Sudbury Board of Health adopts $50 fee for ADU septic certifications

SUDBURY — November 26, 2024 — Sudbury Board of Health adopts $50 ADU septic certification fee starting Jan. 1. The three-member board voted unanimously Tuesday to charge applicants for the staff septic-capacity research that precedes accessory dwelling unit approvals from Planning, Building and Assessing, with Chair Carol Bradford moving and member Linda Huet-Clayton seconding. Health Director Vivian Zeng tied the rising application volume to the state ADU law signed by Gov. Maura Healey and told member Susan Sama the department would deny rather than re-inspect properties whose septic cannot support the load, because otherwise "it's going to tank your existing system." Zeng also reported four grant applications submitted in November, including a $128,000 regional RISE request to fund focus groups on the opioid crisis, and announced two new regional hires — inspector Sean Jeffrey and substance use coordinator Olivia Dufour — starting the following Monday.