HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013-11-05 Board of Selectmen Handout - Part 2Peer Communties Survey
DPW Issues 11/5/2013
Community
READING
Andover(1)
Bedford(2)
Belmont(3) Burlington(4) Canton(5)
Danvers(6)
Dedham(7)
Lynnfield(8)
Yes, however, since
our radio read
No formal written
Do you have a Water
program we do very
yes- documented
policy to request
1 Abatement Program?
Yes
few.
leaks
abatement for high bill Yes yes
—
No
No
In prior ears
Never abate water;
It
Resident must submit
abatements were
occasionally abate
request to Collector's
Office; they review for
done to adjust
sewer if can prove
prior abatements and
estimated readings to
water did not go
If yes, what are the
conformance to
actual readings, both
state your case,
Decisions are made on Only for documented !,
through system; case-
2 guidelines?
approved criteria
in $ and usage.
hardship
,
a case -by -case basis leaks nothing specific
by -case basis
I
Resident sends a letter
requesting an
What kind of
abatement to 3- None. We review
documentation is
An actual reading by
person Water meter data in the
3 required?
Repair documentation
the meter reader.
history, etc
Advisory Board office
Do you have a specific
4 form?
No
No
yes
No No Yes
No
Only once for a leak.
Can a household receive
Repair leak before
5 more than one?
No
No
potentially
No adjustment made potentially
Specific Abatements for:
One -time sewer only
abatement per
Pool
address at rate in
effect on building
6
_
permit date
One -time sewer
Initial Fill?
Yes
{
abatement
No
No
No
No
Yes
Refill?
Only if abatement was
No, only if a repair;
not rec'd on initial fill
No
No
No
No
No
doc. needed
We abate water
Toilets
and /or sewer; repair
7
documentation re 'd
No
potentially
No
Yes
No
No
We abate only sewer
Sprinkler leaks
for excess volume
8
No
No
No
No
Yes - they also check
We review
Do your water personnel
as a result of High -Low
information collected
check when reported?
report during qtrly
for meters in the
Yes with an initial
9
Yes
No
yes
billing
office
Yes
meter test
Yes
Community
READING
If no, did you ever have a
water abatement
10 program in the past?
n/a
or considering one in the
11 future?
n/a
Frequency of
Bi- annual
12
water /sewer bills
Quarterly
Normally start of tt
What month do you
beginning of FY
13
adjust your rates?
beginning of FY
Do you have different
rates by usage?
Do you allow second
15 meters for irrigation?
I
Do you have a process for
excluding debt onto tax
16'rate?
What are your thoughts
about the debt relief
legislation proposed by
Sen. Clark?
17
MOO
No
No - enterprise fund
Peer Communties Survey
DPW Issues 11/5/2013
Andover(1) Bedford(2) Belmont(3) Burlington(4) Canton(5)
No
n/a
No
n/a
Bi- annual
Bi- annual
quarterly
Bi- annual
Normally start of tt
?
beginning of FY
July 1st
fiscal year
yes block rates:
0 -3000 = 5.68 hcf
3000+ = 6.53 hcf
Qtrly meter charge =
17.95 Lifeline
No
yes - 2 tiers
rate =3.98 hcf
yes
Yes, at the same rate; yes - they are billed at yes, at a separate
no sewer charge yes, premium rate 6.85 hcf water only rate
No no - enterprise fund No
no knowledge don't know the details Great
Mailboxes damaged
during snowstorms
Do you have a mailbox may be replaced by a
We replace in -kind; no
!replacement policy? If standard issue by our
eyes, please detail. dollar limit Highway Dept or
residents may be replace with standard
reimbursed up to $75. mailbox -value up to
18 $75
Danvers(6) Dedham(7) Lynnfield(8)
Program has been in
place for several years No
No
Quarterly for
Residential /Monthly
quarterly for Commercial Bi- annual
beginning FY July of Fiscal Year beginning of FY
Tiered Rate Structure:
0 -20 hcf = 5.42
20 -24hcf = 6.02
yes- 4 tiers >24 hcf =7.71 yes -2 tiers
Yes at same rate
yes - separate structure as primary
irrigation meter meter No
No - all costs are
charged to rate
(including debt) or
No retained earnings. No
Supportive as long as
it is appropriated
annually. Sewer Rate
relief needs to be
funded to previous
no knowledge levels no knowledge
Yes, we repair or
replace with standard
mailbox. We do not
no have few repair or replace replace in kind- no replace mailbox up to
mailboxes custom mail boxes dollar limit Yes $50 limit
Peer Communties Survey
DPW issues 11/512013
Community
READING
Mansfield(9)
Marshfield(10)
Milton(11)
Natick(12)
North Andover(13)
North Reading(14)
Shrewsbury(1S) Stoneham(16)
Do you have a Water
no - rare, hardship
no very rare no- water, only sewer
Abatement Program?
Yes
No
No
No
only /selectmen decide
Yes
NO
on a case by case basis
Resident must submit
request to Collector's
Office; they review for
letter to director in
prior abatements and
extreme
Must provide proof
If yes, what are the
conformanceto
circumstances - very
that a leak was
guidelines?
approved criteria
rare
repaired.
What kind of
documentation is
I
required?
Repair documentation
Receipt
Do you have a specific
form?
No
Yes
Can a household receive
more than one?
No
Yes
Specific Abatements for:
One -time sewer only
abatement per
Pool
address at rate in
effect on building
permit date
_
yes- initial fill/ one
yes- initial fill /1 -time
yes- initial fill - sewer
no- stopped few years
yes- initial fill /1 -time
Initial Fill?
