There are many many MANY jokes the Owl has typed and backspaced this morning about the call for volunteers for the Water Storage Planning Committee. Sadly my California jetlag makes me startlingly unfunny at this hour (5 am west coast) and it’s a slippery slope into silliness. I do think that we need a Naming Committee here in town because the sheer unsexiness of “Water Storage Planning Committee” is killing my Kellogg MBA soul. How about the Drip-Drip-Dry Committee? The “Under-Pressured” Committee? Sigh. Okay, onwards.

Given the need for Weston to address its water issues (if you missed Town Meeting like I plan to miss every single future one, then you have no idea what I’m talking about, probably as usual, but check out the video), a committee has been formed–here’s the officialese from the town website:

“The Water Storage Planning Committee will review water storage infrastructure and capacity in the Town of Weston. The first priority of the Committee will be for the Town to achieve its goal of properly maintaining a safe and functioning water system. Secondarily, the Town wishes to meet the first priority with as little intrusive impact on the abutters and other residents of the Town as possible.

The Committee will recommend a course of action to the Select Board to address the siting of the replacement water tanks including any issues such as landscaping, screening, service/support areas, appearance including height, color, any needed security issues, and issues surrounding the Article 97 land disposition.

Members of this Committee are appointed by the Select Board for a term of two years. “

Now, there are several things on the committee page that crack me up (given jetlag, I’m a bit punchy). The first is the description of the photo: “Photos: current condition of the Paines Hill Water Tank (1958), flaking protective concrete coating, exposing steel reinforcing cables, causing rust” which is about as close to editorial comment as I’ve seen the town website get. But the real winner is in the job description of who they are looking for to fill these roles:

• Three Citizens of the Town: 
  • Priority is given to those living in the knowledge of public water supplies or hydraulics and/or the general vicinity of the tanks.

What is “living in the knowledge of public water supplies?” And how does this equate with living in the general vicinity of the tanks? Hmmm. I’m not volunteering as I know nothing about this stuff but maybe someone from the knowledgeable yet anonymous group of folks at Focus on Weston will step up. They have lots to say about water strategy–you can read their info on their think tank website. Please note that Focus on Weston is not a Town committee.

Other appointees and ex-officio members are noted on the volunteer call-out. If you are interested in volunteering, and you should be if for nothing other than calling yourself a Drip, you can fill out your volunteer application here. Me, I’m heading over for more coffee.