Williamstown Water, Sewer Rates Steady In Approved Budget
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Water, sewer and transfer station rates will not change in the budget approved Monday by the Selectmen.Water rates are set at $3.74 per 100 cubic feet and sewer rates are at $5.96 per 100 cubic feet on Cold Springs Road, and $5.43 in all other neighborhoods.
"The cost for the Hoosac Quality Water District is going up about $12,000, which equates to about six cents, but we've trimmed town expenses a similar amount so we're able to hold the rate steady," Town Manager Peter Fohlin said Monday. "We worked hard to balance the budget in the Sewer Department so the rate could remain unchanged."
Transfer station rates will be $75 for a sticker, $2.50 for large bags and $1.25 for small bags. Those rates have not changed since 2006, according to Fohlin.
"I think it is amazing that we haven't changed the transfer station rates in six years," Selectman David Rempell said. "I can't imagine too many things in life where that happens."
Also in regards to the Sewer Department, the Selectmen approved a warrant that will give the town the ability to put liens on properties that are behind in the bills. The move is intended to give the town some way to go after delinquent fees on properties that use the town's sewer but not water – because of private wells or through North Adams.
"If those people do not pay their sewer bill we cannot turn off their water and presently we cannot place a lien on their property. So the only tool we have available to us is to dig up the street and disconnect their sewer service," Fohlin said. "We're looking for a less aggressive tool."
The board also voiced in favor of the controversial warrant to use $250,000 of the Community Preservation Act funds to help the Williamstown Community Preschool purchase the United Methodist Church on Main Street. The funds are earmarked for historic preservation and the preschool would be required to maintain the exterior.
"We're preserving a church but what we're really doing is allowing a day care to continue to operate in the center of town," Selectman Thomas Costley said. "We need to be able to work and produce and we need to put our children in places where they can continue to grow. As much as it bothers me that we have to go through the backdoor to get to yes here...I'm fully in support of that."
The warrant passed the Community Preservation Act Committee by a 6-2 margin – with Chris Winters and Malcolm Smith voting against.
"I think they were generally in favor of the church being preserved but they weren't convicted that this was the highest and best use of Community Preservation funds," Fohlin said when questioned about the vote. "They just felt as though there might be some more deserving projects down the road."
Suzanne Dewey voted against the warrant as part of the Finance Committee's approval last week but she did not elaborate.
The Selectmen are also recommending approval of a citizen's petition calling for the federal government to overturn the Supreme Court ruling in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case, which disallows limiting a corporation's campaign contributions.
Costley and Selectwoman Jane Allen abstained, citing a board history of not taking a side on citizen petitions.
"It has been the practice in the last few years not to take action on citizen petitions," Allen said. "That's my preference but that doesn't mean it has to be yours. We are going to vote on this individually at town meeting."
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Williamstown Budget Restores Employee Cuts
By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
Original Post: 09:45PM / Wednesday, March 16, 2011
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Finance Committee approved Tuesday a town budget that restores a full-time position at the Council on Aging and gives municipal employees raises.
Original drafts of the town budget proposed no raises for town employees and splitting Administrative Assistant Kathy Poirot's duties to fill a vacated position at the Council on Aging.
"The half-time outreach worker at the Council on Aging, in my opinion and in the opinion of Brian O'Grady, is not working out as well as the senior citizens deserve," Town Manager Peter Fohlin told the Finance Committee. "The way that is all is afforded is in the context of the evolving budgetary picture."
Fohlin said that after more research he felt safe increasing his estimate on local meals tax revenue from $95,256 to $114,000. An additional $7,937 was cut from the budget including $1,695 in motor vehicle insurance costs, and part-time labor in the parks department by $2,155 and $1,499 in part-time clerical work in the library.
"I don't even know if I would call them reductions, they're just adjustments, fine-tuning," Fohlin said.
General government employees will receive a 1.5 percent raise in the revised budget, Fohlin said. That does not mean that jobs in other town departments are safe, Fohlin said. While this budget does not call for layoffs in other departments such as police or public works, layoffs could be part of negotiating new contracts.
"If this budget, the way that it is structured is approved at town meeting, I would not anticipate laying anybody off in the Public Works Department. We have not even concluded or begun collective bargaining in the highway and sewer departments," Fohlin said. "If they were to force my hand in collective bargaining to reach an agreement that would necessitate laying somebody off, I guess I would say their fate is in their own hands."
Finance Committee member Dan Gendron asked why capital expenses are not being held back in order to safeguard the negotiations.
"It's a fool's mission to trim capital budgets in order to feed personnel budgets," Fohlin said. "I will buy a truck the same year that I lay off an employee. Because if I don't do that, I will end up with lots of employees and no equipment and they won't be able to do any work."
Also while revising the budget, Fohlin said that this year's snow and ice budget is projecting to be even grimmer than previously estimated. In February, Fohlin reported a $150,000 deficit; that number currently stands at $193,309.
"I urged the Public Works Department not to spend any more than an additional $6,000. If we spend any more than that, this will be the most expensive winter on record for the town of Williamstown," Fohlin said. "As a consequence of the snow and ice deficit, there is an offset in the unused levy capacity."
The committee approved the approximately $16.9 million budget articles for the operating budget and the schools, which translates to a 1.5 percent increase over last year.
The committee questioned Williamstown Community Preschool co-President Kathy Niemeyer about the Community Preservation Act Committee's warrant to appropriate $223,000 for the school to purchase the former Methodist church on Main Street. The article was approved.
Gendron voted against both the water rates and water department budgets in protest of North Adams charging the Williamstown residents it serves additional fees.
"I'm going to vote no on both of them and only because I want to emphasize the unfairness of the water calculation for people who are provided water from North Adams. After getting my last water bill, I am just tired of it," Gendron said. "I'm tired of this game where people perceive Williamstown of always having so much more money than North Adams and somehow we're supposed to subsidize North Adams."
The committee also questioned the payment of $24,292 for the Chamber of Commerce but decided that next year they ask chamber members to explain how the money will be used.
"With you being faced with a half-time employee here and at the Council on Aging – the numbers worked – but I still question that," said Paul Lovegreen, committee member.
Most of the other warrants were approved with little discussion.
Williamstown Town Meeting Warrant 2012
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Prudential Committee on Wednesday signed off on more than $1 million in cost cutting measures for the planned Main Street fire station.
