Longmeadow Select Board hears water and sewer rate recommendations for FY11

April 19, 2010

LONGMEADOW -- At its April 5 meeting, the Longmeadow Select Board heard recommendations from the water and sewer department regarding rates for Fiscal Year 2011 (July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011). In making his recommendations, Michael Wrabel, director of the Long-meadow Department of Public Works (DPW), continued the program begun by the Select Board last year of separating water and sewer rates into fixed and variable components.

It was recommended that the Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) variable rate for water decline from $2.11 per unit (hundred cubic feet) to $2.07 per unit. This variable rate reduction would be offset by an increase in the fixed "connection" charge for all water customers.

Wrabel's recommendation was for the variable sewer rate to decline from $2.50 per unit to $2.46 per unit, and it too would have an increased connection charge. In continuing last year's policy, fixed rates would be in proportion to the customer's water meter size. Fixed connection rates for 2011 would have greater differentiation between meter sizes except for 5/8" and 3/4" meters (standard residential meters) that will be charged at the same rate.

This use of fixed and variable charges duplicates the rate structure of customers' gas and electric bills a rate structure that separate generation and distribution costs for delivery of services.

In building the FY11 rate proposal, the DPW used a model built by Select Board member Mark Gold. This model allows the board to see the effect of various rate proposals on users so that the rates setters can verify that no users are being over burdened by the rate change.

If this fixed and variable rate structure proposal is adopted by the Select Board, many residents will see a reduction in their water bill (at equal usage), and those residents with standard meter sizes for whom the rate increases, the increase would be no more than $10 per year. Residential customers with larger water meters may see an annual increase of up to $30.

The Select Board has posted these proposed 2011 water and sewer rates on the town Web site. Residents who want to see the effect this recommended rate change would have on their water bills can compare 2010 rates with the proposed 2011 rates by linking to a rate comparison chart from the Water & Sewer Department pages of the DPW section on the town Web site or at www.longmeadow.org/dpw/FY11%20Rate%20Comparison.html.

To best use this rate comparator, residents should have a copy of their last water/sewer bill as reference.

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