Clarksburg Raises Sewer Rates; Apologizes to Employees
 The Selectmen, with the Finance Committee present, voted to raise the sewer rate by 3 percent immediately. |
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Board of Selectmen on Wednesday approved a 3 percent hike in sewer rates effective immediately.
The average home will seen an increase of $17 to $20 a year. Another 3 percent increase could come by next June.
The action will raise about $7,720 more per year in the sewer enterprise account.
The account currently has between $80,000 and $95,000 in it — pending state certification — but town officials are concerned about future depletion.
Some $32,000 is expected to be pulled from the account for salaries offsets [$14,600] this fiscal year for work done by town employees related to the sewer and for past repairs [$17,000].
"Without raising sewer rates, the sewer account can't maintain the 6.4 percent for salaries ... or it maybe something different," said Finance Committee Chairman Mark Denault at a meeting with the Selectmen on Wednesday. "It can't support it without raising the sewer rates."
Town Administrator Carl McKinney provided a sewer rate analysis based on increases of 2, 4 and 6 percent. He recommended 6 percent, which would raise more than $15,000, either at once or in stages.
"We're going to need a 6 percent increase by no later than next budget," he said, noting there had been no increase on the Clarksburg side for at least eight years.
The sewer account took in $257,800 last fiscal year and dispersed $251,900, mostly in commitments to North Adams for the Hoosac Water Quality District.
McKinney said past repairs have topped $30,000.
"We are so darn close ... I can see the sewer account going in the red," he said. "On a quarter million bucks, we're only $5,000 over."
Selectmen Chairman Jeffrey Levanos and William Schrade Jr. were worried about the effect on residents, particularly with anticipated increases in electrical rates and North Adams' recent hike in sewer and water rates.
Selectwoman Linda Reardon was absent.
"A lot of people are going to be hit with the rates in North Adams going up and the electric," Schrade said. "We need to be giving everyone fair warning and raise it in June."
Finance Committee member Lori-Anne Aubin noted that officials had also discussed health insurance coming out of the account, which had not been presented on the special town meeting warrant.
The selectmen discussed how fast to raise the rate, opting to do 3 percent immediately.
At the Selectmen's meeting immediately following, McKinney stood and read a letter of public apology for impugning the integrity of Town Accountant David Fierro and Treasurer/Tax Collector Melissa McGovern-Wandrei, both of whom attended the meeting.
The two financial employees had been publicly discussed at a meeting last week, without being informed, and allegations had been made they had known about the conditions that led to the recent special town meeting fiasco.
McKinney apologized "for the misguided discussion of hearsay and innuendo as it relates to failures and mistakes made preparing the most recent special town meeting.
"Questions about who knew what and when should not have happened until all facts had been learned in a knowledgeable and professional manner."
Rather, he read, the errors at the meeting occurred because the town has "experienced and knowledgeable personnel, whose experience were not sought."
The two employees had not been asked about any of the financial articles, all of which had to be withdrawn because the funds targeted could not be used until certified by the state.
Town Clerk Carol Jammalo, in a written statement read by Levanos, also thought the problems were exacerbated by too-hasty postings of the last two town meeting warrants to meet deadlines.
To prevent such situations occurring again, McKinney has developed a review process that will require all pertinent town employees and officials to sign off on articles prior to posting.
Copies were provided to the Finance Committee, Fierro and McGovern-Wandrei, and would be disseminated to other officials for comment.
In other business:
• McKinney reported the town has a levy capacity of $35,000 to $40,000 based on initial calculations by state Department of Revenue. There had been fears it was barely more than $100.
• The board accepted a right of way for the sum of $1 for land north of the Gates Avenue Bridge for construction of a permanent bridge.
• The board appointed Kenny Brooks as interim building inspector for an undetermined time. McKinney said the search for a permanent inspector should proceed "with all alacrity." In relation to the post, Aubin said she did not believe the article moving $1,500 from the town administrator's salary to the building inspector's had been voted on at town meeting. McKinney said he would contact the town clerk.
Tags: sewer, sewer rates,
