LeBaron residents press Lakeville Select Board after years of disputed billing; town to press Taunton

Residents of the LeBaron development told the Lakeville Select Board at its September meeting that they believe a master meter installed during early construction has left their neighborhood paying at higher commercial tiers and that the town and Taunton Water have not resolved the problem.

"We have spent, on a very conservative number, $218,000 in excess water bills from 2019 to 2024," said Kelly Newman, who identified herself as a resident of 111 LeBaron Boulevard and spoke for neighbors at the meeting. "We just want fairness."

The board heard that the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) responded to a complaint by saying the homeowners' association and developer bear primary responsibility. Town Administrator Andrew told the board he had met with DEP and that DEP's written response was "nebulous" and appeared to limit the agency's role.

Newman and other residents said town records and meeting minutes show the master meter was intended to be temporary when it was installed during early development, but it remains in place and the neighborhood is billed through that single meter. Residents said they track individual home usage by reading meters and then aggregating bills, a process they say produces higher per-house rates when Taunton's tiered billing applies to aggregated master-meter flows.

"When they submitted an official letter to the Massachusetts DEP, in that official letter they said that they were kicked off the site," Newman said. She added that contractors interviewed by residents deny Taunton was ever forced off the construction site.

At several points residents asked the Select Board to press Taunton to remove the master meter, adopt per-house billing, or otherwise resolve questions of responsibility. Multiple residents said they had contacted state legislators and that a meeting with Taunton officials in 2021 nearly led to an agreement.

Town Administrator Andrew told the board the intermunicipal water agreement (IMA) with Taunton governs allocations and that final decisions requiring Taunton action would go before the Taunton City Council. But he said the town would continue to press the matter and facilitate meetings.

After public comment, a member of the Select Board moved — and the board seconded — that the town draft letters to the Taunton mayor and the Taunton City Council voicing Lakeville residents' concerns and seeking a multi-party meeting that would include the HOA, the developer and Taunton water officials. The motion was seconded and the board instructed the town administrator to proceed.

Why it matters: LeBaron residents say the billing arrangement has carried a substantial cost for households for several years and raises public-safety and infrastructure questions (residents also raised concerns about hydrant availability for firefighting). The letter and any follow-up meeting could shift responsibility, billing practices or require infrastructure changes affecting both municipalities and the development's homeowners.

What happens next: The Select Board asked the town administrator to send consolidated resident documents (public records, meeting minutes and Taunton correspondence) to town staff and to pursue the planned letters and meeting requests with Taunton leaders. Residents were asked to route individual statements and supporting documents to the town administrator's office for inclusion in the town's packet.

Residents quoted

"We just want to be billed in a fair fashion and to ensure our water is safe," Kelly Newman said during public comment.

Ending

The Select Board did not adopt a binding remedy at the meeting; it directed staff to press Taunton officials and to draft formal letters on the neighborhood's behalf. Board members said they would attend Taunton meetings in support of LeBaron homeowners if asked to do so.