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Resident complaints and finance briefing highlight aging WPCA equipment and repair costs
Summary
A resident told the council of late-night noises at the water pollution pump house and described difficulty reaching city contacts; finance staff said WPCA repairs and equipment costs are trending above budget and that the city monitors WPCA monthly and may need budget adjustments or capital requests.
A West Haven resident told the city council during public session that loud late-night noises at the water pollution pump house had disturbed neighbors and that he had been unable to reach a city contact for answers. Rich Shebert, who gave his address as 166 Blum Street, told the council he and neighbors were kept awake around 11 p.m. and said the city needs a designated contact for such operational questions.
"Approximately 2 weeks ago, there was something going on at the water pollution station. And I talked to a neighbor who informed me there's loud noises going on approximately 11 o'clock at night," Shebert said during the public comment period. He asked the council to provide residents a point of contact at the city to report and receive explanations of such incidents.
At the finance committee review that followed, Finance Director Michael Gormeny described WPCA (the water pollution control authority) as an area with unpredictable equipment needs that sometimes require immediate purchases or overtime to maintain operations. The November year-to-date report showed certain equipment repair lines trending above budget, he said, and he noted that the city had made a sizable transfer in the prior fiscal year to cover WPCA operating deficits.
"Sometimes that may involve overtime or other areas of personnel," Gormeny said, adding that the city meets with WPCA leadership monthly and the procurement director also reviews their financial needs. He told council members the city is preparing capital and operating budget requests and will consider capital investments versus short-term repairs as part of the coming budget season.
Council members asked whether higher repair trends had been considered in the upcoming budget and whether replacement or a beefed-up repair budget would be required. Gormeny said departments had submitted capital requests and that capital and operating considerations would be taken into account during the budget review.
The council did not take formal action on the resident complaint at the meeting but members asked staff to clarify contact procedures for residents calling about WPCA operations and to continue monitoring repair and replacement needs as the budget season continues.
