SWAMPSCOTT — The Select Board voted against allocating $1.7 million in remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds for sewer repair at Fisherman’s Beach.
The motion failed by a vote of 3-2, with Board Chair David Grishman and members Peter Spellios and Doug Thompson voting against it, while Board member MaryEllen Fletcher and Vice Chair Katie Phelan voted in favor. Fletcher originally proposed the motion, which also included an additional $182,000 in order to obtain a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System General Permit from the state, to her peers.
Fletcher argued that using ARPA funding for this issue would bring improvements more quickly and cost less to residents in the long term when compared to other options.
“I really want to stop constantly having to talk about ARPA, I’d rather pull the trigger and make this work,” Fletcher said.
Fletcher’s stance drew applause from some community members who attended Wednesday’s meeting.
Thompson disagreed with Fletcher, arguing that the sewer enterprise fund is the proper way to try and resolve pollution at the beach.
“There are a number of different ways you can fix the pipes, but there’s only one way you can do the rest of all these things,” Thompson said. “We have a sewer enterprise fund set up to fix the pipes. But you can’t do any of these other things through a sewer enterprise fund.”
Thompson pointed out that a total of $6.5 million had already been used to fund mitigation efforts for King’s Beach prior to the current calendar year. He also took issue with using ARPA funding for the permit, saying that it was available in the town’s capital budget.
Thompson presented a three-year projection on what the future holds for King’s Beach repairs. It included his plan to fund Fisherman’s Beach repairs, despite the fact that no resources have been used for the beach as of yet.
“We have a $1.7 million shovel-ready project ready to do for Fisherman’s,” Thompson said. “I think we’re all in agreement that we need $1.7 million to get going on the work at Fisherman’s. The real question is, ‘What’s your funding source in order to do that?’”
Grishman said that state Rep. Jenny Armini encouraged the town to use state revolving funds because they have an “advantageous interest rate” and due to the town’s potential to obtain loan forgiveness from the state.
“I think it’s a great use of funds,” Grishman said.
Thompson described the task of making housing improvements in town as an issue that he feels is equally important as the beaches’ pollution. Fletcher and Phelan asserted that ARPA funds are not the only way to fund the other issues Thompson alluded to.
“We have a crisis at Fisherman’s,” Fletcher said. “We listen to it week after week after week. We have people that are concerned about running their recreational activities at the beaches and we have citizens that are very upset.”
