November 24, 2013
From: The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer
Organizations
Contact: Susan Kniep, President
Website: http://ctact.org/
Email: fctopresident@aol.com
Telephone:
860-841-8032
Following the Public Hearing of the MDC Commission of
November 13, 2013, as we note below, the Federation suggests
It’s Time to Audit and
Regulate the MDC
Last week’s meeting of the Metropolitan District Commission
drew an angry crowd of ratepayers from member and nonmember towns who echoed a
resounding “NO!!!!” to the proposed rate hikes which in some cases exceed a
700% increase.
The proposed rate increases are highlighted below and impact
residents, businesses, and public agencies to include municipalities and the
State.
With State Legislators in the audience, several speakers
emphasized that this unregulated Public Utility needed to be put under the
microscope by the State Legislature as ratepayers would no longer tolerate
funneling their money into a black hole for which there is no accountability.
My comments at the MDC Meeting included the following:
First, the MDC must cease the practice of Taxation without
Representation by denying nonmember towns a seat at the MDC table. Each nonmember town which includes Glastonbury, South Windsor, Farmington
and East Granby should have an MDC
Commissioner participating in decision making which impact the property owners
and ratepayers in those towns. Member
Towns include Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky
Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor.
Second, MDC Commissioners must be held accountable to the
community they represent or they should be removed. This should include being responsive to
ratepayer and taxpayer inquiries by adding their email addresses to the MDC Website.
Third, the MDC must provide Transparency through their
website to include the wages, benefits and pensions paid to MDC employees, as
well as payments made to their attorneys, contractors and vendors. The Minutes of their Meetings, their annual
budgets and audits, and union contracts should also be visible on the MDC
website.
The State Legislature should immediately call for continued
audits of the millions of dollars ratepayers and taxpayers have paid to the
MDC. This should include continued
forensic audits of the $2 Billion Clean Water Project to be assured contracts
have been properly bid and facilitated.
And most importantly, a process should be established to
assure the public that this high-priced public utility is properly regulated by
an independent, conflict free agency of the State.
The MDC has functioned far too long under a cloak of secrecy
with little to no accountability to the public!
**********************************
November 13, 2013
From: The Federation of Connecticut Taxpayer
Organizations
Contact: Susan Kniep, President
Website: http://ctact.org/
Email: fctopresident@aol.com
Telephone:
860-841-8032
BREAKING:
TODAY, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13,
2013, 5:00 PM
A PUBLIC HEARING ON
MDC DRAMATIC RATE INCREASES
Impacting Member and NonMember Towns
TIME: 5:00 PM, WHERE: The Metropolitan Training
District Training
Center
125 Maxim Road, Hartford,
CT
******************
MDC COMMISSIONERS
http://themdc.com/board_members.shtml.
Did Your Commissioner Notify Your
Community of this Public Hearing or Proposed Rate Increases? Write to fctopresident@aol.com
Example of Rate Increase: Sec W1b Customer Service Charge
Size of Meter: 6”, Quarterly
Billing: From $550.56 To $1,789.32
******Refer to Proposed Rate
Increases Below*****
*******************
NonMember Towns: Glastonbury, South Windsor, Farmington
and East Granby
Member Towns: Bloomfield,
East Hartford,
Hartford, Newington, Rocky Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor
*******************
From the Federation:
The MDC functions in a vacuum as illustrated by their
failure to provide adequate and timely notice to ratepayers regarding their November
13, 2013 public hearing on proposed rate
increases which will ultimately have a financial impact on homeowners, businesses,
municipal budgets and other public sector budgets within MDC Member and
NonMember Towns .
Yesterday, the Federation became aware of the Public Hearing
scheduled for today and although we attempted to receive information from the
MDC none was forthcoming until today. As
such, yesterday, we visited the office of the Town Clerk of East
Hartford and obtained the notice of the public hearing which
although dated November 1, 2013 was not received in by the Town Clerk until Friday,
November 8, 2013. This was one day
before the long weekend was to begin wherein Town Halls across the State would
be closed on Monday, November 11. With
nothing forthcoming from the MDC, we typed this document which illustrates the dramatic
rate increases they have proposed and we have provided the information below
for your review. Today, we received from
MDC Attorney Stone the attached document from which we typed the information It
appears this information is not on the MDC’s website.
Further, Susan Kniep, FCTO President and former Mayor of
East Hartford, has repeatedly and unsuccessfully attempted to obtain through
the East Hartford Town Council and more specifically through the East Hartford
MDC Representative and Councilor William Horan, how the cost of the MDC Ordered To Pay $2.9 Million To Injured Bicyclist -
Hartford ... is to be paid.
Mr. Horan has remained silent on the issue.
In the name of Transparency, we have also been unsuccessful
in having the salaries and benefits of MDC personnel and contractors posted to
the MDC Website.
As the MDC Eyes City-Owned Building For Expansion - Hartford
Courant ratepayers have no idea as to how this latest cost driver is
to be financed at $2.1 million.
MDC Ratepayers deserve Transparency and the MDC should
provide that transparency similar to the State of Connecticut Transparency Website where not only
personnel salaries, benefits and pensions are provided but vendor payments as
well.
The following was typed from the document
obtained by the Federation yesterday. Please
Note that the
MDC Public Hearing is at 5:00
PM Today at
The Metropolitan Training
District Training
Center,
125 Maxim Road, Hartford,
CT
MDC PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
ON PROPOSED REVISIONS TO
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT WATER SUPPLY ORDINANCES
Pursuant to Special Act 01-3, as adopted by the General
Assembly of the State of Connecticut, and Section 2-14 of the Charter of The
Metropolitan District, the Water Bureau of The Metropolitan District will hold
a public hearing on proposed revisions to The District’s Water Supply
Ordinances as they apply to the water rates for the fiscal year 2014. The hearing will be held The Metropolitan District Training
Center, 125 Maxim Road, Hartford,
Connecticut, on WEDNESDAY,
NOVEMBER 13, 2013 at 5:00 PM. Proposed changes to the rates stipulated
under the following sections of the Water Supply Ordinances will be considered:
Additions and/or changes are indicated by underscoring and
deletions are crossed out.
