Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Litchfield WPCA to record connection‑charge agreements after flagging state bills that could affect fees
Summary
Chairman Chris Levesque warned that several state bills — including a Right‑to‑Know overflow reporting bill and proposed ADU changes — could reduce connection fee revenue for sewer utilities; the WPCA voted to formalize connection‑charge agreements filed on land records to preserve billing clarity.
Chairman Chris Levesque told the Litchfield Water Pollution Control Authority on March 12 that several pieces of pending state legislation could affect sewer utilities’ reporting obligations and revenue, and the board agreed to formalize connection‑charge agreements that will be recorded on property records for new connections and changes of use.
Levesque described three legislative items: a proposed “Right to Know” requirement that would force sewer utilities to post overflow events on municipal websites and install signs at overflow locations; a bill requiring wastewater utilities to report plant capacity and flows; and changes to accessory dwelling unit (ADU) provisions that Levesque said could enable planning and zoning reclassifications that reduce connection‑charge revenue while increasing system demand. Levesque told members that utilities already report overflow and flow data to DEEP’s statewide website and that trade groups are reviewing and in some cases opposing additional reporting requirements.
On connection charges, Levesque said he distributed sample connection‑charge agreements to Director Raz Alexe and Superintendent Ted Donoghue. The agreements are intended to memorialize sewer assessments on land records so future staff and commissioners can verify what a property has been charged. The process would apply to all new connections, additions, and changes in use; documents would be signed, notarized, and filed with the Town Clerk. Donoghue noted that a South Street property had assessment language embedded in an original 1991 contract and that Sandy helped locate the record.
The board concluded to implement the connection‑charge agreement process as standard practice. Donoghue was asked to follow up on a specific ADU component referenced in the legislation review.
Next steps: WPCA staff will draft a standard connection‑charge agreement template and file procedures for review at a future meeting. The board will continue to monitor the referenced state legislation as CT WIA and trade groups evaluate potential impacts.
