Water and sewer bills to jump by $40 next year
Published on June 18th, 2008
The town's Water and Sewer Advisory Board has recommended that Town Administrator David Ragucci hike both water and sewer rates by a combined 40 cents next year.
Based upon that cost structure, local residents would pay $7.80 cents for every 100 cubic feet of water flushed into the system. The price-tag for having the same amount of water piped into local homes would jump to $4.20.
Last June, Ragucci was advised to freeze water rates at $3.40 and consent to a 60 cent jump in sewer charges to $7.20.
However, midway through the year, both of those charges were raised to account for an anticipated shortfall in the water and sewer enterprise funds. In total, water rates jumped by 60 cents over charges in 2006, while sewer costs soared by nearly a dollar per 100 cubic feet.
According to figures provided by DPW Director Robert Grover, the average Stoneham family of three uses approximately 70 gallons of water per day, meaning that 10,000 cubic feet is coming in and out of the residence on an annual basis.
Based upon the new rate calculations, that family of three can expect to pay $40 more for water and sewer service this year.
A break down of the estimates, as provided by Grover, are as follows:
Consumption Current Bill New Bill
6,000 Cu. Ft. $696 $720
8,000 Cu. Ft. $928 $960
10,000 Cu. Ft. $1,160 $1,200
12,000 Cu. Ft. $1,392 $1,440
According to Grover, the increases are largely due to Mass. Water Resource Authority (MWRA) assessments, which he predicts will raise by over $212,000 in FY'09.
"It was the same, with MWRA costs," said Grover, when asked to explain why residents' bills will increase. "Consumption has been pretty steady."
While the DPW director's predictions for MWRA sewer assessments essentially match the forecasts released by the authority last February, a discrepancy of over $100,000 exists between Grover's water figure and the MWRA's proposed charges.
In particular, Grover is estimating that Stoneham will be assessed a total of $2.7 million for tapping into the MWRA's system, while the authority has predicted the town's water assessment will be a little over $2.8 million.
"The MWRA doesn't set its rates until August, and those traditionally come down," the public works director said, when asked about the difference between the two figures.
In the past, opponents of increases in water and sewer rates have argued that Stoneham has tacked too many employees into the water and sewer departments, while also bloating costs by overstating indirect charges.
Indirect charges are allowed by the state, which allow the town to bill for time spent by employees on water and sewer related work - such as doing payroll for those workers - even if they don't work for those departments.
However, this year, town officials have chopped those two line-items by nearly $165,000. Approximately $117,000 has been slashed from personnel accounts, while another $48,000 will be shaved from indirect charges.
Where's it going?
Based upon renderings of the proposed wireless facility, as well as documents describing the tower, the installation appears to be slated for a spot at the edge of St. Patrick's Cemetery, nearby the parking area commonly utilized by users of Broadway Field.
"The property is a large, 15.47 acre parcel currently being operated as a cemetery," explains T-Mobile attorney Craig Taleronis in documents submitted to the ZBA last March.
"Although located in the Recreation/Open Space zoning district, the proposed [tower] will be placed a substantial distance from residential structures (approximately 400 feet from the nearest residence)," the filing continues.
However, in a phone interview earlier on Tuesday, Archdiocese of Boston spokesman Terry Donilon indicated that the facility will actually be built in a vacant multi-acre parcel across the street from the cemetery.
That space, at the corner of MacArthur Road/Broadway, is owned by the Archdiocese for cemetery purposes, but is not currently utilized for such a purpose. The parcel is in fact closer than 400-feet from the nearest neighborhood home.
"We're certainly going to have to have a chat with T-Mobile," said Donilon. "Our understanding is that it's across the street. So they, more than anybody, need to clarify that point."
"The tower is across the street. So in our mind, there is no confusion about this. That land is a tree-covered parcel of land," the spokesperson would add, after conferring with Archdiocese attorneys.
According to Donilon, the Archdiocese of Boston's primary obligation is to ensure that the Catholic cemetery remains a sacred and respected site.
However, the spokesman refused to comment on whether the church would change its mind about the cell-tower in the event that it is slated to be placed within the cemetery itself.
That determination will ultimately be made by the Catholic Cemetery Association, which is charged with maintaining the site. Although the entity is under the Archdiocese of Boston's umbrella, the non-profit does have an independent leadership structure.
"The first priority is for the dignified and appropriate care of St. Patrick's Cemetery. And we're not going to allow any incentive or project to get in the way of that," ensured Donilon.
"I'm not going to get into any hypotheticals on what our reaction would be if proven otherwise [about the cell-tower's location]."
"We're not going to allow this to become the Archdiocese versus T-Mobile," the spokesman concluded. "Our opinion is we're not going to advocate for or against the tower. We firmly respect the town's ability and responsibility to look at the case and issue a decision."
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