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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-02-17 Water and Sewer Advisory Committee MinutesWATER & SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTEST February 17, 19993a, A meeting of the Water & Sewer Advisory Committee was held at 8 V P 21 Wednesday, February 17, 1999 in the Berger Room, Reading Town Hall, 16 Lowell St., Reading, Ma. In attendance were Chairman Gail Wood, Secretary Stewart Chipman, Committee Member Richard Moore, DPW Director Ted McIntire, and guests Kim Honetschlager, Will Finch, Ed Halpin, and Gina Schneider. Meeting Minutes It was moved by Richard Moore, seconded by Stewart Chipman and approved by a vote of 2-0-1 (Chipman abstaining) to approve the minutes of October 21, 1998 as written. It was moved by Richard Moore, seconded by Gail Wood and approved by a vote of 2-0- 1 (Chipman abstaining) to approve the minutes of November 9, 1998 as written. It was moved by Stewart Chipman, seconded by Gail Wood and approved by a vote of 2- 0-1 (Moore abstaining) to approve the minutes of January 20,1999 as written. 2nd Water Meters \ Stewart Chipman walked through the "Water Rate Methodology and Usage" package prepared in 1995 by the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee and presented to the Board of Selectmen. He indicated that the MWRA assessment has little to do with the methodology that Reading uses to bill its users. He reviewed the water and sewer charges as outlined by the MWRA as to the breakdown by population, sewer strength, and flow for the operation and maintenance portions and dept service portions of their budget. The Water and Sewer Advisory Committee had identified three scenarios including the pros and cons of each in their presentation to the Board of Selectmen. The ultimate recommendation was to continue the present sewer usage methodology. Ted McIntire presented calculations as to the effect on sewer rates if 1000 2nd water meters were allowed in the system. Calculations were based on the present sewer rate, the estimated total billing cubic feet and the actual usage of the existing 127 locations. The average water usage through those existing 127 meter was 9500 cubic feet per year. If there were 1000 locations approved for a 2nd water meter the FY99 sewer rate would have increased from $4.98 per one hundred cubic feet to $5.77 pre one hundred cubic feet, an increase of 15.8%. Will Finch indicated that he support eliminating 2nd water meters from present locations. Ed Halpin offered that there are other ways that it could be handled with the rate payers paying less. An example would be the present policy in the Town of Winchester were a portion of the MWRA dept service billed to the community would be put on the tax rate. It was a question as to whether the dept service related to the MWRA was within or outside the limits of propositionof Proposition 2 1/a . Ted McIntire will pursue the matter with Town Accountant Richard Foley and possibly contact the Town of Winchester to get more details on the issue. Richard Moore commented that there are many reasons that any and all methodologies are unfair. Gail Wood offered to include statements, issues, etc. from citizens regarding 2nd water meters. Kim Honetschlager was of the opinion that 2nd water meters encouraged excess usage, water conservation is important and the Town should not allow 2nd water meters. Gina Schneider agreed with that recommendation. It was moved by Stewart Chipman, seconded by Richard Moore, to recommend to the Selectmen that the Town continue the moratorium and not allow the installation of any more 2nd water meters. The committee felt that (1) to allow 2nd water meters would shift a portion of the sewer cost, (2) only fifteen percent of the sewer charge to the Town of Reading is related to flow directly from the dwelling and (3) the use of 2nd water meters does not promote conservation. The motion was approved by a vote of 3-0. It was moved by Stewart. Chipman, seconded by Richard Moore, that existing 2nd water meters remain physically in place and that water and sewer be billed based on water flow through those meters. The motion was approved by a vote of 2-1. The vote in opposition was related to the charging of water and sewer for the 2nd meter and not as a vote of opposition to physically leaving the meters in the plumbing system. The Committee felt that physical removal of the meters is burdensome and costly, billing for water and sewer would remove cost shifting, and would tend to promote more water conservation. The Committee felt that the initial installation costs of the 2nd meter and related plumbing had now been recouped by the homeowner. And by leaving the second meter in place the homeowner would be able to measure and control outside water use. Mill Street/Short Street Sewer The Department has completed the survey and will be starting design of the sewer main and the design of the roadway reconstruction. It is expected that the sewer construction will be completed in calendar year 1999. Road construction is expected to start in the Spring of 2000 Rate Structure The Committee discussed the previous report presented to the Board of Selectmen. There is a feeling that an aggressive tiered rate would promote water conservation, however, an initial gentle increase in block rates was preferred; you get a better picture of usage and an ability to better project what effects of a more aggressive tiered rate structure would have. After much discussion it was moved by Richard Moore, seconded by Stewart Chipman, and approved by a vote of 3-0 to not recommend tiered water rates at this time. The Committee felt that the purpose of the tiered water rate system would be to promote water conservation, especially during Summer months when high use may directly be effecting the stress on the Ipswich River. Under current billing methods the Summer water use would be used long before the bill arrived. However, the USGS is developing a hydraulic model of the Ipswich River for the purpose of determining water use and its effect on the river. It is expected that this information will be available in the near future, and may effect the present withdrawal permit that the Town of Reading and other that the Town needs to manage consumption on a year round basis, and based on the present reading and billing cycles, it would be difficult to manage usage during specific times of the year. The time to institute a tiered water rate would be following the installation of a remote reading system that would allow reading and billing on a twelve month basis and should be based on data gathered from the Ipswich River Watershed study. FY00 Budget/Capital Improvements Ted distributed copies of the water and sewer budgets as recommended by the Town Manager (which he received today), a draft FY2000 Budget Schedule and a draft of the Town Managers proposed ten year Capital Improvement Program dated February 17, 1999. It was noted that the Finance Committee review of the Department of Public Works Budget is scheduled for March 8, 1999. The Committee decided to schedule a separate meeting on March 3, 1999 for the Water and Sewer Budget and Capital Improvement review and discussion. Staff will review the recommendations of the Town Manager, identify changes from the DPW proposed budget and comment on individual items. This information will be submitted to the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee prior to its March 3`d meeting. The next regular scheduled meeting of the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee will be on Monday, March 15, 1999 for general business. It was moved by Stewart Chipman, seconded by Richard Moore and approved by a vote of 3-0 to adjourn the meeting at 11:05PM.