2014 sewer rate hike considered
Kerry O'BrienNews Staff Writer
TEMPLETON — Sewer Commissioners are seeking the public’s input on what an acceptable rate increase would be following a 2012 study by the engineering company Tighe & Bond which stated the department could justify a rate increase up to 35 percent due to projected operating costs.
“We have independent thinkers here,” said Sewer Commissioner Mark Moschetti. “The rate study was money well spent, but we think the 35 percent is too high. We believe we need a multi-year plan.”
The engineering company suggested the rates be increased by 35.3 percent starting fiscal year 2014, with a four percent annual increase. The recommended increase would raise the quarterly rate for the average user from $94 to $133.
The department solicited a rate study by utilizing a $20,000 appropriation approved by a town meeting vote. The study follows a lawsuit filed by Phillipston resident Richard Reppucci in Worcester Superior Court stating that the department’s tie-in fee was too high.
Court authorities, as well as the engineering company, found the tie-in fee — a separate one-time cost — to be expensive and believed the fee should be lowered accordingly, said Mr. Moschetti.
The study also points out that — according to a 2011 Sewer System Expansion Master Plan commissioned by the town — the existing sewer system needs expansion in several areas of town. The expansion projected is estimated to cost around $26 million over the next 20 years.
Despite the evidence for the need of rate increases, some residents have stated that a 35 percent increase is too costly and begun to question if there are other funding sources available.
Twenty six million is just the beginning if you are going to Sewer the whole town. Once the POTW reaches 80% capacity a new treatment plant may need to be designed and built to handle future capacity. Of course the idea that the system needs to be expanded at all is debatable as want and need are two different outlooks. A bigger system may mean hiring new people to take care of more lines and pump stations so add this in as well. The way past sewer commissioners brought sewer extensions to the public was a breakdown of costs 75% on tax rate and 25% to those getting the new sewer. Homes serviced with the new sewer also paid the 75% on their tax rate. It is believed that two of our sewer commissioners are not on the Sewer lines and therefor probably want nothing to do with funding someone elses sewer. Of course people on the sewer line feel the same way about funding someone elses sewer service. More people mean a lower service rate but not when you take into consideration the costs for new construction. The reason the 75%/25% split was done in the past was because that was the only way past sewer commissioners could sell the project to the towns people. It is interesting to me that and Engineering firm was used to figure out the sewer rates at all as this is just asking for a huge rate increase to fund lots of Engineering projects and construction using those engineered plans and oversight.
ReplyDeleteThere may be other big costs in the pipeline should the landfill need to be addressed or the lagoon. Putting your blind trust in the hands of the professionals in my experience has led to many tears and added expenses. The town's people must fund what they can afford not a "pipe dream."