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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 12/18/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
Attendance:
Board Members: Loren Wood, Chairperson, Jim Osten, Member and Bill Ribich, Member. Staff: Rob Addelson,
Assistant Town Manager for Finance, Bill Hadley, DPW Director, and Robin Fullford and Liz Tucker, Utility Billing.
Loren Wood called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm.
The order of business was conducted as follows:
Status Report of Abatement Requests
Ms. Fullford presented the following status report:
23Tobeheardtonight
70Onholdforhistoryordocumentation
93Total
Mr. Osten requested that in the future all meeting packets include a document with historical rate
information.
Abatement Requests for Consideration:
Leaks
10AerialStreet
ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#804173.Theyfoundandfixedatoiletthat
wasrunning.Theiraveragefallusageis25;werecalculatedallusageattieronerates.Staff
recommendedanabatementof$1,125.80.
6EliotRoadΑWithdrawnforfurtherreview
75LowellStreet
ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#803389.Theyfoundandrepairedatoiletleak
andprovidedareceiptforparts.The3yearaveragefallusageis74;werecalculatedallbut34
unitsattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,441.68.
915MassachusettsAvenue
ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementafterreceivingBill#802751.Theyfoundandrepaireda
toiletleakthemselves.Becausethe3yearaveragefallusageis26,werecalculatedallusageat
tieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,593.96.
19OaklandStreet
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 12/18/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementafterreceivingBill#3602.Theydiscoveredabroken
undergroundpipebetweenthehouseandanoutbuildingandprovidedaplumber'sinvoicefor
therepair.ThispropertyisnotconnectedtoTownsewer.The3yearaverageusageis71;we
recalculatedtheexcessusageattierone.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$2,027.46.
20PelhamRoad
ThisaccountreceivedaleakbasedabatementonBill#779766forafailedcompressorinthe
kitchenthatdidseriousinteriordamage.Staffmonitoredtheusageandfoundtherewasstilla
leak.Aplumberfoundandrepairedseveraltoiletsandprovidedaninvoice.MeanwhileHuman
Servicesrequestedaratesubsidyforthisaccount.Theaveragefallusageis62;werecalculatedall
but22unitsattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$2,843.20.
30WatertownStreetΑOption1
identifiedandrepaired.Arepairreceiptwasprovided.This
Atthisinstitutionseveralleakswere
recommendationwaswithdrawntofurtherinvestigateBill#s723224and709270.However,staff
foundthattheamountoftheabatementwasactuallyreducedwhenthosebillsareredistributed.
StaffrecommendedOption1abatementof$9,231.53.
21WoodlandRoadWithdrawnforfurtherreview
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Osten and voted unanimously to approve the leak-
based abatement recommendations as presented with the exception of 6 Eliot Street and 21
Woodland Street which were withdrawn for further review.
OverEstimated
31BrandonStreet
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#803099.Themeterwasreplacedon11/17/14
withanoutreadof1026indicatingwehadoverestimatedtheirusage.Wewentbacktothelast
Actualreading,establishedADUandderivedusageforbill#'s803099and771215.Thereplaced
usageof16unitswillbecapturedinthespringbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof
$565.70.
11CrescentRoad
Thisisanirrigationaccountthathadshownnousageforsometimeandstaffsuspectedthe
billsandstaffestimatedusageat
meterhadfailed.Thehomeownersdidnotrespondtonoteson
100hcf.Thenewownerssaythattheydidnotirrigateatallasthesystemneedswork.Staff
recommendedabatingBill#806285entirely.
64MarrettRoad
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 12/18/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
DuetoanapparentunderestimationonBill#773251thehomeownersfiledforanabatementon
Bill#805145.WeestablishedADUandderivedusage.Staffrecommendedanabatementof
$343.26.
52SherburneRoadSouth
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#805236.Themeterwasreplacedon11/20/14
withanoutreadof614indicatingwehadoverestimatedtheirusage.WewentbacktotheActual
readingon3/19/14,establishedADUandderivedusageforbill#805236.Thereplacedusageof
11unitswillbecapturedinthespringbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$204.60.
2TroddenPathΑWithdrawnforfurtherreview
9VillageCircle
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#803362.Themeterwasreplacedon11/18/14
withanoutreadof4725indicatingwehadoverestimatedtheirusage.Wewentbacktothelast
Postcardreading,establishedADUandderivedusageforbill#803362.Thereplacedusageof9
unitswillbecapturedinthespringbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,349.10.
