Oxford continues to make progress in accounting for its water supply, but town officials say considerably more work remains as the community approaches the limits of its available water capacity.
At their latest meeting last night, commissioners learned that Oxford’s reported water loss has fallen to 25 percent, down from 31.47 percent in 2024 and 41.55 percent in 2023. The town’s goal is to bring that number below 10 percent.
The numbers do not necessarily mean that a quarter of Oxford’s water is leaking into the ground. Town Manager Holly Wahl said a significant part of the problem has been accounting for water use, including more than 100 dead meters and some town water uses that had not previously been metered. New meters are now in place throughout town and should give officials a much better picture of actual consumption.
The issue is important for reasons beyond water bills. Oxford is nearing its existing water capacity, and officials said the state will not approve additional capacity unless the town can show it is adequately accounting for the water it already withdraws.
Commissioners also see a potentially significant financial benefit. Water that is produced but not accounted for cannot be properly billed. One commissioner described the earlier loss figures as “mind-boggling” and said continued improvement could eventually reduce pressure for future rate increases.
During public comment, a resident questioned whether Oxford should hire a specialist to investigate the remaining losses. Wahl said the town has already used outside engineering assistance and that the priority now is using the new meters and monitoring systems to better identify and account for water use.
Ethics Ordinance Gets a Long Look
Commissioners spent much of the meeting working through a proposed rewrite of Oxford’s ethics ordinance following an extensive review by the town’s Ethics Council.
The discussion reflected some of the difficulty of writing ethics rules for a small community, where people serving on town boards, working for the town or doing business locally can have overlapping professional and personal relationships.
Commissioners considered rules governing outside employment, financial interests, recusals, disclosure requirements and independent legal counsel for the Ethics Council. At several points, the discussion focused on whether proposed restrictions might be so broad that otherwise qualified residents or professionals could have difficulty serving on town boards and commissions.
One commissioner cautioned about the “law of unintended consequences,” while the commissioners also discussed the role of the Ethics Council in interpreting the rules when unusual circumstances arise.
There was a substantial discussion about confidentiality as well. Commissioners considered when an ethics complaint should remain private and when someone accused of an ethics violation should be able to make the record public. The discussion generally favored maintaining confidentiality during the preliminary stage while giving a respondent the ability to make the record public if a complaint proceeds further.
Commissioners also agreed with a recommendation that the Ethics Council itself not initiate complaints. Complaints would instead come from outside the council, separating the council’s role in considering a complaint from the decision to bring one.
No final ordinance was adopted. Staff will prepare another version incorporating the changes discussed by commissioners before it returns for further consideration.
Stormwater Project Comes in Over Budget
Oxford’s continuing effort to address flooding and drainage also produced an unexpectedly high bid.
The town received one bid for planned stormwater improvements along the Strand. It came in at $512,511. Oxford has $300,000 in state funding for the work, leaving a potentially substantial amount for the town to cover.
That prompted discussion about whether to reconsider the project scope rather than spend considerably more than originally anticipated.
Wahl said the bid was broken into individual components, allowing the town to remove or modify portions of the work. Oxford also has remaining federal ARPA funds that can be used for stormwater improvements, although those funds must be spent by the end of the year.
Other drainage projects are moving ahead. Public Works is preparing for improvements around Mill and Tilghman streets, while work around Market and Jefferson streets is nearing completion.
Oxford is also dealing with a separate infrastructure problem involving electrical surges. Officials reported approximately 1,500 electrical events at the wastewater treatment plant. The town believes power problems may have contributed to damage to HVAC equipment, pumping station control panels and other equipment.
Commissioners approved surge protection for Town Hall and monitoring equipment at the wastewater treatment plant. The monitoring equipment should give the town better information about voltage problems as it works with its electric provider.
Robert Morris Inn Returns to the Conversation
The long-running question of the Robert Morris Inn surfaced again near the end of the meeting.
Commissioners recently received a letter from a group of Oxford residents concerning the inn and suggesting that the town may have grounds to become involved in the bankruptcy proceedings surrounding the property.
One commissioner said he has heard considerable community concern about the Robert Morris Inn for months but has yet to hear a clear explanation of what the town could legally or practically do.
He suggested inviting the letter writers to the next commissioners meeting to explain what action they believe Oxford should take, including the basis for the town becoming involved in the bankruptcy case.
The town attorney noted that Oxford would need a basis for standing beyond the concerns shared by the general public if it sought to intervene.
No action was taken. Commissioners indicated they would like to hear more from the residents about what role, if any, they believe the town could play.
Watch the full meeting here.
