Mayor seeks to increase sewer rates

Date: 6/28/2013

By Carley Dangona

carley@thereminder.com

WEST SPRINGFIELD — The mayor of West Springfield seeks to increase sewer usage fees, but the change cannot be implemented unless the Town Council approves it per law of the Commonwealth.

The Town Council has the issue tentatively scheduled for its meeting on July 15.

In a letter dated April 17, Mayor Gregory Neffinger requested the council vote to increase the rates. He stated that the rates don't cover the current costs of operation or the need for $5 million in future improvements to the infrastructure. Neffinger cited a review of the system from Rob Colson, director of the Department of Public Works (DPW), as evidence. He noted that the rates haven't increased since July 2010.

"I am therefore requesting that the Town Council vote a schedule to increase the sewer rates annually over the next several years, with the first such increase to be effective July 1, with a goal to reach a total increase of 37 percent by July 1, 2015," Neffinger wrote.

Colson estimated $4.92 million is needed to make the sewer system current. In his analysis, he stated that four of the seven wastewater pumps are aged and need updating. The pump station located at U.S. Route 20 needs to be completely replaced.

The cost also includes the addition of temporary bypass pump switches for emergency situations and routine video inspection of the sewer lines to assess functionality. The figure would provide for the addition of a DPW assistant project manager with a salary of $40,000 annually.

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 83, Section 16 states, "The aldermen of any city or the sewer commissioners, selectman or road commissioners of a town, may from time to time establish just and equitable annual charges for the use of common sewers and main drains and related stormwater facilities, which shall be paid for by every person who enters his particular sewer therein."

The law further states, "The money so received may be applied to he payment of the cost of maintenance and repairs of such sewers or of any debt contracted for sewer purposes."

The matter was scheduled for the June 17 Town Council meeting agenda, but the lengthy discussion of the budget prevented the item from being addressed.