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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-05-21-WSAB-min Approved Minutes of the Meeting 5/21/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 May 21, 2015 Attendance: BoardMembers:LorenWood,ChairpersonandBillRibichandJimOsten,Members.Staff:BillHadley, DPWDirector,RobAddelson,AssistantTownManagerforFinance,ElizabethTuckerandRobinFull ford,UtilityBilling. 4:30pmCallmeetingtoorder LorenWoodcalledthemeetingtoorderat4:30pm. StatusReportofAbatementRequests 1Appeal 18Tobeheardtonight 60Onholdforbillinghistoryordocumentation 79Total ReviewMinutesoftheMarch12,2015meetingforapproval ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapprovetheMinutesof theMeetingMarch21,2015aspresented. Appeals 99HaydenAvenue 5:00PM RepresentativesofLedgemontResearchParkandRelatedBealdidnotattendthemeeting. AbatementRequestsforConsideration Leaks 3AllenStreet ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementonBill#814994.Stafffoundandadjustedatoiletthatwas leakinginoverflow.The3yearspringaverageusageis6;werecalculatedallusageattieronewa ter/sewerrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,315.99. 12BedfordStreet ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#808203.Theirrefrigeratorleakedandcausedmajor damagetothewallsandfloors.Theyprovidedcopiesofinvoicesforthecleanupandrehab.Their2 yearaveragespringusageis44;werecalculatedallbut4unitsattieronewaterratesandonly44units atsewerbecausetheleakdidnotenterthesewer.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$463.75. 7ButlerAvenue ThehomeownercamebytheofficetodiscussBill#804341.Staffsuggestedshelookforleaksandin thecourseoftheconversationitcameupthatshereceivesfuelassistance.SeniorServicesconfirmed 1 Approved Minutes of the Meeting 5/21/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 May 21, 2015 thatthehomeownerhasreceivedfuelassistanceforthepast12years.Staffwentback3yearsandre calculatedbillsata30%discount.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$531.15. 915MassachusettsAvenue ThehomeownersreceivedaleakbasedabatementonBill#802751andappliedforanabatementon Bill#812185becausetheleakcontinuedintothenextbillingperiod.Becausetheaveragespringusage isunder40,allusagewasrecalculatedattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof $1,813.41. 5MiddleStreet ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#810094andprovidedareceiptforreplacementofa toilet.IntheaverageusagecalculationweomittedBill#731462becauseitwasabatedduetoaleak. Theaveragespringusageis63;werecalculatedallbut23unitsattieronerates.Staffrecommended anabatementof$295.59. 11SpringdaleRoad ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementonBill#785041.Whilethehousewasemptyduringthewinter of2014pipesfrozeanddidconsiderableinteriordamage.Thisabatementhasbeenonholduntilanew metercouldbeinstalledandwaterturnedbackon.The3yearaveragespringusageis25thereforewe recalculatedallwaterusageattieroneratesandonlycharged25unitsforsewertorecognizethatthe leakdidnotenterthesewersystem.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$576.24. 30WatertownStreet Bill#806255waspreviouslyabatedforaleakthatcontinuedintothenextbillingperiod.The3yearav eragespringusageis1752;theexcessusageof701hcfwasrecalculatedattieronerates.Bill#79500 wasomittedfromthecalculationbecauseitwasincorrectandabated.Staffrecommendedanabate mentof$10,255.63. ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.OstenandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallLeakBased Abatementrequests IrrigationonaDomesticMeter 6SummerStreet Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#803549statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdo mesticmeter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%ofthewaterusedin excessofthespringisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$229.56. 7OakStreet Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#2189statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdo mesticmeter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%ofthewaterusedin excessofthespringisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Bill#698149wasomittedfromthecalculation 2 Approved Minutes of the Meeting 5/21/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 May 21, 2015 becauseitwasabatedforaleak.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$108.68.Thiscalculationwas laterwithdrawntobereintroducedas165WoburnStreet. ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallIrrigationon aDomesticMeterAbatementrequests Billing/MeterIssues 37BrandonStreet ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#812541whichwasbasedonapostcardreadingof799 thatthetenanthadreturned.Theyreadthemeteron4/21/15at793.On4/28/15staffreadthemeter at794.WeestablishedADUandredistributedtheusageonBill#812541.Thereplacedusageof7units willbecapturedinthefallbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$181.80. 2101MassachusettsAvenue ItwasdiscoveredandconfirmedthatthispropertyhasbeenservicedbyTownSewersince2004.Staff recalculatedthreeyearsofbillingaddingthesewercharge.Staffrecommendedapositiveadjustment of$1,789.60. 22PotterPond ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementonBill#815368.Whenareadingof15wasobtainedon4/1/15 staffsuspectedthemeterhadfailedandestimatedausageof15hcf.Thehomeownerexplainedthat sheownstwohousesandoccasionallystopsbyPotterPondtocheckonit.Staffrecommendedafull abatementintheamount$157.50. 5SpenserStreet Bill#803149wasbasedonamanualreadingwhichevidentlywasincorrectbecausethe"A"readtaken 3/17/15waslower.ThiscalculationgoesbacktoBill#771265andredistributestheusage.Staffrecom mendedanabatementof$615.50. 14WalnutStreet ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#815336.Inthefallof2014ourmeterreaderreported thehouseasateardownwithnometersostaffenteredareadingtocreateazerobill.Whentheme terwasreadforthespringbillingtheresultingbillwasfor12monthsofusage.StaffestablishedADU andredistributedtheusageovertwobillingperiods.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$450.32. 156WoburnStreet Thisabatementhasbeenonholdtoestablishhistoryafterseveralyearsofestimates.Bills#712052 through666771werepreviouslyabated.ADUwascalculatedfromthenewmeterinstalledon 1/28/2014andappliedto3priorbills.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$11,080.66. ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallBilling/Me terIssueAbatementrequests. 3 Approved Minutes of the Meeting 5/21/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 May 21, 2015 FreezeUps 51FollenRoad ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#814491.On2/23/15theyallowedaconnectionto 6GibsonRoad.Theirmeterreadingwas1103indicatingtheyhadused42unitspriortothefreezeup. Thiscalculationbillsthemfor42units.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,438.76. 18LisbethStreet ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#813695.On2/23/15theyallowedaconnectionto 15ClellandRoad.Theirmeterreadingwas465indicatingtheyhadused22unitspriortothefreezeup. Thiscalculationbillsthemfor22units.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$656.60 430MassachusettsAvenue ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#812116.On1/6/15theywereaskedtoruntheir watertopreventtheirservicefromfreezing;theirmeterreadingwas1010indicatingtheyhadused49 unitspriortothefreezeup.Thiscalculationbillsthemfor49units.Staffrecommendedanabatement of$248.70. ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallFreezeUp AbatementrequestsandtoauthorizeMs.Fullfordtoadjustinthesamemannerotheraccountsthat providedwatertoneighborsduringthewinter. Schedulefuturemeetingtimes ThenextmeetingwillbeheldonThursdayJune11,2015at4:30at201BedfordStreet. Adjourn ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.Ostenandapprovedunanimouslytoadjournthemeeting at5:30pm. 4