could be cheaper than building a private system.

Chammings estimated user rates on the new sewer would be at or below average, calculated by median income in the town.

The PUD trustees suggest that it would be cheaper and more effective to connect Oxford to their system, which is currently running below capacity.

The trustees say that an engineering report that says the PUD facility would be unable to handle Oxford's entire anticipated waste load ruled out the option too quickly.

Chammings said that the town had looked carefully at the PUD alternative, but there were concerns over the low dilution levels at the plant and some permitting issues it has had with the Department of Environmental Protection.

He estimated the cost of connecting to PUD would be around $3 million. The estimated cost of the treatment plant is below $4 million and the total estimated cost of the sewer project is $18 million, Chammings said.

According to Chammings, the new plant – built to rigorous California environmental standards – would be the first of its kind in Maine.  

Vice Chair Scott Owens said the proposed sewer project would be good for Oxford, if not necessarily good for the PUD.

"They're trying to push it because it's more economical for them," he said. "That's what the whole thing boils down to."