Date: Fri 19-Jan-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewers-WPCA-assessment

Full Text:

WPCA Back $9,600 Residential Sewer Assessment

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Although the chairman of the Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) believes

the residential assessment for access to municipal sewers should be set at

$9,900, a majority of the membership believes the amount should be $9,600.

In a decision on the matter at a January 11 meeting, WPCA members voted 5-to-2

to keep the sewer assessment at $9,600. Voting in favor of the $9,600 figure

were members Carl Zencey, Gary Sheehan, Richard Zang, Alan Shepard and Eleanor

Mayer. Favoring the $9,900 figure were member Tim LaChapelle and WPCA Chairman

Peter Alagna, according to agency records.

The residential sewer assessment is the amount of money that residential

property owners will pay the town over a 20-year period to cover a portion of

the cost of building the town's $30.4-million sewer system. Loans at a

subsidized two percent annual interest rate will be available to property

owners.

Other portions of the sewer system's cost will be covered by town taxpayers

and by sewer construction grants awarded to the town.

WPCA members have wrestled with the issue of how high to set the residential

sewer assessment in recent months, trying to strike a fair and equitable

balance between the amount sewer users should pay for sewer system

construction and the amount taxpayers should cover.

Last August, the WPCA set the assessment at $9,600.

WPCA members met with representatives of the Legislative Council's finance

committee last fall on the assessment topic. Two finance committee members

said they would support a $9,900 residential sewer assessment, but wouldn't

endorse the $9,600 figure supported by the WPCA.

Following his meeting with the finance committee, Mr Alagna sought to persuade

WPCA members to increase the $9,600 amount to $9,900. Although the WPCA has

the statutory authority to set the sewer assessment, Mr Alagna has stressed

that the WPCA should cooperate with the Legislative Council on the matter

because the council is the town's finance board.

At the January 11 WPCA session, member Richard Zang said if the residential

sewer assessment is raised to $9,900, it increase the potential for more

lawsuits against the town.

The difference between a $9,600 and $9,900 assessment translates into $15 more

annually in principal payments across a 20-year period. When interest charges

are included, the amount increases to $18 annually, according to Peter Grose,

sewering project director for Fuss and O'Neill, Inc, of Manchester, the town's

consulting civil engineers.

WPCA members also had addressed the residential sewer assessment topic at a

Deecmeber 18 meeting. After lengthy discussion, members failed to agree on the

size of the assessment, with some favoring $9,600 and others backing $9,900.

Mr Alagna then urged that the WPCA conduct another meeting on the the matter

at which all seven agency members were present due to the importance of the

topic. The WPCA held that session on January 11.

The WPCA plans to establish individual sewer assessments for commercial and

industrial properties in the coming year. Those assessments will be based on

appraisals and water usage, among other factors.

Wendover Road

Also at the January 11 session, WPCA members unanimously voted against

extending sewer lines farther north on Wendover Road than currently planned.

Wendover Road links Church Hill Road to Schoolhouse Hill Road.

WPCA members opted against a sewer line extension there after receiving a

letter from the Health Department stating there are no significant

environmental problems in that area of Wendover Road to warrant a sewer

extension.

A resident who owns property on Wendover Road had requested the sewer line

extension to make his land more developable.

In another matter, WPCA members addressed the topic of extending sewers up

Edmond Road to serve businesses located there including Union Camp Corporation

and the Pitney-Bowes Distribution Center.

Mr Alagna said the two companies have sewage removed from their premises

often.

Town Public Works Director Fred Hurley noted Edmond Road is a private road.

Edmond Road extends from Church Hill Road to Schoolhouse Hill Road, near

Interstate-84. Mr Hurley said the town would want to own Edmond Road before

installing any sewers beneath it.

WPCA members said they want an evaluation of environmental issues concerning

an Edmond Road sewer extension done by the Health Department.

In another matter, the WPCA's sewer extension subcommittee reported that more

details must be worked out before the WPCA conducts a public hearing on a

proposal to extend sewer lines to Walnut Tree Village, a condominium complex

under construction on Walnut Tree Hill Road in Sandy Hook.

The developers of the condo complex have asked that the town provide the

18-acre site with municipal sewer service. The developers plan to build 80

condominium units.