On the heals of news that the city is considering several different new methods of billing customers for water usage, homeowners who have seen their water bills rise in recent years will have a chance to voice their concerns at an upcoming hearing at the Hutchinson Metro Center.
The Department of Environmental Protection is accepting public comments and hearing customer objections to the current billing formula at a public hearing at the Hutchinson Metro Center Conference Room at 1200 Waters Place on Thursday, February 18, from 7 to 9 p.m.
As this may be the only chance residents may have to not only voice long-standing concerns but also propose recommendations about how the DEP can improve its billing system. Councilman Jimmy Vacca is urging the community to attend. He said he believes water rates are too high and that those who work to conserve water should be rewarded with lower bills.
“Our community has been soaked year after year by double-digit water rate hikes, even as people use less and less water. It’s too soon to tell whether these changes will make things better or make a bad situation worse,” Vacca said. “This is our chance to come out and make sure water bills are based on the amount of water we use and nothing else and to tell DEP once and for all to stop the yearly increases and recognize the special needs of seniors and those on fixed incomes.”
Pelham Bay Taxpayers and Community Association member Anita Valenti said that she would like to attend because she thinks that water meters have not done enough to reward those who conserve. She said that price increases have eaten up any potential savings the meters promised when they were installed.
“As a taxpayer, I don’t like it at all,” Valenti said. “They promised us that when we got the meters that we would be paying less, and that has not happened. I cannot believe that with all the money they raise from lotto [and other sources] they are having issues with money and need to raise our water rates again. People are people losing their jobs and we cannot afford to pay another water rate increase.”
Vacca recently helped Jim O’Reilly, who received a $3,500 water bill from DEP on his unoccupied mother-in-law’s single family home, get relief from the agency. Her home has been unoccupied for the past three years and she has been in a nursing home. The bill was reduced by over $2,700.
For more help with similar situations, constituents can call Councilman Vacca’s office at (718) 931-1721.
Reach reporter Patrick Rocchio at 718 742-3393 or procchio@cnglocal.com.
