GARDINER — Darcy and Alan Aronson think they’ve been overbilled for sewer fees.

They want the city to pay up — to the tune of $40,000.

City councilors will discuss the couple’s formal request for an abatement at tonight’s meeting at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

The Aronsons, owners of Loads of Fun Laundromat, said they have been fighting the city to get their sewer bill reduced since the Winter Street business opened in 2003.

In their written request to the council, the Aronsons said, “It is our estimation we have been overbilled about $40,000,” including late fees and interest.

City tax collector Kathleen Cutler said the Aronsons owe principal and lien costs of $3,275 from the billing period that ended June 24, 2010; $6,711 ending Nov. 30, 2010; and $4,922 ending June 16, 2011, for a total of $14,908.

Chuck Applebee, the city’s public works director, said Loads of Fun received a three-year sewer rate discount in 2003. The first-year discount was 75 percent; the second year, 40 percent; the third year, 30 percent.

In 2006, Applebee said, the discount lapsed and the account was returned to the full rate.
Since 2009, he said, the city has twice granted the couple “equivalent user rate” reductions.

EURs determine potential water use. For each 210 gallons per day of potential use, a business is rated 1 EUR. The EUR formula has been criticized, and utility officials are looking to replace it with one that measures actual use better.

In 2008-09, the Aronsons said, they got a rate adjustment and received a six-month abatement totaling $3,014.

“At the time of the abatement request in June 2009, it appeared that the city and Loads of Fun had come to a mutual agreement that the adjusted billing system was fair and the six-month abatement allowed by city ordinance settled this issue,” Applebee said.

City Manager Scott Morelli said Loads of Fun has received an abatement and ongoing reductions in their sewer bill since January 2009.

“This abatement was a result of information they provided to the city and was reviewed by the state plumbing inspector, the Wastewater Advisory Board and, ultimately, the City Council,” Morelli said Tuesday. “The ordinance only allows abatements to be applied to the previous six months. They are asking the council to amend the ordinance to allow for a longer window for abatements, and at the same time are asking that they receive such an abatement.”

Darcy Aronson said she was unsure how the council will respond to their request.

“You never know with them,” she said Tuesday. “It’s been a long four years, and I don’t want to jinx anything.”

In other business, councilors plan to consider alternatives for eliminating sewage odors on West Street. The problems arose during construction at Libby Hill Business Park.

Sewage from a section of the park was routed through West Street pipes.

Morelli said the original solution of the city’s engineering firm — sending the sewage from the business park down a separate pipe housed within the existing West Street line — won’t work, because of the existing pipe’s poor condition.

“As such, they have come up with three alternatives,” he said. “The alternative city staff recommends is an external pipe that could be direct-drilled in the ground, thus it would not require excavation. Although this option is a bit more expensive than the original proposal, it is the least expensive of the three new alternatives and is still within the city’s budgeted amount.”

Applebee said the least expensive amount is $325,275. The city budgeted $500,000 for the project.

Morelli said the new line also will be able to handle the full load of sewage from Libby Hill once it is fully built. That would not have been the case with the original solution, he said. 

“We’ll be asking for council to approve this new solution with the goal of completing the entire project by year’s end.”

Mechele Cooper — 621-5663

[email protected]