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Selectmen
ponder new water/sewer rate hikes
By Mike Berger
Citizen Staff
Residents
may see an average increase of $12 in their quarterly water and
sewer bills for a family of four if selectmen approve new rates
as recommended by the town’s water and sewer rate committee.
The
recommendation, outlined at Tuesday night’s selectmen’s meeting,
calls for a 15 percent increase in water rates and a 3.5 percent
increase in sewer rates, to take effect July 1, the start of the
new fiscal year. For a residential family of four, the average
quarterly water and sewer bill would jump from $168 to $181; and
for commercial owners, the average bill would increase from $939
to $1,020.
According to
a study conducted by the committee and SEA Consultants,
commercial apartment owners would see the biggest quarterly
increase next year — nearly 58 percent, with an average bill
rising from $1,308 to $2,070 — followed by irrigation users, who
would see an increase of 48 percent.
The chief
concern, expressed by Victor Del Vecchio, was that apartment
owners would ultimately pass the increases over to the tenants.
Del Vecchio called the rate increases “rate shocks” for
commercial apartment owners and irrigation users.
Doug Reed of
SEA Consultants, who led the study, attributed the rate hikes to
a number of factors, including a 25 percent increase in water
expenses, debt service costs that are projected to more than
double from last year, water infrastructure costs for a town
water treatment plant, and the need for a contingency fund for
unforeseen weather and loss of revenue.
He projected
that water and sewer rates would rise until fiscal year 2013,
when the water treatment plant is on-line and the town’s
dependence on the Mass. Water Resources Authority would
substantially decrease.
Selectmen
said they will likely make a decision at their June 24 meeting.
In other
news, Town Administrator Bill Friel reminded the public that
even though town meeting voters approved the operational
override, it did not necessarily mean the extra money would pay
for additional new services or expanded programs.
Friel said
the $272,00 approved this year for the municipal budget would
pay for services outlined in the town warrant, including money
for crossing guards in the Police Department; additional
firefighters to staff a second ambulance; fuel and utility
increases for the public works and recreation departments; a
partial salary restoration for the veterans director; partial
staff restoration in the library; and bus drivers for the
Council on Aging. (See article on page one.)
“The money
for the municipal side is not for expanding programs or
services. It partially restores things lost in the fiscal 08
budget,” Friel said.
In other
action:
• Selectmen
approved new rates for all taxis operating in the town,
effective July 1.
The new
rates include a minimum fee of $3 to $4, each additional
one-fifth of a mile from 50 to 60 cents and waiting time fees of
35 to 40 cents per minute.
Selectmen
last approved taxi fees in 2004, and the new fees represent
increases in fuel charges for the taxi cab companies.
• Selectmen
voted to appoint Sarah Nemetz to the Library Board of Trustees
to fill the vacancy of Cameron Beck for a term that expires in
2009, and Elaine Gilmore to the Council on Aging.
June 12, 2008
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