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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-12-03-WSAB-min Minutes of the Meeting 12/3/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Attendance: BoardMembers:JimOstenandBillRibich,Members.Staff:BillHadley,DPWDirector,RalphPecora, Water/SewerSuperintendent,andElizabethTuckerandRobinFullford,UtilityBilling. 4:30pmCallmeetingtoorder JimOstencalledthemeetingtoorderat4:34pm. StatusReportofAbatementRequests 32Recommendationstobeheardtonight 67Recommendationsonholdforhistoryordocumentation AbatementRequestsforConsideration Leaks 40AdamsStreet Thiswasanemptyhousethatthehomeownershadlivedinupuntilayearagowhentheyfinishedtheirnew houseontheabuttingproperty.InJulystaffwascalledintodeterminewherethefloodwascomingfrom. Thatturnedouttobeanold2"waterlinecomingfrom40AdamsStreettothelocationofthenewhouse (formerlyabarn).Staffobservedthemeterspinninguntilthe2"linewasshutoffandthewaterwasshutoff atthestreet.ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#834919.Becausethehousewas vacantallusagehasbeenrecalculatedattieronewaterrates,nosewer.Staffrecommendedanabatementof $60,042.02. 3AllenStreet ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#829482.Twoleakswerefoundintheirrigation systemandwererepairedbyEasternBrothers.The3yearaveragefallusageis15,werecalculatedtheexcess usageattieronewaterratesbutnosewerbecausetheleakdidnotenterthesewersystem.Staffrecom mendedanabatementof$4,139.90. 74BlossomcrestRoad ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#829542.Thetenantshadfailedtoalerttheownersto2 runningtoilets.Theownersrepairedthetoiletsandprovidedareceiptforparts.Theaverageusageis63;we recalculatedallbut23unitsattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$644.14.Waterrateshave beencorrected. 20CliffeAvenue ThehomeownerappliedforanabatementonBill#826933.Theyfoundandrepairedatoiletleakandpro videdareceiptforparts.Asa2unitcondoassociationtheaccountisbilledforthefirst80unitsattierone rates.Allusagehasbeenrecalculatedattieronerates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$6.06. 13DonaldStreet ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#823060.Hereplacedtheleakingflapperina toiletbuthasnotbeenabletolocatethereceipt.The3yearaveragefallusageis39,werecalculatedallus ageattieronewater/sewerrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$117.80. 1 Minutes of the Meeting 12/3/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 LeaksContinuedͶ 5DrewAvenue ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#826816.Shestatesthathersonfixedtheleakso thereisnoreceipt.The3yearaveragefallusageis30,werecalculatedallusageattieronewater/sewer rates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$42.42. 17EvergreenLane DuringtheSection1billingstaffalertedthehomeownertoveryhighusage.Shestatedthatsheinstalleda dripirrigationsystemthissummerandsetatimerformodestwatering.Shealsostatedthatshecamehomea fewtimesthesystemwaswateringatoddtimesandbelievesthetimerisfaulty.Shehasappliedforaone timeirrigationondomesticmeterabatement.Theaverageusageis25;70%oftheexcessusagehasbeenre calculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$2,252.34. 208FollenRoad ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#829030.Leakswerefoundandrepairedonthe irrigationsystemandarepairinvoicewasprovided.The3yearaveragefallusageis45,werecalculatedallbut 5unitsattieronewaterrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$122.85. 111GrantStreet ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#819352.Theyhadaleakintheirheatexchanger thatdischargedleakedwaterintothecondensationlinethatgetspumpedoutofthehouse.Theaverage springusageis65;werecalculatedtheexcessusageattieronewaterratesonlybecausetheleakdidnoten terthesewersystem. ThehomeownerappliedforaonetimeonlyirrigationonadomesticmeterabatementonBill#2949.Theav eragefallusageis51.Werecalculated70%oftheexcessusageattheirrigationrate.Staffrecommendedan abatementof$2190.24. 