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Pittsfield Considers Raising Public Services, Utilities Permit Fees
By Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
12:50PM / Friday, February 10, 2017
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Commissioner of Public Utilities Bruce Collingwood brought the proposal to the City Council on Monday.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city is looking to raise a number of permit fees regarding water, sewer, and public services.
 
Commissioner of Public Utilities Bruce Collingwood brought forth a proposal Monday to increase some two dozen fees that hadn't been changed since the 1980s. However, the City Council's Ordinance and Rules Committee felt the proposal was too aggressive and cut the proposed increases in half.
 
"The goal here is to cover our costs," Collingwood said of the proposal. 
 
Collingwood presented a spreadsheet outlining the permits, which range from permits and inspections for contractors repairing water lines to occupying public sidewalks and right of ways for as long as a year to new connections to the city's water and sewer infrastructure. His staff used comparisons to what other municipalities charge for such things and estimations as to what it costs the city in time and materials to perform the inspections needed.
 
In total, Collingwood presented increases that would boost revenues by an estimated $126,900.
 
But the council was in sticker shock looking at the increases. A water or sewer connection permit, which the city issues only 10 of a year, would have been increased from $100 to $550. To replace a full the water or sewer line in an emergency, the permit would have increased from $100 to $650. 
 
This isn't the first time Collingwood had proposed to increase the fees but previous attempts had been killed at the subcommittee level. He was open to crafting lower fees. He did add that the city does have the ability to subsidize the water and sewer ones, in which the revenues would go back into enterprise funds. 
 
When there is a water or sewer line that needs to be replaced, inspectors have to be there when the work starts, once or twice during the project, and then observing the backfill and road restorations. Collingwood said staff often has to make multiple trips to a work site. 
 
However, councilors had some philosophical questions regarding the fees. Ward 5 Councilor Donna Todd Rivers said the inspections should be a service provided by the city. The taxpayers fund the positions of inspectors already so tacking on fees to cover the inspections seems like a double hit, she said.
 
"These fees are taxing our taxpayers twice. They have already paid for someone to perform these services," River said.
 
Ward 6 Councilor John Krol, however, says the permits are fairly rare and is a user fee. Charging for special permits needed infrequently helps keep the water and sewer rates nearly all city residents have to pay lower - essentially a typical water user's fees aren't partially going to pay for somebody who is installing a whole new water line.
 
Collingwood says the same, "I look it as more of a user situation. The person who uses the permit pays for the staff time."
 
The permit most issued in a given year is a trench permit, at 175 times annually. That fee was proposed to go up from $25 to $100. 
 
Councilor at Large Melissa Mazzeo, however, said she just couldn't increase the amount for a permit so quickly at once. She advocated for only modest increases in the fees.
 
The subcommittee opted to cut most of the fee proposals in half, recognizing that they should be updated but not as aggressively. A few proposed increases remained the same.
 
The Ordinance and Rule Committee's updated proposal is below. This is is after the reduction of 50 percent for most.
 
 
Water Existing Fee Proposed Fee
Connection $100 $275
Replace Water $100 $275
Repair Water $100 $200
Replace Water Emergency $100 $325
Repair Water Emergency $100 $250
Terminate Water $100 $200
Cross Connection Device $60 $200
Final Meter Reading $0 $50
Water Meter $0 $25
Sewer Existing Fee Proposed Fee
Connection $100 $275
Replcae Sewer $100 $275
Repair Sewer $100 $200
Replace Sewer Emergency $100 $325
Repair Sewer Emergency $100 $250
Terminate Sewer $100 $400
Industrial Discharge $500 $1,000
Public Services Existing Fee Proposed Fee
Point Excacation in Road $25 $100
Linear Excavation in Road $25+$25 per linear foot $100 + $50 per linear foot
New Driveway $50 $100
Replacement Driveway $25 $100
Storm Drain Connection $100 $200
Trench $25 $50
Occupy 1-10 Days $15 $20
Occupy 11-30 Days $25 $60
Occupy 1 Year $100 $250

 

 

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