LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen will hold a public hearing Monday on a proposed sewer rate hike of 20 percent.

The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 26, at the Town Office.

Rates will not be approved by the board until after the hearing.

A 20 percent increase would raise the base sewer rate to $60 per unit each quarter and increase the water use rate to 5.16 cents per cubic foot. The increase would bring in an additional $17,029.96 per quarter or $68,119.84 annually, Town Manager Kristal Flagg said earlier in November.

The current sewer rate, adopted in 2010, is $55 per quarter and 4.3 cents per cubic foot of water used.

Flagg had said that a 35 percent increase would be needed to cover expenses. Selectmen decided that would be too much at one time and might cause more users to not pay sewer fees. The town has foreclosed on properties recently for back sewer fees.

The Livermore Falls Sewer Department owes $160,000 to the Livermore Falls Waste Treatment Plant for sewage treated at the plant.

The Livermore Falls plant is owned by the town and is paid for by sewer user fees. Jay and Livermore Falls share the cost of sewage flow treated at the plant. Currently, Jay pays 54 percent and Livermore Falls, 46 percent.

Livermore Falls user fees have been paying for the loans taken out for projects, including replacement of sewer lines, instead of paying the flow rate, Flagg previously said.

There is also $177,000 in sewer fees outstanding, including a trailer park that owes $50,000, Flagg told selectmen on Nov. 5.

There has not been enough revenue coming in to cover expenses, Flagg said.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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