1900MassachusettsAvenue Thehomeowner'ssonappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#831014.Arunningtoiletwasrepairedand arepairinvoicewasprovided.The3yearaveragefallusageis15,werecalculatedallunitsattieronewa ter/sewerrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$4,016.00. 6OakParkCircle ThehomeownerfiledforanabatementonBill#3093foranirrigationleak.Anirrigationcompanyprovideda letterstatingtheyrepairedleaksinthesystem.Theaveragefallusageis227;werecalculatedtheexcessus ageattieronewaterrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,078.40. 8RumfordRoad ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#833410.Theyfoundaleakinthecontrolboxon theirrigationsystem,haditrepaired,andprovidedarepairinvoice.The3yearaveragefallusageis118,we recalculatedexcessusageattieronewaterratesbutnosewerbecausetheleakdidnotenterthesewersys tem.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$2,914.83. 2 Minutes of the Meeting 12/3/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 2WallisCourt ThehomeownerappliedforaleakbasedabatementonBill#817012.Thehousewasemptyawaitingrenova tions.Duringthepastwinter,icedroppedfromtheroofandbrokeabasementwindow.Thepipesfrozeand waterfloodedthebasement.Alloftheleakedwaterseepedintothedirtbasementflooranddidnotenter thesewer.Allusagehasbeenrecalculatedattieronewaterrates. Thereadingof3224wasconfirmedbystaff.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,279.50. 29WhippleRoad Staffalertedthehomeownerstothelargeirrigationusage.Theirlandscaperfoundandrepairedtwoleaksin theirirrigationsystem;aninvoicewasprovided.Theaverageusageis43;werecalculatedtheexcessusageat tieronewaterrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,828.71. 5WhittierRoad ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#1707.Theyhadaleakintheirrigationsystem,haditre pairedandprovidedaninvoice.Wewaiteduntilthisfalltoestablishaverageusageandrecalculatedtheex cessusageattieronewaterrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$775.10. ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.OstenandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallLeakBased Abatementrequestswithcorrectionsmadeto74BlossomcrestRoad. IrrigationonaDomesticMeter 10BoulderRoad Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#833042statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdomestic meter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstypeandintendtoinstallasecondmeterbe forenextsummer.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrec ommendedanabatementof$188.28. 82PleasantStreet Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#830464statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdomestic meter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstype.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessofthe averageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$651.04. 26WatertownStreet Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#830191statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdomestic meter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstypeandintendtoinstallasecondmeterbe forenextsummer.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrec ommendedanabatementof$1,065.68. 10WheelerRoad Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#827849statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdomestic meter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatementofitstypeandintendtoinstallasecondmeterbe forenextsummer.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessoftheaverageisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrec ommendedanabatementof$1,146.87. 3 Minutes of the Meeting 12/3/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.OstenandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallIrrigationon adomesticmeterabatementrequests. Billing/MeterIssues 57BowStreet ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#826752.Afterreceivingthebilltheyreadtheirmeterand foundthatwehadoverbilledtheaccount.On11/2/15staffconfirmedthereadingat0338.Weestablished ADUandderivedausageof38units.Thereplacedusageof12hcfwillbecapturedinthespringbilling.Staff recommendedanabatementof$2,884.92. 