East Providence remains on track for monthly water bill change

Move by Faria to stall switch fails at council meeting

By Mike Rego
Posted 3/22/17

EAST PROVIDENCE — A move to stall the implementation of a monthly water billing cycle by Ward 4 representative Brian Faria at the Tuesday, March 21, city council meeting never materialized, the …

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East Providence remains on track for monthly water bill change

Move by Faria to stall switch fails at council meeting

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — A move to stall the implementation of a monthly water billing cycle by Ward 4 representative Brian Faria at the Tuesday, March 21, city council meeting never materialized, the conversation eventually ending with the change from quarterly periods remaining in place.

Mr. Faria, saying he was responding to constituent concerns, especially those elderly residents, and the underlying costs of the switch, was left to pull the item from the docket before a likely vote against his proposal was taken.

Fellow councilors Joe Botello, Jim Briden and Bobby Britto each signaled support of the change with their comments throughout the discussion Tuesday. Mr. Botelho’s words were the most biting, charging Mr. Faria with “grandstanding” and “pandering.”

Mr. Faria claimed the change to monthly water billing from quarterly about to begin in June had not been thoroughly vetted by the current council or its predecessors. He said administrators had not fully informed elected officials and the general public of the actual costs of the implementation.

Mr. Faria said former councilwoman Tracy Capobianco had recently expressed to him her reservations about the change. He also said a member of the city’s General Assembly delegation as well told him of concerns with the switch. “I’m trying to save people money,” Mr. Faria said at one point in the proceedings, defending his stance.

Acting city manager Tim Chapman, who served as city solicitor when the process of changing the cycles began, ran down the legislative timeline of the proposal. Mr. Chapman stated it started back in late 2014 and noted Mrs. Capobianco in early 2015 had been a sponsor of a resolution backing the plan. Mr. Britto, elected in 2014, and Mr. Briden, who was on the council in late 2014 during the early stages of the cycle switch, each countered Mr. Faria’s charge previous incarnations of the body had not considered the change comprehensively.

Mr. Faria was adamant the change would be a financial burden to both customers and the city. He cited numbers presented to the council at its March 7 meeting by city Finance director Malcolm Moore about the cost of hiring personnel and of mailing bills. Two weeks prior, Mr. Moore estimated the cost of two administrative billing aides would be approximately $75,000 apiece or $150,000 total and that of mailing out almost 15,000 bills 12 times a year to be about $100,000.

This past Tuesday, Human Resources director Kathleen Waterbury said Mr. Moore’s figures on personnel were not correct. She said the positions were not new hires, but replacements for personnel retired or about to retire. Ms. Waterbury said it was more likely, depending on the experience of the hires, it would cost approximately $93,000 to fill both openings.

As for the mailings, water supervisor Jim Marvel told the council the most recent issuance of bills in February for the second quarter of the current fiscal year cost $7,150 or 48 cents apiece to send to 14,801 accounts. Four quarters at that rate costs the city $28,600. Tacking on eight more mailings would cost an additional $57,200 to the city, not the $100,000 Mr. Moore estimated and Mr. Faria echoed.

Mr. Marvel also told the council the move to a monthly cycle by East Providence would mirror that being done by other similar cities around the state like Providence, Pawtucket and Newport.

In expressing his support for the change, Mr. Botelho said the national trend of municipalities switching to monthly from quarterly bills, Cleveland, Ohio being the most notable of those. He also referred to a study which determined monthly water bills save cities upwards of 60 percent on delinquent payments and abatements. Mr. Botelho, in addition, said the city had already invested heavily in the switch. Not doing so would be a waste of money and resources.

Mr. Briden also noted the delinquencies dilemma, adding it was an attempt by the city to alleviate the roughly $1.5 million in outstanding water monies owed by customers.

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MIKE REGO

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.