A big surprise was unveiled at the special Selectmen's meeting on the vast Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan. It is possible for Chatham to get as much as $15 million in federal grant money to help pay for the system. Chatham will have to get to "shovel-ready" by February 17, 2010 and make a "commitment" for the project by June 30th of this year.

That means revising the article for the May town meeting from the $7.5 million for an odd part of the project (that we thought should be folded into the bigger project at the January 2010 meeting) to moving the whole project up to the May town meeting in hopes of getting that federal handout of $15 million. (It could be more or less, depending how many towns can scramble to qualify by February 17th.) About $60 million to approve at the May 11th/14 happenings.

Makes sense. Nothing like free money to change one’s thinking.

So the Selectmen voted to accelerate everything to see if the town can meet the February 17th deadline. Town meeting will have to approve. By town meeting time, the facts and numbers will be clear (charts still too optimistic counting on program monies that don't yet exist and a puzzlement why some areas are being done first rather than other areas that seem more critical), but it's worth every effort to see if the federal money can be captured.

There will have to be a major town effort to inform taxpayers of the implIcations for their tax bills. They will go up sharply to get the first $60 million or so underway. As we analyze the numbers, we will present our findings. The time is shorter than we would like, but taxpayers nonetheless need to be informed as the federal windfall is pursued.

There seem always to be strings with free money, but none were mentioned at the Selectmen's meeting. We'll watch out for them.

But, for the day, good news indeed?