Yes
Yes- #times flexible
time sewer only
swr only
only
Yes
ago
repair /swr only
Refill?
Only if abatement was
not rec'd on initial fill
Yes
We abate water
Toilets
and /or sewer; repair
Yes with proof of
documentation re 'd
repair
Sprinkler leaks
We abate only sewer
Yes with proof of
for excess volume
I
repair
Do your water personnel
check when reported?
Yes
yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Community
READING
If no, did you ever have a
Natick(12)
water abatement
North Reading(14) Shrewsbury(15)
program in the past?
n/a
or considering one in the
No
future?
n/a
Frequency of
NO
water /sewer bills
quarterly
What month do you
No
adjust your rates?
beginning of FY
Do you have different
quarterly
rates by usage?
No
Do you allow second
meters for irrigation?
No
Do you have a process for
excluding debt onto tax
rate?
No - enterprise fund
What are your thoughts
quarterly
about the debt relief
quarterly
legislation proposed by
quarterly
Sen. Clark?
I
Do you have a mailbox
We replace in -kind; no
replacement policy? If
dollar limit
yes, please detail.
Peer Communties Survey
DPW Issues 11/5/2013
Mansfield(9)
Marshfield(10)
Milton(11)
Natick(12)
North Andover(13)
North Reading(14) Shrewsbury(15)
Stoneham(16)
no
No
No
No
NO NO
NO
no
No
No
No
would like to NO
quarterly
quarterly
residential /monthly
residential /monthly
commercial
commercial
quarterly
quarterly
quarterly
quarterly quarterly
quarterly
I
i
July
beginning of FY beginning of FY
August billing
—
- -- — -
T
I
Yes, anything over 20
I
units gets a higher
yes -4 tiers
yes -4 tiers
yes- 4 tiers
yes - 4 tiers
rate
3 tier yes- 3 tiers
NO
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
NO no - 10 yr moratorium yes- ended sept 2012
enterprise fund, self no enterprise, but full
No
No
No
No
sustaining cost accounting
NO
!will be on needs basis -
knows about the bill, 1, thinks MWRA towns
doubts smaller town penalized due to other
no knowledge will benefit programs no knowledge
yes - replace if hit by I
yes- replace up to $50 plow- no replacement non issue - mail yes- replace up to limit -
value. if from plowed snow doorstop delivery only approx $60 Yes
no knowledge
yes, $50 max yes basic setup -max yes- up to approx
reimbursement $50 $150.
Peer Communties Survey
DPW Issues 11/5/2013
Community
READING
Tewksbury(17) Wakefield(18) Walpole(19) Westborough(20)
Westford (21) Wilmington(22)
Winchester(23)
Do you have a Water
i
no - requests reviewed
Abatement Program?
Yes
Not for water No case by case basis No
No No
No
_
Resident must submit
request to Collector's
Office; they review for
prior abatements and
If yes, what are the
conformance to
guidelines?
approved criteria
Sewer to ground
What kind of
documentation is
required?
Repair documentation
Repair Invoice
Do you have a specific
I
form?
No
No /require letter
Can a household receive
more than one?
No
Sewer yes
Specific Abatements for:
One -time sewer only
abatement per
Pool
address at rate in
effect on building
permit date
yes - initial fill sewer
yes initial fill sewer
yes- initial fill sewer
Initial Fill?
Yes
sewer only (lx)
only
only
only
Refill?
Only if abatement was
not rec'd on initial fill
We abate water
Toilets
and /or sewer; repair
No /neither water or
--
documentati- - on re d
-- ---- --g -
sewer
—f
We abate only sewer
Sprinkler leaks
for excess volume
Sewer only
Do your water personnel
check when reported?
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Peer Communties Survey
DPW Issues 11/5/2013
Community
READING
Tewksbury(17)
Wakefield(18)
Walpole(19)
Westborough(20)
Westford (21)
Wilmington(22)
Winchester(23)
If no, did you ever have a
water abatement
program in the past?
n/a
No
No
No
No
No
No
1 No
or considering one in the
future?
n/a
No
possibly
No
No
No
Frequency of
water /sewer bills
Quarterly
Tri- annual
quarterly
every 70 days
quarterly
quarterly (Water Only)
quarterly
quarterly
What month do you
beginning of FY- last
adjust your rates?
beginning of FY
March
beginning of FY
beginning of FY
beginning of FY
beginning of FY
rate increase FY 09
Do you have different
Yes (3 Blocks,
rates by usage?
Different Rate for
Residential and Non -
No
Yes - attached
NO
NO
Yes
Residential)
Yes
Yes
Do you allow second
yes- billed at separate
yes- still charge for
'meters for irrigation?
No
Yes - attached
NO
seasonal rate
no- moratorium 10 yrs
Yes
NO
sewer
Do you have a process for
excluding debt onto tax
rate? No - enterprise fund Sewer yes NO no no
i
What are your thoughts
about the debt relief
legislation proposed by
Sen. Clark? aware of it- waiting
N/A no knowledge more details no knowledge
Do you have a mailbox
We replace in -kind; no 'I
replacement policy? If
dollar limit
yes, please detail.
selectmen policy - no
yes- exact replacement unless yes- with standard box
s - Attached replacement damaged by accident up to $60 value
no
no knowledge
yes- with standard box
up to $50 value
yes - 865 water debt
in tax rate( chpt 110)
no knowledge
ace in kind