SEC. W1a WATER USED
CHARGE (TREATED WATER)
The WATER USED CHARGE is the quantity of water
used as read at the meter, as follows:
The Following is Crossed
Out by the MDC
|
Bills Rendered
|
Rate
|
Monthly and Quarterly
|
$2.50 Per 100 Cubic Feet
|
The Following is Replaced by the MDC
|
Bills Rendered
|
Rate
|
Monthly and Quarterly
|
$2.53 Per 100 Cubic Feet
|
*************************
SEC.
W1b CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARGE
The CUSTOMER SERVICE CHARGE is a service
charge applicable to all metered services and services to be metered. The charge shall be determined from the size
of each meter installed or to be installed on the premises, as follows:
The Following is Crossed
Out by the MDC
|
Size of Meter
|
Monthly Billing
|
Quarterly Billing
|
5/8"
|
13.48
|
40.44
|
3/4"
|
13.48
|
40.44
|
1"
|
13.48
|
40.44
|
1 1/2"
|
28.29
|
84.87
|
2"
|
28.29
|
84.87
|
3"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
4"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
6"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
8"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
12"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Following is Replaced by the MDC
|
Size of Meter
|
Monthly Billing
|
Quarterly Billing
|
5/8"
|
13.48
|
40.44
|
3/4"
|
13.48
|
40.44
|
1"
|
13.48
|
40.44
|
1 1/2"
|
28.29
|
84.87
|
2"
|
28.29
|
84.87
|
3"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
4"
|
183.52
|
550.56
|
6"
|
596.44
|
1,789.32
|
8"
|
734.08
|
2,202.24
|
12"
|
1,284.64
|
3,853.92
|
*************************
SEC. W1c
SURCHARGE OUTSIDE THE METROPOLITAN
DISTRICT
In towns outside the limits of the THE
METROPOLITAN DISTRICT, in addition to charges under SEC. W1a and W1b, there
shall be a surcharge determined from the size of the meter installed on the
premises, as follows:
The Following is Crossed
Out by the MDC
|
Size of Meter
|
Monthly Billing
|
Quarterly Billing
|
5/8"
|
35.25
|
105.75
|
3/4"
|
38.30
|
114.90
|
1"
|
49.30
|
147.90
|
1 1/2"
|
63.46
|
190.38
|
2"
|
101.87
|
305.61
|
3"
|
386.04
|
1,158.12
|
4"
|
482.55
|
1,447.65
|
6"
|
750.63
|
2,251.89
|
8"
|
1,018.72
|
3,056.16
|
12"
|
1,581.69
|
4,745.07
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Following is Replaced by the MDC
|
Size of Meter
|
Monthly Billing
|
Quarterly Billing
|
5/8"
|
35.25
|
105.75
|
3/4"
|
38.30
|
114.90
|
1"
|
49.30
|
147.90
|
1 1/2"
|
63.46
|
190.38
|
2"
|
101.87
|
305.61
|
3"
|
386.04
|
1,158.12
|
4"
|
482.55
|
1,447.65
|
6"
|
750.63
|
2,251.89
|
8"
|
1,018.72
|
3,056.16
|
12"
|
1,581.69
|
4,745.07
|
*************************
SEC. W1d
CHARGES FOR UNTREATED WATER
Charges for untreated water sold to water companies
and agencies under agreement between The Metropolitan District and such
companies or agencies, or by other arrangements, will increase to the rate of
$1.00 per hundred cubic feet.
*************************
SEC. W6f
CHARGES FOR PRIVATE FIRE PROTECTION
SERVICE
Charges for connections to water mains
supplying water for fire protection, metered, or unmetered, shall be in accord
with the following table:
The Following is Crossed
Out by the MDC
|
Size of Connection
|
Monthly Charge
|
2"
|
14.21
|
3"
|
18.50
|
4"
|
27.77
|
6"
|
46.56
|
8"
|
70.01
|
10"
|
117.24
|
12"
|
164.89
|
The Following is Replaced by the MDC
|
Size of Meter
|
Monthly Billing
|
2"
|
14.38
|
3"
|
18.72
|
4"
|
28.10
|
6"
|
47.12
|
8"
|
70.85
|
10"
|
118.65
|
12"
|
166.87
|
************************
As Posted by the MDC on 11/12/13
MDC COMMISSIONER AND CITIZEN MEMBER
LIST - 11/12/13
*******************
Check the following web link for Future MDC Meetings
http://www.themdc.com/index.shtml
*******************
Metropolitan District Commission (The MDC )
Votes to Put $800 Million Dollar Bond Referendum on November,
2012 Ballot
http://cmgr.themdc.com//ucmprd/groups/public/documents/public/mdc_437793.pdf
Members Towns Include
Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Newington, Rocky
Hill, West Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor
FAQs
| The Clean Water Project
*******************
Step Down, Mr. Dibella - Hartford Courant
May 22, 2007
Hartford
Courant
William A. DiBella ought to do the most graceful thing,
under the circumstances, and resign now as chairman of the Metropolitan
District Commission.
On Friday, Mr. DiBella was found liable on all counts in a
federal civil action tied to one of the biggest political corruption scandals
in state history. Continue reading at …… http://articles.courant.com/2007-05-22/news/0705220253_1_pension-funds-mdc-mr-dibella
*******************