FRENCHVILLE, Maine — The town of Frenchville on May 27 will present a proposal for a significant rate increase for residents who use the Frenchville Wastewater Treatment Facility to be incorporated in the 2025 sewer billing process.
Town Manager David Cyr said that he and town officials are going to propose a phased-in approach to the increase, where rates will go up steadily over the next five years. He said the Select Board was reluctant to drop the increase all at once.
Cyr said that the town is not disclosing what the increase will be until the hearing is held. He said the hearing will give the town an opportunity to discuss the factors driving the increase, and residents an opportunity to provide feedback. The town will then use feedback from the hearing to help set the new rates.
The town currently charges a flat rate of $404.25 annually. In 2012, almost 15 years ago, he said the town’s annual rate was actually higher at $428.87.
“It just goes to show that in the last 12 years, there haven’t been any significant increases in the rate,” he said, “even though we’ve had increasing costs associated with running the system.”
He said that any shortfall in money unable to be funded via rates is made up by taxpayers.
Cyr said the driving costs behind the rate increase are the increased costs to operate the system and also part of debt service to pay for recent improvements.
“We just put $1.2 million into the force main replacement project, and another quarter million dollars for sludge removal,” he said. “We’re upgrading the aeration system in one of our operation basins and we’re looking at an upgrade to one of our pump stations.”
While the costs for the force main and sludge removal projects were covered via grants, he said the town will likely have to borrow money for the other projects.
The pump station upgrade, he said, will likely cost at least $250,000. And while the town is still seeking grant funding to cover this, Cyr said it is becoming increasingly difficult to secure grants, and there is now more competition among communities applying for the same grants.
The hearing is set for May 27 at 6:30 pm at the Frenchville Community Center on 343 Route 1.
“I expect and would encourage participation for people to come and, if nothing else, become informed on how we’re spending the existing rates and how we intend to move forward,” Cyr said, “and demonstrate to people that we’re doing our best to be good stewards of their money.”
