Douglas Stormwater Panel Begins Drafting Regulations While AG Review Remains Pending

DOUGLAS -- September 30, 2025, Douglas Stormwater Bylaw Committee opens regulatory drafting with AG approval still outstanding. The committee, chaired by newly elected Les Stevens with Michael Bacon as vice chair, convened September 30 for its first working session since the stormwater bylaw passed at spring town meeting. Town Planner John Charbon disclosed that the bylaw was submitted to the Massachusetts Attorney General's office later than the rest of the post-town-meeting batch, likely due to a staff transition, and that no response has yet been received, a delay that means the regulations cannot be finalized until the AG signs off. Using Uxbridge's 25-page stormwater regulations as a model, members worked through sections one through twelve, agreeing to carry the Douglas bylaw's definitions, applicability provisions, and exemptions over verbatim. The committee also agreed to raise the surety bond retention floor from 15 percent to 30 percent, citing recent cases in other communities where low bond thresholds left towns unable to compel developers to complete projects. The next meeting is October 14 at 6 p.m.