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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-12-17 Water and Sewer Advisory Committee MinutesWATER & SEWER ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES = December 17, 1997 A meeting of the Water & Sewer Advisory Committee was held at 7.49 T-.M on Wednesday, December 17, 1997 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, and DPW Director, Ted McIntire. Meeting Minutes It was moved by Richard Moore, seconded by Gail Wood and approved by a vote of 2-0- 1 (Chipman abstaining) to accept the minutes of December 3, 1997 as amended. Gas Spill Site The Committee reviewed handouts of letters from Handex (October 30, 1997), Ted McIntire to Steven Johnson (November 10, 1997), Peter Tassi (December 12, 1997) and Table 2 of tests results of November 10, 1997 at monitoring locations at the gas spill site. Stewart thought that it may be time to have Town Counsel contact Cumberland Farms regarding reimbursement of expenses and maybe attempt to secure additional funds that water users paid in the water bills because of Town costs due to the gas spill. Stewart suggested that Ted McIntire contact Steven Johnson, explain the Town's concerns and find out if the Town should pursue other avenues regarding DEP and Cumberland Farms actions, and reactions, of test results within the gas spill site. It has become apparent that those organizations do not have the best interest of the Town of Reading and its water supply as a priority. The Town should develop a plan of action for after the first of the year. Water and Sewer Stabilization Funds The Committee reviewed reports from the City of Vancouver and Boston Water and Sewer Commission. Ted had contacted some surrounding communities and noted that the Town of Stoneham maintains a minimum balance in their water and sewer reserve funds in the amount of $400,000. The Town of Wakefield maintains a balance in sewer of $400,000 and plan to increase the water reserve fund to $750,000 due to an upgrade at their Broadway treatment plant. Present balance in the Wakefield water reserve fund is 1.2 million dollars. The Committee reviewed the MWRA projected expenses and it was noted that they have outlined only up through FY2003. Ted McIntire will contacted Mike Kuklinski at the MWRA for their projections of FY04 to FY08. Ted noted that the entrance fee for a permanent connection to the MWRA Water system is 5.8 million dollars per one million gallons per day. Ted will prepare the cost over a ten year period including the Towns operating budgets, capital budget with Treatment Plant borrowing costs, MWRA projected rate increases and the projected water and sewer rates based on those ten year projections. General The next scheduled meetings of the Water and Sewer Advisory Committee will be January 15, 1998 and January 29, 1998. Richard requested that meetings in January to June 1998 be scheduled on the third Thursday of the month as he has a work commitment during those months. Meetings in July through December 1998 will continue to be scheduled on the third Wednesday of the month. Stewart would like to pursue an ascending block rate structure for water and sewer rates. It was noted that the Reading Municipal Light Department is interested in reading water meters in the Town of Reading. Ted will gather information to be presented at a future meeting. It was moved by Richard Moore, seconded by Stewart Chipman and approved by a vote of 3-0 to adjourn the meeting at 9:23 PM.