Grinder pump fees turned off as WSD reverses direction

Now everybody pays the same but higher charge

By Patricia Bogumil

Interim editor

New controversial charges for grinder pump users were canceled March 28 at a special meeting of the Town of Waterford Sanitary District (WSD).

As a result, the rates for all WSD users are rising higher than the 5 percent increase originally planned to kick in April 1.

The District’s current quarterly billing, which went out by mail or email last week, is $110.

The next quarterly billing will carry a rate of $118.50 for the three-month period of April 1 through June 30.

This new $118.50 fee replaces a $115 quarterly rate that had been due to start April 1 but which WSD canceled at the March 28 meeting. It had assumed additional income would be received from the grinder pump users.

About 34 township residents attended the special meeting, five of whom addressed the commission.

Included were two former WSD commissioners ­­– Dan Dickinson and Ron Hochevar – both of whom served in the late 1980s when municipal sewers were put in the township.

Both explained the “forever” promises made at that time to users whose property needs a grinder pump to move sewage up to the main sewer line.

At the time, the district’s engineering firm estimated that utilizing grinder pumps for such low-lying land saved the district $3 million to $4 million by enabling the mains to be set less expensively at a shallower depth.

Hochever described the grinder pump system that voters had approved as a familial type of project in which everyone pays the same regardless of where they live within the sanitary district.

Dickinson afterward described the arrangement as being like a marriage vow “for better or worse” between the district and the people.

Dickinson also noted that it was a choice made by WSD to utilize grinder pumps to save everyone money – a decision definitely not popular with all users of the grinder pumps.

“And when they were installed, it was intended to be part of the overall infrastructure,” he added.

After consultation with John Macy, the WSD attorney, commissioners unanimously voted March 28 to revert back to a one-fee-for-all regular billing, rather than charge some users extra for the extra cost of maintaining their WSD-owned grinder pumps.

“We will not have to raise additional funds; the change is where we are collecting the fees,” Commissioner Jeff Santa said afterward via email.

Santaga said he believes commissioners were swayed by the evidence brought forward and not by the emotions the issue has raised.

In fairness to all, had WSD followed through with plans for new grinder pump fees, then instead of solving an inequity for 1,600 district users, WSD would have created an inequity for the 302 WSD-owned grinder pump users, Santaga explained.

“I do think that there will be a time-limit factor going forward,” Santaga added. “Most likely, a date when the more-expensive design (that wasn’t engaged) would have been paid-in-full.  But that will be a topic for discussion in our meetings going forward.”

Afterward, Commissioner Donna Block commented that background information she received about the decisions made by WSD at the start of the sewer district had changed the complexion of the issue for her.

“Although there were no contracts or written promises made to maintain the municipal-owned grinder pumps ‘forever,’ it became evident that the intent of the commissioners at that time was to take care of the maintenance of these pumps.

“It was in the spirit of honoring that intent and the commitments made that I changed my mind,” Block explained via email.

In a letter sent March 29, Dickinson thanked all the WSD commissioners for their courage in deciding to change course on the issue. “I know everyone appreciates what stand-up people it takes to do what you guys did.”

He also offered his opinion about ways to cut costs to keep user fees from constantly climbing.

Dickinson suggested that WSD continue to operate with a three-person board, but without owning any buildings or service equipment.

The repair and service of district equipment could be put up for bid rather than handled in-house, Dickinson said, and billing could be outsourced for a small (or even no) fee if handled by a bank, for example.

Waterford Town Chairman Bob Langmesser commented afterward that it is unfortunate that taxpayers now have to pay for weeks of legal work done by the WSD attorney on the grinder pump rate issue.

He said these costs could have been avoided with better research done ahead of time before hiring an attorney to do the work.

“One thing I know is it’s going to be a lot of money,” Langmesser said. “Attorney’s fees aren’t cheap.”