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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 11/20/14
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 and Robin Fullford, Utility Billing.
Loren Wood called the meeting to order at 4:35 pm.
The order of business was conducted as follows:
Approval of Minutes of the Meeting
It was moved by Mr. Osten, seconded by Mr. Ribich and approved unanimously to approve the minutes
of the September 18, 2014 as amended.
Status Report of Abatement Requests
Ms. Fullford presented the following status report:
1Appeal
12Tobeheardtonight
63Onholdforhistoryordocumentation
76Total
Appeals
5BruceRoadΑ5:00pm
Thehomeownerappealedtotheboardformorereductionstotheaccount.Mr.Woodtoldthe
HomeownerthatwerelyonourmeterstoaccuratelyrecordusageandbecausetheTownhas
alreadypaidforthatusage,thecostattieroneratesmustbepaidbythehomeowners.The
appealwasdenied.
Abatement Requests for Consideration:
Leaks
31BartlettAvenue
ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#803490.Hefoundthat2toiletswereleaking
andprovidedaplumber'sinvoiceforrepair.Theaveragefallusageis13;werecalculatedall
usageattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$248.00.
519LowellStreet
Thisisatwofamilyresidence.Thehomeownercalledabouttheirbalanceandmentionedthat
theyhadhadatoiletleaklastyear.TheywerenotawareoftheTown'spolicytooffer
abatementsanddidnotknowtosavethepartsreceipt.Theyappliedforanabatementonbill
#763607.Becausethefirst80hcfarechargedattieronerateswerecalculatedallusageattier
onerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$60.90.
112SpringStreet
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 11/20/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
Thehomeownersmovedoutofstateafewmonthsago.Whenthefinalreadwastakeon
10/14/14themeterindicatedausage264hcf.Thehomeownerscalledinaplumberwhofounda
sillcockleakingbadly.Theplumbercalledstafftodetermineiftheamountofwaterusedwas
feasible.Wedeterminedthatthewaterleakedatarateof1gpmandagreedtheusageis
feasible.Staffalsofoundabrokenirrigationpipe.The3yearaveragefallusageis24;we
ratesbecause
recalculatedallusageattieronewaterratesandonly24unitsattieronesewer
theleakdidnotenterthesewersystem.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$4,670.08.
30WatertownStreetΑWithdrawn
It was moved by Mr. Osten, seconded by Mr. Ribich and voted unanimously to approve the leak-
based abatement recommendations as presented with the exception of 30 Water Town Street
which was withdrawn for further review.
OverEstimated
15GoffeRoad
ThisisastaffgeneratedabatementonBill#s804656whichhadbeenestimatedaftermany
requeststoinstallaradioreaddeviceandBill#806952afinalbilldated11/3/14.Becausethe
finalreadwaslowerthanthepreviousreadanegativefinalbillwascreatedwhichreducedthe
balancedue.ThiscalculationestablishesADUandredistributestheusage.Theabatementisfor
theformerowner.Aradioreaddevicewasinstalledatthetimeoftheclosing.Staff
recommendedanabatementof$453.80.
255MarrettRoad
ThisisastaffgeneratedabatementrecommendationonBill#805186.Thishousehasbeen
emptyforsometimeandstaffmadetheerrorofestimatingusage.Staffrecommendedabating
bill#805186entirely.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Osten and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements based on overestimated bills.
Billing/MeterIssues
10PageRoad
ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#804034.StaffmadeameterIDcorrectionwhich
causedthemetertostartatzeroinsteadofthepreviousreadof269.Thiscalculationbillsthe
correctusageof22units.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,834.58.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Wood and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements based on Billing/Meter Issues
IrrigationonaDomesticMeter
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 11/20/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
11AllenStreet
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#805550afterinstallinganewlawnlastspring.
Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessof
theaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$205.34.
38BuckmanDrive
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#804708statingtheyhadwateredheavilynot
knowingthattheiroutsidefaucetisnottiedintotheirirrigationmeter.Theyaretakingstepsto
correctthisandtheyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%ofthewater
usedinexcessofthespringisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedanabatement
of$203.00.
23DeeringAvenue
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#766049forirrigationonadomesticmeter.They
alsorepairedatoiletleakbutdidnotsavethereceipt.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonly
abatementforirrigationonadomesticmeter.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageis
recalculatedatirrigationrates.Also30%oftheexcessisrecalculatedattieronerates.Staff
recommendedanabatementof$1,892.79.
221FollenRoad
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#805102statingtheyinstalledsodinearly
summerandwereunawarethattheTownallowsseparateirrigationmeters.Theyhavesincehad
anirrigationmeterinstalled.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%of
thewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedan
abatementof$86.85
164MarrettRoad
Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#805164.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonly
meter
abatementofitstype.Theyhadextensivelandscapingdoneandplantoinstallanirrigation
inthespring.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.
Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,186.27.
It was moved by Mr. Ribich, seconded by Mr. Wood and voted unanimously to accept staff
recommendations for abatements based on Billing/Meter Issues
Schedule future meeting times
TheboardwillnextmetDecember18,2014.
Adjourn
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Approved Minutes of the Meeting 11/20/14
Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board
201 Bedford Street
Lexington, MA 02420
It was moved by Mr. Wood, seconded by Mr. Ribich and voted unanimously to adjourn the
meeting at 5:25 pm.
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