Officials from Danbury and Putnam County have met about a proposal to allow for the City's sewage treatment plant to accept waste from the Brewster area.  It's part of a larger proposal being made to boost cooperation across state lines. 

Mayor Mark Boughton met with a committee of the City Council earlier this month, and invited Putnam County Executive Mary Ellen Odell to join the discussion.  A task force could be set up as early as next month to look into the sharing of certain services including parks, transportation, law enforcement and economic development. 

Both Boughton and Odell cited the recent agreement by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education allowing Western Connecticut State University to offer in-state tuition rates to Putnam County residents.  Danbury and Putnam County do already work together, but in an informal capacity.

Odell says New York City watershed regulations make it a challenge to grow infrastructure in order to support any future development in the Southeast area.

The City does have excess capacity. 

Boughton reminded the committee that the City recently beefed up the west side sewer intercept, a project from 1977.  He says that recently completed work makes this project a lot easier.  Boughton says adding more users to the waste water treatment plant could spread out the estimated $90 million cost of upgrades and phosphorous removal improvements.