Wayland water committee scrambles to fund $25,000 Herd Pond herbicide treatment

WAYLAND -- October 15, 2024, Wayland's Surface Water Quality Committee faces a $25,000 Herd Pond herbicide bill with no budget room. Chair Thomas Klem told members on Oct. 15 that Solitude Lake Management scoped roughly 13 acres in the pond's south cove for ClearCast treatment next season, up from a prior $10,000 estimate, against an annual committee budget of $30,000. Member Steve Garone urged the chair to alert Finance Director Brian Keveney immediately, saying "we need to like let them know yesterday" because the committee sits outside Conservation and DPW budget channels and "nobody bothered to ask" for a figure. Klem said Herd Pond appears to be state-owned, requiring owner sign-off before Conservation can permit treatment. The committee unanimously approved Sept. 17 minutes and set Nov. 19 as its season-ender.