Easthampton MA City Councilor Cykowski pushes plan to offer sewer discounts in summer months

The Republican ^

[matt04]

City Councilor Donald L. Cykowski said he’ll bring his request for a summer sewer discount to himself even without council backing.

The councilor proposed asking for a discount on sewer charges over the summer months. In his informal request, he wrote that “a lot of water is used during the summer for gardens, lawns etc.” The city measures water consumption and then assesses charges for both water and sewer based on the amount of water used.

“The council passes a lot of expenses on to the citizens. It might be nice to show our concern to the residents on this issue,” he wrote.

Councilor Daniel D. Rist, chairman of the Rules and Government Regulations Subcommittee, said there was no support for the request on the committee because Cykowski did not provide documentation on how to pay for it.

And he said that if a discount was provided it would mean layoffs. Or he said, “They would have to raise rates in the fall.”

He suggested that the council dismiss the request without prejudice, which means that Cykowski could bring it back if he provided more information. Cykowski said he would bring it to the public works board himself.

“If you want to do these things, there’s always a reason we can’t do it,” he said. He said the city could do it for almost nothing. “It will be a little bit, not much,” he said.

“We’re here to help people. I thought it would be nice to have something. I know how the town runs. But I’m going to try.”

[matt04]

Full title: Easthampton City Councilor Donald Cykowski pushes plan to offer sewer discounts in summer months

[matt04]

Assuming it costs the city a specific amount per gallon of water treated, how do they have to figure out how to pay for something they are presumably not spending money on.

[lacrew]

Some communities used to use winter water usage as a base line, and assumed overages in the summer were for watering...and charged no sewer taxes on that.

Then alot of communities stopped that practice...so large users (businesses) installed seperate meters for irrigation.

Now, foiled again, alot of communities are just raising rates across the board.

[Right Wing Assault]

Now, foiled again, alot of communities are just raising rates across the board.

Somehow they've got to pay for the exorbitant EPA mandates. So of course the average taxpayer pays. Just do a search on "epa sewer mandates." I bet the construction unions just love the EPA.

[Vermont Lt]

The total amount of water getting treated is not going to change. It has probably been a constant for years. Basing sewer fees on the water bill has traditionally been the best way to assess appropriate fees.

Sometimes the logic of politicians just befuddles me.

And the people from Easthampton are cheap anyway. My mom was from there. Bayou could hear Lincoln screaming from her purse.

[lacrew]

“Somehow they’ve got to pay for the exorbitant EPA mandates”

I agree...and its not just sewer. The most draconian (and nebulous) regulations are dealing with storm water. We are designing all sorts of man-made bogs, which will magically clean the water. One of the regs actually uses the term ‘nurture’.