Wareham resident Dorothy Heath went before the Board of Selectmen during the "citizens participation" portion of its meeting Tuesday, October 1, to discuss the progress of state legislation that would allow Wareham to establish a Board of Sewer Commissioners separate from the Board of Selectmen.

The Selectmen currently serve as Sewer Commissioners. Although Town Meeting voted last spring to establish the separate board, the change must also be approved by the state Legislature because it's a change to the Town Charter.

The bill has been sent to the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Governments, but no hearing has been scheduled to discuss it.   .

Despite this, Senator Marc Pacheco says he is hoping the bill will be ready in time for spring Town Meeting.

"I'm going to do everything I can to expedite it," he said.

Supporters of the new board successfully argued that taking on both roles is too much work for the Selectmen.

The change will put oversight of the Water Pollution Control Facility under a sewer superintendent, who will answer to the Board of Sewer Commissioners. The Sewer Commissioners, who will not be paid, will be elected to three-year terms.

Heath, who spoke in support of the change at Town Meeting, expressed concern that state approval would not be passed in time for Town Meeting in Spring 2014. She encouraged  citizens and board members to contact State Sen. Marc Pacheco in an effort to move the bill along.

The bill has been sent to the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Governments, but no hearing has been scheduled to discuss it.   .

"If you make noise, people listen."

In 2010 the sewer commissioner  measure was approved by Town Meeting, but did not make it through the Legislature due to issues with the wording of the bylaw. The state authorizing legislation was "stale" by the time the wording issues became known to town officials, and state officials asked that the bylaw be sent back through the Town Meeting process.

It was presented to voters again at fall Town Meeting in 2012, but voters decided to send it for further study so it could be thoroughly vetted.

Voters finally approved it at Town Meeting in Spring 2013, after it was placed on the warrant by a group of citizen petitioners.