Commissioners outline steps for property owners seeking removal of second sewer unit for in‑law apartment

A property owner asked how to eliminate a second sewer billing unit for an in‑law apartment over a garage. Administrator Penny Griffin reported that Building Inspector Mike Borden and Assessor Nick Taffe told her an inspector must verify that a kitchen has been removed — including plumbing for a sink, refrigerator and stove — before the assessor will remove the apartment from the Residential Property Assessment Record.

The commission reviewed its current written policy: an owner must submit a signed, dated written request to the Water & Sewer office. The department will compare the request to the Town of Hillsborough Residential Property Assessment Record; if the record already reflects the reported number of units, staff will attach the assessor's card and change the number of units in the Water & Sewer billing system. If the records differ, the owner must report the change in writing to the Building Inspector to arrange a site visit; after the inspector notifies the assessor and the assessor updates the record, the owner will notify the Water & Sewer Department and the department will reprocess the request. Administrator Penny Griffin will advise the property owner of this procedure.

Why it matters: sewer billing depends on the number of dwelling units on record; the town requires inspection and assessor updates to prevent erroneous billing adjustments.

What happens next: the administrator will notify the property owner of the steps and monitor for the inspector's verification and assessor update.