DALTON, Mass. — There is uncertainty surrounding implications accessory dwelling units will have on the water and sewer rates.
The town does not currently have any ADUs built yet, but one has recently been permitted. The town passed its ADU bylaw in 2022, which had been in development since October 2020.
It is unclear if the topic of how the town would set its sewer rates was discussed during the bylaws development. The tax collector does not have any rates for this type of housing.
On Aug. 6, the state updated its law to allow AUDs without local zoning approval if they meet certain requirements. This state law would not go into effect until February 2025.
The Fire District, a separate governing body that oversees the Water Department, has started discussions on how to set up the water rate structure for all types of ADUs.
There are three main types being considered: ADUs up to 900 square feet attached to the main house, tiny houses under 400 square feet on a foundation, and mobile tiny houses on wheels, Planning Board member Don Davis said during the Board of Water Commissioners meeting on Tuesday.
ADUs up to 900 square feet and attached to the main house and tiny houses are permitted in town.
The Planning Board has been considering amending the bylaw to allow mobile tiny homes,
The efforts to amend the bylaw have been met with obstacles surrounding its tax implications. More information here.
"With us as a Planning Board, we're trying to figure out what we need to put in for stipulations, and this is why the town planner has probably reached out to you guys," Davis said.
A lot of people are assuming that the town and water department can just hook up the water or sewer and be good to go, he said.
However, there are a lot of things that need to be considered, including meeting the state Department of Environmental Protection regulations, backflow prevention, among other things, Davis said.
The board is trying to figure out what to include in its bylaw, whether it is curb-stop, connection fees, or other matters associated with water and sewer regulations.
"Just to review that, with the thought in mind that we need to make sure we protect the water system," Water Commissioner Michael Kubicki said.
Once that is figured out, the district needs to adjust the regulations and rates based on the different types of units, he said.
With an ADU on a foundation, there would probably be a sewer connection and a water connection with its own independent curve stop.
When it becomes a sewer or a well system, then you also have to worry about conservation or the health department to figure out what the septic system is big enough to handle it, Davis said.
"We're just looking for the impact fee to the people that are building or buying these and how they're going to be implemented because it's pretty unclear," he said.
"Maybe they think they could just put a hose to it, and then who knows what happens. So trying to connect all the bases."
With a mobile unit, if they connect a hose to it and it is there over the winter, they would need to put some kind of heat cable on it or leave it running for it not to freeze, Water Superintendent Bob Benlien said.
So there are different questions that come up, like whether or not these units need to be metered, he said.
ADUs on a foundation should have a separate category from mobile units, Benlien said.
"If they're placed on a slab and they're attached to the ground, then I think they should have their own service connection," he said.
Mobile units should have the same guidelines similar to what a mobile park has, Benlien said.
It would come out of the ground and need to be frost resistant, Davis agreed.
Right, Benlien said, it would have to have something like skirting and insulation around it.
This is something the district needs to talk about further in detail during a future meeting when potential options have been thought about further, Kubicki said.
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Pittsfield City Council Weighs in on 'Crisis' in Public Schools
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
A half-dozen people addressed the City Council from the floor of Monday's meeting, including Valerie Anderson, right.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After expressing anger and outrage and making numerous calls for accountability and transparency, the 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks.
At the close of a month that has seen three PHS administrators put on administrative leave, including one who was arrested on drug trafficking charges, the revelation that the district is facing a civil lawsuit over inappropriate conduct by a former teacher and that a staff member who left earlier in the year is also under investigation at his current workplace, the majority of the council felt compelled to speak up about the situation.
"While the City Council does not have jurisdiction over the schools … we have a duty to raise our voices and amplify your concerns and ensure this crisis is met with the urgency it demands," Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey said.
About two dozen community members attended the special meeting of the council, which had a single agenda item.
Four of the councilors precipitated the meeting with a motion that the council join the School Committee in its search for an investigation and that the council, "be included in the delivery of any disclosures, interim reports or findings submitted to the city."
Last week, the School Committee decided to launch that investigation. On Monday, City Council President Peter White said the School Committee has a meeting scheduled for Dec. 30 to authorize its chair to enter negotiations with the Springfield law firm of Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas to conduct that probe.
Ward 7 Councilor Rhonda Serre, the principal author of the motion of support, was one of several members who noted that the investigation process will take time, and she, like Kavey, acknowledged that the council has no power over the public schools beyond its approval of the annual district budget.
The 11 members of the City Council on Monday voted to support the School Committee in seeking an independent investigation into allegations of misconduct by staff members at Pittsfield High School that have come to light in recent weeks. click for more
The committee requested that the graphic designer change the font used in the "Est. 2024" text to a bolder and taller one because the selected font is barely legible.
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No injuries were reported after firefighters extinguished a fire in a two-story detached barn and garage at 566 South St. early Sunday morning. click for more
This project aims to enhance and expand the ability for eligible BRTA Paratransit customers, that require an accessible vehicle for travel in the evenings to destinations within these communities. click for more