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Village Haven owner appeals sewer EDU assignment; council asks for metered usage before deciding
Summary
The owner of the Village Haven restaurant asked the council to abate sewer charges tied to an EDU formula that she says overstates actual wastewater discharge; the council continued the appeal and asked the owner to provide metered water‑usage history while also initiating an ordinance review.
Sienna Campanella, owner of the Village Haven, asked the council on Oct. 7 to review a sewer charge based on an EDU (equivalent dwelling unit) formula that yields roughly 34–35 EDUs and a sewer bill of about $23,457.62. Campanella said her metered water intake is roughly 478,000 gallons per year and contended the EDU calculation dramatically overestimates her discharge.
At the Sewer Commission level, staff explained the town’s ordinance uses DEM guidelines that translate seating/standing capacity into assumed gallons per seat to derive EDUs; the commission said it cannot change EDUs administratively because the calculation has neutral applicability across businesses. The commission suggested the council could provide an abatement (a political decision) if the council finds it appropriate.
Council response and next steps: Councilors asked the owner to provide historical water‑usage bills (meter readings) covering recent years so staff can estimate actual discharge. The council and staff agreed to pursue two parallel steps: (1) continue the appeal to a date certain so the owner and staff can produce metered usage evidence and commissioner calculation guidance; and (2) initiate a longer‑term review of the ordinance to examine whether EDUs and the current formula fairly reflect usage for metered businesses.
Why it matters: The case highlights a municipal billing method that may produce disparities for businesses with low turnover but high seating capacity. Councilors warned that any ad‑hoc change could create budgetary impacts and asked staff to craft a consistent approach before broader implementation.
Quotations: "We do have metered water coming in," the owner said, describing a gross disparity between meter readings and EDUs. The sewer official said the commission could recommend an abatement, but changing EDUs would require an ordinance change.
