It couldn’t be coincidental from the perspective of Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur: Riverview residents launch an online petition for the city administration to move ahead with Bayside sewers and in the same week the Warwick Sewer Authority brings up the matter at its monthly meeting.

For Ladouceur, WSA discussion of D’Ambra Construction’s $19.7 million bid submitted in February was a sign that his seven-year crusade for Bayside sewers is still on track and perhaps has a chance of starting this year.

But as of Wednesday it was not clear how the Bayside contract ended up on the WSA agenda or if, in fact, Mayor Joseph J. Solomon, who has questioned whether the project has the approval of the Narragansett Tribe and if less costly options are available to homeowners, has given it his blessing. In response to that question, the mayor’s office emailed the following response: “The City has determined that the Bayside sewer bid is still valid.”

Ladouceur said Wednesday he spoke this week with Tribe representatives Medicine Man John Brown and Nancy Brown Garcia and that there is a question over the memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached about two years ago between the Tribe and the city. He said he was told the MOU was changed by the city after being agreed to by the parties, including the federal government. Ladouceur said he plans to meet with Brown and Garcia to go over what exactly was changed.

In a telephone interview last week, Brown said the Tribe has not signed the MOU and emphasized that he and representatives of the Tribe are prepared to talk with the city although as of that time they had not been contacted.

“We are available,” he asserted. He questioned the city’s commitment in respecting and preserving Indian burial sites that have been identified in the path of the sewer project.

“Why do these people (two burials have been identified) have to be disturbed?” he said.

Recognizing that the neighborhoods of Bayside are rich with Native American artifacts, the WSA abandoned plans for a conventional open trench installation of sewers preferring directional drilling. The D’Ambra bid calls for directional drilling where pipes are installed without disturbing the upper several feet where there are artifacts.

According to Ladouceur, the WSA postponed a vote on the D’Ambra bid to confirm the price and to ensure an extension of the bid that was good until last week. In an Aug. 13 Beacon story, Michael D’Ambra, president of the company, said he would extend the bid.

Ladouceur compared the process of Bayside to a jigsaw puzzle and “we’re down to a few last pieces.” He said his attention is focused on gaining WSA approval of the D’Ambra contract, which would then come before the council for approval.

Meanwhile, the petition initiated by Riverview resident George Shuster and backed by the Riverview Association had gained 85 signatures as of Wednesday, including that of independent candidate for mayor Frank Picozzi, who grew up in the neighborhood and remembers limiting the flushing of the toilet because the cesspool couldn’t handle the flow.

“The vast majority of the homes in this part of the city are older and many have antiquated septic and cesspool systems. The issue isn’t just environmental but it’s also about the quality of life of the residents and this area has been disregarded long enough. I think the city should be actively informing the area residents and holding meetings to give the people a voice,” Picozzi said.

Picozzi lives in the Hoxsie are now and has sewers.

Riverview Association president Kevin Eisemann knows all too well what life without sewers is like.

“Because I don’t have access to sewers I always have the fear of the possibility of a major failure. If a failure were to occur it would be very expensive and involve the excavation of my entire backyard. My septic system currently works fine but there’s always the possibility of having to pump out at a significant cost to me,” he said in an email exchange.

He said when he bought his home in 1997 they were told sewers were on the drawing boards and they would be able to connect by 1999.

On the issue of cost, he said if he were to sell his house he was told part of the sale would be held in escrow for either septic system repairs or sewer connections. He guesses the amount would be at least $28,000.

On the other hand, if the sewers were installed, the assessment, which is being projected at about $25,000, could be paid off over 20 years and possibly 30 years depending on the financing bond procured by the WSA.

“Our thoughts are the added benefits of sewers is a cleaner bay and adjoining brook. Also a cleaner beach. No more smells coming from overflowing cesspools on rainy days in the neighborhood. Neighbors will be able to use their backyards and gardens during the wet springtime,” Eisemann said.

The prospect of further delays on the project with no certainty of when sewers might be built are also the subject of a letter from Shuster appearing in today’s Beacon. In it, he appeals to Mayor Solomon: “In this election year, it’s terrific to see you focusing on the neglected Mickey Stevens complex and other high-profile issues. Yet if you really want to show voters that you can deliver on promises, please start with this one that’s a quarter-century old – tell the WSA that you fully support moving ahead with construction of the Bayside sewer project immediately. And fellow residents, please indicate your support by signing our on-line petition at: www.https://www.change.org/p/riverview-residents-start-construction-of-the-bayside-sewer-project-now.”

The paper was unable to reach WSA chair Gary Jarvis for comment.