11CourtyardPlace Thehomeownersappliedforanabatementonbill#783889.Thisisaresidentialaccountservicedbya2"me ter.Wediscoveredthemeterreadin1000gallonsandreplacedtheregisteron3/10/2014withanoutreadof 103698whichweconvertedto138hcf.Thiscausedalargecatchupbillasallotherbillingshadbeentakenat facevalue.Weredistributedtheusagebasedonconvertingeachreadingintohcf.Staffrecommendedaposi tiveadjustmentof$9.31. AnerrorwasfoundonrevisedBill#765306(seeoriginalabatement#1)andhasbeencorrected.Staffrecom mendedreversingthe$9.31positiveadjustmadeearlierandanabatementintheamountof$136.88. 6GibsonRoad ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#828976whichwasacatchupbillafterandestimatedbill. WeestablishedADUandredistributedtheusageovertwobillingperiods.Staffrecommendedanabatement of$28.40. 10HillStreet Thisisa2familyresidenceat10and12HillStreetthatwasnotbeingchargedsewer.WhentheTowncon vertedtoMunisin2002,therewasnotiecardfoundfor10HillStreet.Infactthetiecarddidexistbutfor12 HillStreet.Inthiscalculationtheaccountischargedfor3yearsofsewerusage.Sewerhasbeenactivatedand waschargedonthefallbillandthehomeownerhasbeennotified.Staffrecommendedanabatementof $2,624.31. 23LillianRoadΑDomestic ThehomeownerscalledafterreceivingBill#826913.Itwasdeterminedthatthedomesticandirrigationme terswerereversed.Thesecalculationsassignthecorrectusagetoeachmeter.Staffrecommendedand abatementonthedomesticaccountof$2,451.23. 23LillianRoadΑIrrigation Staffrecommendedapositiveadjustmentontheirrigationaccountintheamountof$1,025.15. 14LisbethStreet ThehomeownersfiledforanabatementonBill#828190.Threebillswereestimatedwhenwewereunableto obtainreadings.Aradioreaddevicewasinstalledon11/13/15andthereadingwas0423.Weestablished 4 Minutes of the Meeting 12/3/15 Lexington Water and Sewer Abatement Board 201 Bedford Street Lexington, MA 02420 Billing/MeterIssuesContinuedͶ 14LisbethStreet ADUandredistributedtheusageoverfourbillingperiods.Thereplacedusageof8unitswillbecapturedin thefallbilling.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$831.45. 294LowellStreet ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#827511whichwasestimatedhighafter3estimates.We establishedADUfromthelastPreadon9/10/2013toanAreadtakenon12/1/15andredistributedusage. Thepadhasbeenreplaced.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,153.45. 12LuongoFarmRoadΑDomesticandIrrigation Staffconfirmedthatthesemeterswerereversedatinstallation.Thesecalculationsassignthecorrectusageto eachaccount.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$1,116.30onthedomesticaccountandapositivecharge of$581.38ontheirrigationaccount. 32MorelandStreet ThehomeownersappliedforanabatementonBill#830412.Thepreviousownerhadbeenbilledfor4units onthefinalbillbutwhenameterIDchangewasposted,themeterwassetbacktozero.Thiscalculation chargesthecorrectusageof125unitsonBill#830412.Staffrecommendedanabatementof$28.36. 6PatriotsDrive Thehomeowners'sonappliedforanabatementonBill#834596.Themeterhadindicatednousageandwe assumedithadfailedandoverestimatedusage.Infactthehousehasbeenemptyfor2years.Staffrecom mendedabatingBill#834596entirelyintheamountof$1,067.20. 18StrathamRoad Thisrecommendationcorrectsapastabatement.Thehomeownersfiledforanabatementonbill#807125 statingtheyhadwateredoutsideontheirdomesticmeter.Theyunderstandthisisaonetimeonlyabatement ofitstype.70%ofthewaterusedinexcessofthespringisrecalculatedatirrigationrates.Staffrecom mendedanabatementof$1,298.60.Staffsubsequentlyfoundandcorrectedacalculationerrorandrecom mendedafurtherabatementof$477.47. ItwasmovedbyMr.Ribich,secondedbyMr.OstenandvotedunanimouslytoapproveallBilling/Me terIssueabatementrequestswiththeexceptionof11CourtyardPlacecalculation#3. Schedulefuturemeetingtimes ThenextmeetingwillbeheldonThursdayJanuary14,2016at4:30at201BedfordStreetandJanuary 21,2016asasnowdate. Adjourn ItwasmovedbyMr.Osten,secondedbyMr.Ribichandapprovedunanimouslytoadjournthemeeting at6:00pm. 5