Selectmen: Users should pay for repairs

KENT — At a meeting June 2 at Town Hall, the Board of Selectmen recommended to the Board of Finance that sewer users should bear the full cost of the much-needed repairs to the sewer line on Bridge Street, which runs from Elizabeth Street to the bridge on Route 341.

At a previous meeting, Sewer Commission Chairman Will Gawel estimated that the project will cost $330,000. He said he believes the cost of the repair would be an unreasonable burden to the 340 sewer users in town.

The selectmen disagreed with Gawel,  and on June 2 unanimously approved a recommendation to make sewer users  pay for the repairs, rather than have all the taxpayers in town share the expense.

“It seems to me it wouldn’t be a terrible crush for those who are on the town sewer to pay for it over an extended period of time,â€� First Selectman Ruth Epstein said.  

Selectman Bruce Adams agreed, adding that the commission needs to be more aware of sewer line conditions and plan better for the future.

“If the town’s going to invest money,  there has to be some sort of safeguard for them to be prepared for the next emergency,â€� Adams said. “I think they need to build up a contingency fund because it is going to happen again. Maybe they can do some preventative maintenance studies.â€�

If the Board of Finance approves the recommendation, a bank loan to the sewer users would be set up by the board, and would include payback terms and rates.

Neither Gawel nor any representatives from the Sewer Committee were present at the meeting.

Selectman Vince LaFontan said, if the Board of Finance approves the recommendation, the next step would be to schedule a special town meeting to vote on whether or not to fund the repairs.