107WalthamStreet
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#644.Thisirrigationaccountshowedusageevery
summerandwhenthemeterindicatednousagestaffsuspectedithadfailed.Bill#644is
thehomeownersstatetheydidnotusetheirirrigationatalllast
estimatedat50unitsbut
summer.StaffrecommendedabatingBill#644entirely.
608WalthamStreet
Thehomeownersfiledanabatementonbill#760820.Thepadhadbeenmissingsince2013and
whenthemeterandpadwerereplacedthemeterreadindicatedtheaccounthadbeenover
charged.ThiscalculationestablishesADUandderivesusage.The8replacedunitswillbecaptured
inthespringbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,170.45.
241WorthenRoadEast
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#806028whichwasestimatedbecausethepad
wasmissing.Thepadwasreplacedon11/24/14withareadof707indicatingwehad
overestimatedtheirusage.WewentbacktothelastActualreading,establishedADUandderived
usageforbill#'s806028and774129.Theexcess15unitswillbecapturedinthespringbilling.
Staffrecommendedanabatementof$684.10.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Osten and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements based on overestimated bills.
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 12/18/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
Billing/MeterIssues
6CartpathLaneΑDomestic
6CartpathLaneΑIrrigation
Thiswasnewconstructionatthefall2014billingandthemeterswerenotyetenteredinMunis
sothereadingshadtobeenteredmanually.Staffmadeanerrorandappliedthereadstothe
recalculationscorrectlyshow6unitsonthedomesticmeterand391units
wrongaccounts.These
intheirrigationmeter.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$8,840.43tothedomesticaccount
andapositivechargeof$2,625.70totheirrigationaccount.
7LothropStreetDomestic
7LothropStreetIrrigation
Thehomeownerapproachedusbelievingthattheirdomesticandirrigationmetersmightbe
swapped.Asitevisitrevealedthattobetrue;theirrigationanddomesticusageshavebeen
reversedsincetheirinstallationon12/28/12.Inthiscalculation,thecorrectdomesticusageshave
beenappliedtowater/sewerrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$6,584.27tothe
domesticaccountandapositivechargeof$1,861.96totheirrigationaccount.
18RockvilleAvenue
ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#806459.DuetoameterIDcorrection,the
previousreadingwassetbacktozeroinerrorcausingtheaccounttobeoverbilled.Theactual
havebeen189131=58.Werecalculatedthebillat58unitsofuse.Staff
usageshould
recommendedanabatementof$3,106.57.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Wood and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements based on Billing/Meter Issues
19SouthRindgeRoadΑAddedafterposting
Thehomeownersfiledanabatementonbill#806514.Thepadhadbeenmissingsince2012and
basedonverylowusage,staffhadestimatedusageatzero.Whenthepadwasreplacedthe
meterreadwas452causingalargecatchupbill.ThiscalculationestablishesADUandderives
usage.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$125.42.
ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.Woodandvotedunanimouslytoacceptstaff
amendedrecommendationforanabatementof$125.42.
IrrigationonaDomesticMeter
17WebbStreet
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#763405statingtheyhadinstallednewsodand
anirrigationsystemanddidnotknowthatsecondmeterswereallowed.Wehavesinceinstalled
aseparatemeter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.Wehadtowait
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 12/18/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
untiltheaccounthadsomehistory.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessofthespringisrecalculated
atirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$521.86.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Wood and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements based on Irrigation on a domestic meter
InterestOnly
8AnthonyRoad
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#771086.Finalreadsweretakenon9/30/13
whentheypurchasedthepropertyfromadeveloper.Thereadingswerezeroonthedomestic
meterand7andirrigationmeter.On6/23/14staffverifiedthatthemetersarenotswitchedand
verifiedthereadingsbutdidnotfindanyevidenceofleaks.Thehomeownerssaytheydidnot
moveintothehouseuntil12/31/13anddonotunderstandhow60hcfcouldhavebeenusedfor
irrigationafter9/30/14.Theyalsosuspectthedomesticusageisunreasonable.However,inthe
absenceofleaksorothermitigatingcircumstancesstaffrecommendeddenialofanabatement.
Staffadvisedthehomeownerstocontacttheirbuildertofindoutwhentheyturnedtheirrigation
systemoff.Staffrecommendedanabatementofinterestonly.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Wood and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements of interest only.
Schedule future meeting times
TheboardwillnextmeetJanuary29,2015.
Adjourn
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Wood and voted unanimously to adjourn the
meeting at 5:33 pm.
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