Town of
Joint Meeting of the
Water and Sewer Board and Board of Selectmen
Members
present: Jonathan Sinaiko (Chair), Moe Van Dereck, Kathleen Meads
Members
absent: Sacha Richter
Other attendees: Board of Selectmen: Mary Jo Avellar (Chair), Michele Couture, Lynne
Davies, Austin Knight, Pam Parmakian; Town Manager Sharon Lynn; John Goodrich;
Mark Abrahams; Vernon Porter; DPW Staff: David Guertin, Dana Faris, Ron Gamella;
members of the public and press.
Call to
Order
Mr. Sinaiko called the joint meeting to order
at
Wastewater Project: Recommendations
for Rate Relief for the Users of the Sewer System
Ms. Avellar turned the meeting over to Mr.
Goodrich, who provided a brief financial analysis update and an update on rate
relief. Mr. Goodrich then presented
several rate relief policy options and recommendations. Ms. Avellar then asked for comments from the
Water and Sewer Board and the Board of Selectmen.
Mr. Sinaiko stated that when the sewer was
originally proposed, everyone was to connect.
Because town meeting rejected that proposal, the checkerboard system was
subsequently hatched, which has created many “complications.” Mr. Sinaiko allowed that while he was loath
to renege on a promise allowing the red dot properties to delay connecting, he
did not have an answer to the financial problem created by honoring that
promise. He stated, however, that he had
no problem with increasing the surcharge rate for those red dots who continue
to delay connecting to the sewer.
Mr. Meads reminded those present that the
town meeting article authorizing the sewer promised that it would be paid for
solely by the sewer users. Because DEP
is requiring the Town to reserve space on the sewer for the red dots and because
the taxpayers are required to make up deficits in the wastewater enterprise
fund, which deficits are due to revenue shortfalls caused by the red dots not
paying their fair share, the promise to the taxpayers is being broken. Ms. Meads suggested that the red dots be
required to reimburse the Town for the deficits that have been covered on their
behalf by the general fund.
Ms. Avellar expressed her general discontent
with the high sewer rates. Ms. Couture
stated that she was in favor of the surcharge rate increase but suggested that the
effective date be delayed to November 1.
Mr. Parmakian reminded those present that there had been yet a third promise,
namely, that the sewer rates would be “reasonable.”
Mr. Sinaiko stated that the initial reason
for putting in the sewer was to avoid the mounded systems that compliance with
Title 5 was necessitating, which in turn was destroying the aesthetics of
Mr. Knight affirmed his support for the rate
increase for the red dots. He also mentioned
that he favored changing the water and sewer billing periods from the present
eight and four months to two equal periods of six months each. Finally, Mr. Knight declared that the sewer
allowed for housing projects with greater density than would otherwise be
possible.
Ms. Couture moved, seconded by Mr. Knight,
that the Selectmen approve the recommendation of the Water & Sewer Board to
increase the surcharge rate for red dots from $39.08 to $45.00, said increase
to become effective
Ms. Parmakian then moved that the sewer rate
be reduced by 14% by having the general fund pay for betterment and user fee costs
related to Town-owned building, retroactive to the FY 2008 billing cycles. Mr. Knight seconded the motion, and it
carried by a vote of four in favor and one opposed, with Ms. Avellar casting
the dissenting vote.
The joint meeting then adjourned at
Respectfully
submitted,
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