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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-06-11-WSAB-min Minutes of the Meeting 6/11/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Approved 7/23/15 Attendance: BoardMembers:LorenWood,ChairpersonandBillRibichandJimOsten,Members.Staff:RobAddel son,AssistantTownManagerforFinance,ElizabethTuckerandRobinFullford,UtilityBilling. 4:30pmCallmeetingtoorder LorenWoodcalledthemeetingtoorderat4:30pm. StatusReportofAbatementRequests 27Tobeheardtonight 78Onholdforbillinghistoryordocumentation 105Total ReviewMinutesoftheMay21,2015meetingforapproval ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapprovetheMinutesof theMeetingMay21,2015aspresented. AbatementRequestsforConsideration Leaks 5BarberryRoad ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementonBill#811283believingtheymusthavehadaleakintheirri gationsystem.Whenthesystemwasreopenedinthespringnoleakswerefound.Staffrecommended noabatementandawaiverofinterestonly. 7BaskinRoad appliedforanabatementonirrigationBill#810466believingtherewasaleakinthe Thehomeowner system.Inthespringnoleakswerefound;staffrecommendednoabatementandawaiverofinterest only. 31BartlettAvenue ThehomeownersreceivedanabatementonBill#803490foraleak.Theleakcontinuedintothenext billingperiod.Theaveragespringusageis17hcf;staffrecalculatedallusageattieroneratesandrec ommendedanabatementof$55.80. 22BowkerStreet ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#813688.Theystatethatwhileonvacationapipe burstintheirfamilyroomandleakedintothecrawlspace.Theyarewaitingforacontractortodo someworkbeforetheycangetaplumberintorepairthepipe.Theaveragespringusageis38.Allwa terwasrecalculatedattieroneratesand38unitsonlywerecalculatedattieronesewerratesbe causetheleakdidnotenterthesewersystem.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$504.35. 1 Minutes of the Meeting 6/11/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Approved 7/23/15 21CrescentHillAvenue Thehomeowner'sdaughterappliedforanabatementforaninteriorleakcausedbyafrozenpipe.We receivedacopyoftheplumber'sstatementandconfirmedtheworkdoneincludinganews/ovalve. Theaverageusageis16;allusagewasrecalculatedattieronerateslessa30%ratesubsidy. Note:Thehomeowner'sotherdaughterislivinginthehouseandwillnotallowustoentertochange themeter.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$52.08. 35DexterRoad ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#1444statingtheyhadleaksintheirirrigationsystem thattheywoulddealwithinthespring.Theyprovidedaninvoiceforrepairfromtheirsprinklercom pany.Theaveragefallusageis53;werecalculatedallbut13unitsattieroneratesandtheexcessus ageof130unitsatwaterratesonlybecausetheleakdidnotenterthesewer.Staffrecommendedan amendedabatementof$2,605.42. 136EastStreet TheownerfiledforanabatementonBill#764140.Theyhadatoiletleakandhadthetoiletreplaced. usageof31unitswas Wewaiteduntilthefallof2014billingtoestablishaverageusage.Theexcess recalculatedattieronerates.Bill#726930wasnotusedinthecalculationbecauseitwasabatedfora leak.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$188.79. 223EastStreet ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#819560.Whiletheirtenantswereaway,pipes frozecausingconsiderableinteriordamage.Thefrozenmeterwasreplacedat1160.Thehomeowners providedinvoicesforrepairs.Thethreeyearaveragespringusageis39;allwaterusagewasrecalcu latedattieronewaterratesandonly39unitswererecalculatedatsewerratesbecausetheleakdid notenterthesewer.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$417.80. 219FollenRoad ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#814548statingthatthebillisinerror.Howeverthe usagedidnotexceed40hcf,thereforethereisnobasisforanabatement.Staffrecommendedabating interestonly. 17GrantStreet ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#2913statingthattheirtenantleftahoserunning lastsummerbutdidnotforwardthebilltothemuntilrecently.Theaveragefallusageis28.Theexcess usageof77unitswasrecalculatedattieronerates,nosewer.Staffrecommendedanabatementof $1,156.60. 15LarchmontLane TheownerfiledforanabatementonBill#817408.InMarchtheydiscoveredthatanoutsidefaucet hadfrozenandbeganleakingsometimeduringthewinterbuttheleakwashiddenunderfourfeetof 2 Minutes of the Meeting 6/11/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Approved 7/23/15 snow.Thefaucethasbeenshutoffandwillberepaired.Theaveragespringusageis46,werecalcu latedallbut6unitsattieronewaterratesandonly46unitsatsewerrates.Staffrecommendedan abatementof$2,908.50. 6LitchfieldRoad TheownerfiledforanabatementonBill#816295.Hefoundandrepairedtwotoiletleaksandpro videdareceiptfortheparts.Theaveragespringusageis55,werecalculatedallbut15unitsattier onewaterrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$901.13. 249MarrettRoad TheownerfiledforanabatementonBill#814630.Aplumberfoundandrepairedatoiletleakandthe ownerprovidedaninvoice.Theaveragespringusageis42,werecalculatedallbut2unitsattierone waterrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,157.29. 19RevereStreet anabatementonBill#817388.Hefoundandrepairedtwotoiletsandpro Thehomeownerappliedfor videdreceiptsforparts.Thisisatwofamilyrentalthereforethefirst80unitsarecalculatedattierone rates.Theaveragespringusageis70hcf;werecalculatedallusageattieronerates.Staffrecom mendedanabatementof$272.80. 