Mayor Galvin's Ordinace for Water Meters

This is the ordinance that was sent to the City Council in May 2013 from the Mayor's office. The Mayor lied in the Woburn Times in the article printed on Thursday, October 31st. He indicated that he never said anything about two meters, etc. Read article 13.2.14 specifically. Here it is in black and white. You have no creditability, Mr. Mayor. It's about time people in the City know it. Important Notice for All Woburn Residents TITLE 13: PUBLIC SERVICES 13.2.14 Water Meters On all water service installations other than those solely for the purpose of fire protection, the pipe shall be equipped with such meters and reading devices, as the Superintendent of Public Works shall direct. All meters will be purchased by and remain the property of the City, but the whole cost of installing the meter, reading device and service shall be paid by the water taker. No such service shall be installed until a deposit has been made in the office of the Superintendent of Public works sufficient to pay the entire cost of the installation, and no abatement or refunding of the cost of the Installation shall be made. The City shall not be required to make connections at its expense. The minimum meter size for all new connections shall be 1-inch. Multi-family residential properties shall be equipped with such meter and reading devices, as the Superintendent of Public Works shall direct. In addition, a separate water meter and reading device shall be installed on all services for non-residential use, irrigation lines, pool houses, etc as the Superintendent shall direct. The owner will be billed at a commercial rate for the non-residential water use. 13.2.19 Installation of Meters A shut-off valve at the meter inlet shall be the first fitting inside a serviced building and shall be approved by the Department. A stop valve shall be installed near the outlet of the meter, at the expense of the owner, to permit removal of the meter without backflow from internal water system. Users must provide accessible space, per building and plumbing codes, for water meters that are protected from vandalism. Water meters shall not be placed in confined spaces. 13.2.35 Rates for Various Types of Services A. Residential Units 1. All residential units, metered and non-metered, shall be billed at the base rate charge of $102.50 dollars semiannually. Multi-residential units shall be billed by the number of units times the flat rate, semiannually. 2. For the purpose of this section, “residential units” means single-family or multifamily units, where one or more persons reside. 3. Any increase in rates in Subsection 1 herein shall require a majority vote of the City Council for approval. 13.2.35 Rates for Various Types of Services C Metered Services 1. All water services, other than those defined above as residential or mixed use, shall be charged a base rate of $4.60 for every one hundred cubic feet of water used. Separate meters shall be required where water is supplied to both a residential unit/units and a commercial unit. Where water is supplied to both a residential unit and a commercial unit through a single service, the rate charged shall be determined by the principal use of said water. The principal use shall be determined by the Superintendent of Public works. This document is available to all residents at Woburn City Hall.