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Norwood selectmen set Jan. 14 hearing on proposed water and sewer rate changes
Summary
The Board of Selectmen voted to schedule a public hearing on Jan. 14 to consider water and sewer rate changes; town staff said the town is weighing whether to shift more of any increase into winter months to reduce summer impacts on residents.
The Norwood Board of Selectmen voted to set a public hearing for Jan. 14 to consider adjustments to municipal water and sewer rates.
Town Manager Mazzucco, speaking during the board’s Dec. meeting, said staff are asking the board to schedule the hearing and presented two policy choices: continue the town’s historical single mid‑summer increase in July, or begin transitioning some increases into winter months to soften the impact on residents during high‑use summer months. "We historically are raising our rates all at once in January—sorry, all at once in July, which is the busiest use month for residents," Mazzucco said, adding that the town has been trying to split increases to avoid hitting customers with the full increase during peak use.
The manager told the board that the total amount of needed increases depends on capital projects and usage, and that an example financing scenario could produce a cumulative figure in the high single‑digits to mid‑double digits over multiple years; he cautioned that the ultimate objective is to match rates to costs rather than to create additional revenue. Selectman Plasco said that the board needs to know concrete percentages before endorsing a schedule; "If you tell me it's another 2%, I say go for it. If you tell me it's another 10%, I'm gonna rethink that," he said.
After discussion about timing and legal notice requirements, the board moved, seconded and voted unanimously to set the rate hearing for the January meeting on Jan. 14. The manager said the board will receive the detailed memo and proposed numbers before the hearing, and recommended that staff and relevant finance and operations staff (including the town’s rate‑setting advisers) attend the January meeting to answer specific questions.
Why this matters: water and sewer enterprise funds can affect municipal budgets and tax rate decisions when deficits are covered from general fund sources. Mazzucco noted that prior losses in the water fund had been subsidized by free cash, and that the current approach is intended to align rates with long‑term costs and reduce pressure on general revenues.
Next steps: the board will hold the public hearing on Jan. 14; staff will distribute the rate memo and supporting numbers in advance so board members can submit questions ahead of the hearing.
