Three Scituate Boards Unanimously Recommend $21 Million Sewer Borrowing

SCITUATE — April 1, 2026 — Scituate's three municipal finance boards unanimously backed a $21 million sewer borrowing for North Scituate at a joint remote meeting April 1. The Select Board voted 4-0, the Capital Planning Committee 3-0, and the Advisory Committee 8-0 to recommend Article 6 at Spring Town Meeting, which would authorize borrowing at a projected 1.9 percent interest rate through the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust State Revolving Fund. Town Administrator Jim Boudreau said Scituate learned only the week prior that it had been placed on the state's intended use plan, and that local approval must be in place by June 30 or the opportunity is gone. The total project cost is estimated at $27 million, offset by a $5 million MassWorks grant and a pending $10 million federal Senate request, leaving roughly $21 million to be financed. Boudreau said bypassing the low-rate loan in favor of conventional borrowing would cost taxpayers more than $5 million in additional interest on a 20-year note and more than $9 million on a 30-year note. Construction on the North Scituate commercial district collection system is targeted to begin in spring 2027, with completion anticipated in late 2029.