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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