Draft WMAC Meeting
Minutes
Members in Attendance: David Crosby – Chair, Dave Hearne,
Paul Lauenstein, April Singleton, Bob Weeks, Ann
Carney
Guests:
1. The minutes of the September 24 meeting were
approved as amended.
2. Proposed water rate increases which had been
proposed to the Selectmen were revisited in response to feedback from the
community that the proposed increases were too high. The need for improvements
to aging infrastructure such as wells and water mains outlined in a previous
memo from Weston & Sampson, as well as the rising cost of treatment
chemicals, were cited as reasons for raising water rates. Concern was expressed
that the full impact of reduced demand for water because of an unusually wet
summer may not yet be reflected in revenues, due to the fact that water bills
are only issued every six months.
Chairman Crosby said the WMAC should not to go on record as
recommending deferral of needed maintenance.
Selectman Bill Heitin said that he
had heard from many residents, both modest water users and heavy water users,
who objected to the proposed rate increases. He requested that the WMAC
reconsider their recommendation. He suggested phasing in needed price increases
over two years.
Paul Lauenstein mentioned that a
number of communities in eastern
Eric Hooper said approximately $1.8 million per year is budgeted
in FY 2010 for operations and another $600,000 is needed every year just to
replace Sharon’s 120 miles of water mains at least once per century. That makes
$2.4 million per year, not including well rehabilitation, a new well, an
emergency backup connection to MWRA water, or infrastructure improvements
related to new developments coming soon to
David Hearne pointed out that the correct way to manage and
account for funding of capital improvements is to have a capital reserve fund
to which contributions are made and from which expenditures for capital
projects are withdrawn.
Eric Hooper reported that VFDs are
being installed on the electric motors that drive the wells, which will ease
the cost of electricity for pumping.
The consensus was that a price increase of 25% to 30% is
needed in order to keep pace with increasing operating costs and fund an
adequate infrastructure maintenance and improvement program. However, in view
of political realities related to the current economic situation, water rates
should be increased in two stages, the first in January of 2010 and the second
a year later, rather than all at once. In addition, the committee prefers a
two-tier rate structure involving higher water rates in summer when water
supply is most critical.
Eric Hooper agreed to revise the previously recommended
rates accordingly.
3. David Hearne asked what is happening with the plan
for investigating the source of elevated nitrate levels at Well #2. Eric Hooper
reported that there has been no further progress.
4. Eric Hooper let the committee know that Weston
& Sampson will report on asset management and infrastructure maintenance
costs and scheduling at the next WMAC meeting.
5. The next WMAC meeting will be on Thursday evening,
November 19 at
Respectfully submitted,
Paul Lauenstein