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By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Full Text:

GENNEWS OR PAGE ONE

WPCA REVIEWS ASSESSMENTS

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) members have started reviewing

preliminary sewer assessment figures for non-residential customers of the

municipal sewer system.

Non-residential customers will pay approximately $7 million of the costs of

sewer system construction, WPCA Chairman Peter Alagna said Wednesday.

Non-residential sewer customers include municipally owned buildings, churches,

commercial and industrial users.

In 1992, voters approved spending up to $34.3 million to build a sewer system.

Anticipated costs for the project currently exceed $30 million.

John Valente of Lesher-Glendinning Municipal Services presented the appraisal

firm's review of non-residential sewer assessments to WPCA members at an

October 10 session. Lesher-Glendinning also performed the town's last

revaluation of properties.

The projected non-residential sewer assessments range from $3,000 to almost

$500,000, Mr Alagna said. Mr Alagna did not disclose any specifics of the

non-residential assessments, saying the numbers are still "preliminary."

The non-residential sewer assessments represent 90 percent of the increase in

market value that having access to sewers will add to properties, according to

Mr Alagna.

The sewer assessments do not reflect 100 percent of the increase in value in

order to provide the town with a 10 percent "comfort zone" or "cushion" in

calculating the sewer assessments, Mr Alagna said.

For example, if a non-residential property is appraised at $400,000 now and is

estimated to increase in value to $500,000 by having access to sewers, the

sewer assessment would reflect 90 percent of the $100,000 increase in market

value. Thus, the sewer assessment would be $90,000, instead of $100,000.

Lesher-Glendinning's preliminary figures on non-residential sewer assessments

were compiled by reviewing comparable sales and rentals of properties in other

towns.

WPCA members may drop their previous idea of giving churches a break on sewer

assessments. Determining what constitutes a "church" or "house of worship"

could open up a "can of worms" for the WPCA in deciding who is and who is not

eligible for receiving a break on their sewer assessments, Mr Alagna said.

And any breaks given to churches on their sewer assessments would have to be

covered by town taxpayers at large in the annual town budget across a 20-year

span, he said.

The sewer assessments that eventually will be levied against non-residential

customers may be appealed in Danbury Superior Court by property owners.

Non-residential sewer customers will be eligible to receive federally

subsidized, two-percent-interest loans across a 20-year period to pay off

their sewer assessment charges.

Early this year, after wrangling for months, WPCA members set residential

sewer assessments at $9,900 for each of the almost 700 homes that will connect

to the sewerage system. The residential share of sewer system capital costs

amounts to almost $7 million.

Unlike residential customers, which are all charged the same sewer assessment,

non-residential customers are charged widely varying assessments because

access to sewers will create widely varying increases in those properties'

market values.

Mr Alagna said he expects that WPCA members will relatively quickly endorse

the non-residential sewer assessments, which will be proposed at an upcoming

public hearing.

Town taxpayers will cover about $4 million of construction costs for the sewer

system at large. Town taxpayers also will cover the sewer assessments, sewer

connection charges and sewer user costs for municipally owned buildings.

Members of the Legislative Council's ad hoc sewer assessment committee

attended the WPCA's October 10 session.

Melissa Pilchard, an ad hoc committee member, said she is concerned about the

abilities of individual businesses to absorb sewer assessment costs, adding

that some businesses might go out of business due to the assessments.

Besides sewer assessments, sewer users will be paying sewer connection

charges, and sewer user fees.

The town is under a state Department of Environmental Protection order to

rectify longstanding groundwater pollution problems in the borough, Taunton

Pond North and Sandy Hook Center. The sewer system is expected to be completed

in about a year.

Sewer connections will be made after the sewerage treatment plant is in

operation.

Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Scheduled In Newtown

Genealogy Club's Next Program To Dig Into 'Dissecting A Civil War Pension Record'

Choral Society Planning ‘Voices Of America’ Performance

Newtown Earth Day Festival Was A Success

Local Fourth Grader To Host ‘Gaming For Change’ On May 16

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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