GREENFIELD — At least two city councilors are grumbling about rate hikes to water and sewer rates, but Department of Public Works Director Donald Ouellette is standing by the increases.
Mayor William Martin, in a Feb. 9 statement, explained increases of 10 and 15 percent to the city’s water and sewer rates, respectively, for the Jan. 1 to June 30 billing cycle.
This prompted complaints from Precinct 3 Councilor Brickett Allis and At-Large Councilor Isaac Mass, who said they were not informed of impending increases of more than 5 percent, and that the rate changes were unnecessary. On both of those contentions, Ouellette said the councilors are wrong.
“I’ve said that since day one. In fact, my first proposal was 5 percent a year each year for 5 years and that was three years ago,” Ouellette said.
He continued: “I was not the guy right in the middle, but yes, I’ve said right along that it should be a 25 percent rate increase.”
Ouellette admitted there could have been better communication between the council and Town Hall, and that it might have been helpful to get the notice out 30 days earlier.
Regardless, Ouellette said the rate increases are completely necessary because the water and sewer rates have not gone up in Greenfield for 7 years, while costs have increased.
“Our revenues are about $2 million each for both water and sewer, so about $4 million altogether,” Ouellette said. “Our expenses are about $4.2 million.”
Water and sewer rates in Greenfield have been kept artificially low, Ouellette said, and “money in retained earnings have been able to balance that.”
The only way to avoid rate increases, Ouellette said, would be for the city to cut back on “preventative measures” and practices that ensure Greenfield’s water is clean and safe.
“When you stop doing that, you end up becoming susceptible to what happened in Flint, Mich., or what happened in Spencer, Mass., years ago,” Ouellette said. “For some reason, people think you can do it cheaper in Greenfield and you just can’t.”
According to a statewide Tighe and Bond survey, water and sewer bills in Greenfield will still be 35 percent less than the state average of $1,457, even with the increases.
The changes would bring water rates to $3.06 per hundred cubic feet and sewer rates to $5 per 100 cubic feet, increasing the average customer’s rate in Greenfield by less than $9 per month.
Councilors Allis’ and Mass’ opposition to the proposed new DPW office, which is funded $200,000 from water and sewer rate revenues, is also misguided, according to Ouellette.
The building, Ouellette said, would help the DPW more effectively do its job, putting Ouellette in the same place as DPW workers.
“Would you put the fire chief and police chief at the town hall, and then have their staffs at the stations? No,” Ouellette said.
Ouellette pointed out that the council voted on the new DPW building twice, once after a council member changed his mind and decided not to support the project. Both times, the proposal passed, Ouellette said.
“There was a certain group that didn’t want the building and didn’t win out, and, unfortunately, they’re still a little angry about it,” Ouellette said.
The functioning of the DPW has been critical in projects like replacing the Rocky Mountain water tank, which ended up costing about $400,000 less than originally thought, Ouellette said. The new DPW building, he said, would help the DPW carry out more of the good work.
For now, the water and sewer rate increases are needed, and Greenfield’s rates will still be low, Ouellette said. He hopes others will come around and see it the same way.
“I would hope that there would be a little better cooperation and environment between town hall and a couple councilors,” he said.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com
or 417-772-0261, ext. 268