Last modified: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:57 AM EDT Plan for regional sewer board in Mansfield's hands BY FRANK MORTIMER AND MICHAEL GELBWASSER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF After more than 20 years as Mansfield's sewer customers, voters in Foxboro and Norton on Monday night agreed to become Mansfield's sewer partners. Now, Mansfield must follow suit at its May 20 annual town meeting. At separate annual town meetings, Foxboro and Norton voters directed their selectmen and water and sewer commissioners to draft special legislation creating a regional sewer district commission and ask their legislators to file it. This board will oversee the wastewater treatment plant that Mansfield operates in Norton. Mansfield has billed the towns for their sewer flow and a share of the plant's expenses since the three towns reached a regional sewer agreement in 1986. Under the new arrangement, Foxboro and Norton each will own two-sevenths of the plant, and together they will have a majority say in how it runs. Mansfield will own three-sevenths of the plant. The towns will be responsible for their own municipal sewer projects. However, Foxboro Town Moderator Robert Cutler Jr., initially declared this proposal had failed. Cutler had counted votes visually. Unhappy with the result, voters asked Cutler for a teller count - which reversed the outcome. Foxboro and Norton voters also approved a request to amend the current sewer deal. The amended deal will be in place until the new regional commission takes over, Norton finance committee Chairman Lee Tarantino said. Mansfield voters must pass the same amendment. Foxboro voters defeated a request to create a municipal sewer district, comprised of the areas currently served by the existing sewer system and those areas in need of sewer. At press time, Foxboro voters were debating a proposal to approve borrowing of $31 million to construct the sewer mains and other sewer infrastructure within the Town of Foxboro.