AQ Infrastructure Committee Meeting

Aquinnah Infrastructure Committee

Minutes – Jan 6, 2026

Meeting was called to Order at 7:054PM by Chairman Litt

 

Members Present were Eric Litt, Chair, Adrian Higgins, Gary Haley and Select Board member Tom

Murphy. Richard Wagner and Jay Bodnar were excused. A quorum of three was confirmed.

 

The Minutes of December 20, 2025, were unanimously approved.

 

A lengthy discussion on the condition of the bathrooms at the Circle followed. After an inspection

by Eric, Adrian, Town oRicials and Plumbing Inspector Pat Martone, it was determined the fixtures

appeared OK, but the flushers and pressure tanks needed upgrading. Auto flushers are

malfunctioning due to grit/sand in the system.

 

A discussion about the wells followed, and it was suggested that a tie into the newer well might

suRice. Volume of water and flow rates are an issue, and a Well Report on each well is needed to be

reviewed. A plumber with institutional experience may also be needed. A foot bath at the entrance

to the bathrooms is also recommended.

 

Adrian and Eric agreed to review the possible installation of a new water line from the circle well to

the bathrooms, to retrieve the report for the circle well to determine flow capacity, and to gather

data from the toilets on volume of water per flush.

 

Data on the number of tour buses per hour, the number of occupants per bus, and their length of

stay is also needed to determine peak demand on the system.

With time being of the essence, Pat Martone agreed to draft an outline of an RFP for submission to

the committee for review. Procurement regulations regarding cost limitations need to be reviewed.

 

It was thought that Chilmark employs a company that visits the Menemsha bathrooms twice daily

to remove trash and inspect the premises. Tom agreed to contact Tim Carroll to confirm service and

cost estimates. If Chilmark is satisfied and the cost is reasonable, Aquinnah may consider engaging

the same company.

 

The Town’s outdated computer infrastructure system was discussed, along with the $70K grant

application to help pay the estimated $130K upgrade. It was agreed this falls under the

Infrastructure Committee’s jurisdiction and the committee will assume responsibility if requested

by the Select Board at its next meeting.

The next Infrastructure meeting is scheduled for Jan 13, at 7:PM

The meeting was adjourned at 8:15 PM

Respectfully submitted;

Tom Murphy