The Mashpee Wampanoag Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) provided the 102nd Intelligence Wing with a Statement of Need (SON) response on Saturday, September 15. The Letter of Interest (LOI) outlines the MWCDC’s ability to secure and operate the Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) Water System and Wastewater Treatment Plant for the betterment of the Cape Cod community.
“The proposed exchange provides the base with one option toward a long-term solution to water and wastewater treatment,” said Col. Virginia I. Gaglio, Commander of the 102nd Intelligence Wing. Last month, the wing provided the MWCDC with a Statement of Need as part of the process and requested the MWCDC submit an official LOI by September 15.
The LOI informed the base of the skilled partners that the MWCDC have forged to fulfill each aspect of the project including the financial and operational aspects that were requirements in the SON. These partnerships include the National Development Council (NDC), a national nonprofit that specializes in work with economically disadvantaged communities; Black & Veatch, an engineering firm that specializes in water treatment; and InfraManagement Group. These partners will assist with the engineering, facility design, operation and management.
MWCDC believes that this partnership will help to ensure the long-term health and well-being for all current and future tenants on JBCC and the surrounding towns.
“Protecting our land and water has and continues to be a guiding mission for our Tribe,” said Cedric Cromwell, Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who also sees this as a natural extension of Tribe’s Community Development Corporation. “Managing the Wastewater Treatment Plant under our Community Development Corporation will provide a cost-effective solution to this major problem,” stated Cromwell.
The proposed exchange includes the MWCDC taking ownership, operating, maintaining and making capital improvements of the system.
Working with the surrounding towns of Mashpee, Falmouth, Bourne and Sandwich on partnerships is a major point included in the LOI and will allow them to tap into these assets and meet their wastewater treatment needs.
Mark Harding, President of the MWCDC, looks forward to further assessing the JBCC resources and making a final determination quickly, “We fully understand the need to address the wastewater needs of the region as soon as possible,” said Harding. “I can say with confidence that, if we complete the proposed exchange, our friends and neighbors will be relieved to know we are postured to manage this asset and will be a reliable partner. We also live and work in this area and want an affordable solution that also protects our land, bays and estuaries for the generations to come.”
The Mashpee Wampanoag Community Development Corporation was organized in 2016 to engage in activities that will promote the social welfare, economic security and community development of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and its enrolled citizens that will enable the Tribe to be self-sufficient and to provide economic support for its tribal citizens.
The CDC consists of at least nine Directors that are appointed by the Tribal Council/Shareholder Representatives. Current Board Members include Shareholder/Tribal Councilor Winnie Johnson-Graham, President Mark Harding, Vice President Tara Collier, Treasurer Nancy Rose, Secretary Steven Peters, and Board of Directors Talia Landry and Angela Shwom.
