JAY – Selectmen voted to increase the town’s sewer rates by $40 at last night’s meeting, for a new per-unit annual fee of $290. That rate is good through the next fiscal cycle, or July 2009 to June 2010.
Selectmen and residents spent some time debating the always-controversial sewer rate system prior to the vote. Currently, Jay residents must pay the now-$290 fee for each property unit, irregardless of whether they are actually hooked into the town’s sewer system. That money augments funds raised through taxation to pay for the two sewer treatment plants the town uses and other expenses.
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“We hear from a lot of people not on the sewer,” Selectman Stephen McCourt said. “They would like those on the sewer to pay everything, but that would be quite pricey.”
The sewer department’s superintendent, Mark Holt, has estimated the sewer rate would be $743 if it were only applied to users. Other residents at the meeting noted that many town buildings, such as the schools, community building and local businesses use the sewer system. These facilities are in turn used by all residents, not just those connected to the town’s system.
Other residents wanted the sewer rate to be based off of the amount of water the residence or business used. Livermore Falls uses this system, where residents pay a minimum fee and then an additional amount based off their water meter’s readings.
Richard Simoneau, who used to serve on the board of selectmen, questioned why a study, previously ordered by that board, had not been conducted on the water usage of North Jay. Selectmen had intended to run a pilot program for that area, using the metered data to determine what the sewer rate would be.
Holt said that he had simply been busy. He also said that changing the sewer rate system to be based on the water usage would likely involve buying the data from the independent water districts.
He also noted that the department’s fees were much lower than the state’s average. One problem with the upcoming construction project along Route 4 is that the town of Jay could not apply for any Maine Department of Transportation grants. The reason for this, Holt said, is that the rates are too low. Livermore Falls, with a $430 sewer rate, will likely benefit from MDOT grants for their part of that project.
Selectmen approved the rate increase to $290 by a vote of 4 to 1, with Selectman Tom Goding voting in opposition. They did not take any action of a proposal by Holt to employ the firm of Wright Pierce to study the town’s sewer department and help them set a sewer rate to meet their needs. That study would have cost $10,000.
Holt also asked selectmen to consider spending $4,000 to update the town’s sewer ordinance. Currently there is an ordinance in place, but it is 40 years old.
“It is very deficient,” Holt said. “It’s an ordinance without any teeth.”
Selectmen did not take any action on that proposal either, instead directing Holt to begin compiling the data on North Jay’s water usage.
