The City Council voted unanimously Thursday to raise water and sewer rates for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
The increased rates (the first since fiscal year 2020) result from the expected departure of the Coca-Cola bottling plant from the Northampton Industrial Park, likely by the end of this year.
While the city is seeking to attract a new business (or businesses) to fill some of the space in the vacated plant, it is unlikely that any new industry will consume as much water as Coca-Cola, leaving a gap in the revenue that the city must raise for its water and sewer enterprise budgets (they are not funded by property taxes).
Donna LaScaleia, director of the Department of Public Works, said she expects that the closing of the Coca-Cola plant, which uses about 25 percent of the water consumed in Northampton, would lead to “limited operational savings” for the water and sewer departments. In response to my question, she said that after assessing that data it would be factored into any future recommendations for raising rates. .
The enterprise budgets are used to pay for major capital projects needed to repair and upgrade infrastructure to maintain the municipal water and sewer system throughout the city.
For example, during the fiscal year beginning July 1, $16 million will be used for upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant, and $7.9 million will be used to repair the spillways and embankments at the Ryan and West Whately reservoirs.
There will be no change in the rate charged for the amount of water used.
Most residences in Northampton have 5/8-inch water meters, and some have 3/4-inch.
For a 5/8-inch meter, the quarterly base rate charge will increase from $15.29 to $47.45, and the quarterly base rate sewer charge will increase from zero to $28.85. That totals $61.01 per quarter, or $244.04 per year.
For a 3/4–inch meter, the quarterly base rate charge will increase from $22.95 to $71.25, and the quarterly base rate sewer charge will increase from zero to $36.06. That totals $84.36 per quarter, or $337.44 per year.
The average commercial water and sewer bill will rise by $523 annually, according to LaScaleia.
The city is increasing the quarterly base rate charges for water, and establishing new ones for sewer, because exemptions for those fixed charges are allowed for home owners who meet income guidelines.
Here is information about exemptions (you do not need to be a senior to qualify for the Community Preservation Act exemption as long as you meet the income guidelines): https://www.northamptonma.gov/1343/Personal-Statutory-Exemptions
Further information, including help determining whether you qualify, is available from the assessor’s office at 413-587-1200.
The mayor’s office is determining how renters who meet income guidelines may qualify for the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program administered by Community Action Pioneer Valley.
LaScaleia’s presentation to the City Council about water and sewer rates is available here: https://www.northamptonma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/21901/Water-and-Sewer-Rates-FY2024-Presentation?bidId=
Downtown Northampton Main Street redesign
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will hold a virtual public hearing from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, to discuss proposed improvements to Main Street in downtown Northampton.
Information about registering for the meeting is available here:
The redesign of Main Street is intended to improve safety and accessibility starting west of the intersection at Elm and West streets and extending about four-tenths of a mile east to the intersection of Market and Hawley streets. The proposed design includes one travel lane for motor vehicles in each direction, with separated bike lanes on both sides of the road.
Plans for trees, lights, bus stops, reconfigured parking, and dedicated space for loading and deliveries also will be presented during the hearing.
“Power of Truths”
The second annual Power of Truths Arts & Education Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday, April 29 and 30, at the Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, 130 Pine St., Florence. It will focus on the arts and education as tools for social change.
“Power of Truths” is presented by Self-Evident Education, a non-profit creating multimedia resources to examine the histories and legacies of systemic racism in the United States, and the Northampton Arts Council.
There will be a series of panel sessions between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. April 29, followed by “Know the Ledge: Hiphop History Live,” an evening of storytelling, music and dance from 7 to 10 p.m. Workshops and panel sessions will continue from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30.
Tickets good for both days of panel discussions cost between $24 and $40 and tickets for the evening concert cost between $15 and $25. Registration and a schedule of events is available at poweroftruths.org. Registration is free for up to 100 members of the Northampton Public Schools community, including staff, students and families.
Stan