3RogersRoad ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#819146.ApipeburstinJanuaryfloodingtheinside ofthehouse.Theaveragespringusageis49hcf;werecalculatedallbut9unitsattieronewaterrates and49unitsatsewerrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,104.51. 13RumfordRoad ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#818875.Afterthesnowmeltedtheyfoundthat theirlandscapershasleftanoutsidefaucetonallwinter.Their3yearaveragespringusageis37hcf; werecalculatedallwaterusageattieroneratesandonly37unitsattieronesewerrates.Staffrecom mendedanabatementof$339.15. 25TuftsRoadΑWithdrawntodetermineiftheleakedwaterenteredthesewersystem. 56TurningMillRoad ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#823804.Hepurchasedthehousetorehab.Pipes burstinJanuaryandwaterfilledthebasementandspilledoutintotheyard.Thehousehassincebeen torndownwithanoutreadof483.Becausethehousewasemptyandbecausethewaterdidnotenter thesewersystem,allusagehasbeenrecalculatedattieronewaterrates.Staffrecommendedan abatementof$8,443.36. 3 Minutes of the Meeting 6/11/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Approved 7/23/15 922WalthamStreet Thisisacommercial,rentalproperty.TheownerappliedforanabatementonBill#815094.Hepro videdseveralplumbingbillsfortoiletrepairs.Theaveragespringusageis195;theexcessusageof155 wasrecalculatedattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$2,267.65. 197WestminsterAvenueΑOriginallypresentedasͻInterestOnlyͼstaffwithdrewthiscalculationas leakswerefoundjustpriortothemeeting. 6WheelerRoad TheownerfiledforanabatementonBill#772020.Leakswerefoundandrepairedandaplumber'sin voiceprovided.Theabatementhasbeenonholdtoestablishaveragespringusageat46hcf.Allbut6 unitswererecalculatedattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$754.64. ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.OstenandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallLeakBased Abatementrequestswiththeexceptionof25TuftsRoadand197WestminsterAvenue. IrrigationonaDomesticMeter 5BelfryTerrace Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#788believingtheymusthavehadaleak.Whenno leakswerefoundtheyappliedforanabatementforirrigationonadomesticmeter.Theyunderstand thisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstypeandarelookingintohavingaseparatemeterinstalled. 70%ofthewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommended anabatementof$266.97. 164WoburnStreet Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#2189statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdo isaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%ofthewaterusedin mesticmeter.Theyunderstandthis excessofthespringisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Bill#698149wasomittedfromthecalculation becauseitwasabatedforaleak.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$108.68. ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallIrrigationon aDomesticMeterAbatementrequests Billing/MeterIssues 82GrantStreet ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#819343.Threebillswereestimatedwhenwewere unabletoobtainreadings.Aradioreaddevicewasinstalledon5/21/15andthereadingwas0845.We 4 Minutes of the Meeting 6/11/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Approved 7/23/15 establishedADUandredistributedtheusageoverthreebillingperiods.Thereplacedusageof5units willbecapturedinthefallbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,189.77. 43GoldenAvenue ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#815901.In2014itwasdeterminedthattheconfig urationofthedomesticandirrigationmeterswasincorrectandthatthedomesticusagewasalsobe ingrecordedbytheirrigationmeter.Anabatementrecommendationresultedinapositivechargeto theirrigationaccountof$704.83andanabatementof$1,228.32tothedomesticaccount.Thehome ownerstateshedidnotreceivehis30DayLetterwhichwouldhavepromptedhimtoaskforatransfer ofchargesbetweentheaccounts.Hefurtherstatestherewasaverbalagreementbetweenhimand thesuperintendentthathecouldwaituntilthelatterwasresolvedtohavetheworkdonetohis plumbingtoseparatetheusage.Inthiscalculationwehavereducedtheusageontheirrigationac UNITATIRRIGA countbytheamountofusageonthedomesticaccountANDRECALCULATEDONE TIONRATES.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$190.96. 5SpencerStreet StaffpromptedthehomeownerstofileforanabatementonBill#803149whenthespring"A"read waslessthantheprevious"M"read.Themeterwasreplacedon4/30/15withanoutreadof872.We establishedADUandredistributedtheusageonBills#812586and803149.Thereplacedusageof5 unitswillcapturedinthenextbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$615.50. 4SherburneStreet ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#816943.Inthespringof2014ourmeterreaderre portedthehouseasateardownwithnometerpromptingstafftoenterareadingof41tocreatea zerobill.Thehomeownerreturnedapostcardreadingforthespring2015billing.Theresultingbillwas for18monthsofusage.Aradioreaddevicewasinstalledon5/19/15;thereadingwas0192.Staffes tablishedADUandredistributedtheusageoverthreebillingperiods.Thereplacedusageof11units willbecapturedinthefallbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$910.98. ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.RibichandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallBilling/Me terIssueAbatementrequests. Schedulefuturemeetingtimes ThenextmeetingwillbeheldonThursdayJuly23,2015at4:30at201BedfordStreet. Adjourn ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.Ostenandapprovedunanimouslytoadjournthemeeting at5:52pm. 5