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Select Board approves 4.9% water and sewer rate increase; staff updates $5M South End waterline project
Summary
The Select Board approved a combined 4.9% increase in water and sewer rates after a budget presentation; staff also updated the board on a $5 million grant-funded South End waterline extension that could address pressure and contamination issues via phased construction.
The Bennington Select Board voted June 8 to adopt the water and sewer rate increases presented at the budget meeting: a combined 4.9% adjustment reflecting a 5.8% rise in water rates and a 4.0% rise in sewer rates. Town staff said the typical household can expect an annual change of about $63.98 (roughly $16 per quarter).
Town Manager Dan Monks said the rate proposal matches the budget presentation and is intended to sustain operations and planned capital work. An online resident urged the board to consider the hardship on residents on fixed incomes; board members noted that larger capital needs remain and encouraged residents to review the CAT-TV budget discussion posted online for context.
In a related infrastructure update, staff briefed the board on the South End waterline extension (Monument Avenue into the Southshore neighborhood). Design and permitting are largely complete, easements have been secured, and an application to the Agency of Natural Resources drinking-water permit program has been accepted for processing. The town has obtained $5 million in grant funding for the project and plans to bid the work with alternates so the project can be phased if bids come in higher than anticipated. Staff said the alignment and looped connections could also help improve water pressure in the Margaret Lane area and could reduce the need for previously planned work, potentially saving money if everything lines up.
Board members asked for continued transparency about future capital costs and cautioned that large long-term plans for water and wastewater (including treatment-plant capacity and a 10-year capital plan estimated in the tens of millions) mean rate increases and capital decisions will remain prominent issues for residents. The rate motion carried unanimously.
