Sewer District. On July 28, 2000, Governor Cellucci signed into law Chapter 157 of the Acts of 2000, which authorizes Provincetown's first-of-its-kind "checker-board" sewer district. Under this unique legislation, Provincetown will assess betterments only on those properties which hook up to the sewer-- rather than mandating hook-ups and betterments for all properties abutting the sewer line, as state law requires for all other communities in Massachusetts.

Wastewater Design/Build/Operate. On August 7, 2000, the Governor signed into law Chapter 191 of the Acts of 2000, which would allow Provincetown to have a private contractor design, build, and operate a wastewater facility under contract with the Town. Provincetown received five expressions of interest from qualified vendors, in response to a solicitation, and issued a formal Request For Proposals (RFP) in November. Proposals are due February 2, 2001. The Town needs to award the contract at the April 2, 2001 Annual Town Meeting, so design plans can be ready by the DEP SRF program’s October 31, 2001 deadline.

Route 6 Wastewater Disposal Easement. On August 10, 2000, Governor Cellucci signed into law Chapter 241 of the Acts of 2000, for an easement on Route 6 for wastewater disposal sites. MassHighways Commissioner Matthew Amorello has said he will be "helpful" with the Town's request to use state land, given the limited areas available for wastewater disposal in town.

Room Tax Revenues for Wastewater. Under Chapter 391 of the Acts of 1998, nearly 20% of the Town's local room tax receipts are earmarked for the Wastewater Enterprise Fund-- some $150,000 per year. Some of this will be used to finance a basic service level for the town-wide septic system management program. The remainder will accumulate and will be used to pay for the betterment and operating costs for Town-owned properties and the reserve capacity of the sewer system.

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