South Hadley raises demand fees on late tax bills

South Hadley raises demand fees on late tax bills
Sunday, December 21, 2008
By SANDRA E. CONSTANTINE
sconstantine@repub.com

SOUTH HADLEY - Town Collector Deborah L. Baldini asked the Selectboard to raise the demand fee on late bills from $5 to $10, but got more than she bargained for when they increased it to $30.

The Selectboard voted 3-1 Tuesday to raise the fee to $30, the new maximum allowed by the state. Selectman Robert G. Judge made the motion, which was supported by Selectman Gregory R. Sheehan and Selectboard Chairwoman Carlene C. Hamlin. Selectman John R. Hine, who voted against the $30 fee, had made a motion earlier for a $10 demand fee but it died for lack of a second.

"A lot of people are struggling right now. That's a big amount to penalize," Baldini said of the $30 demand fee, which took effect immediately.

The new fee means Baldini will lose her discretion to waive fees in instances which people have a good reason for paying late as long as the bill and the demand are $15 or less.

Judge commented before making the motion that a $30 fee should ensure that people do not let bills slide.

In fiscal 2008, Baldini collected demand fees on 524 real estate tax bills, 48 personal property tax bills and 2,726 excise bills. Excise bills are issued for motor vehicles, including motorcycles, and trailers.

That year, her office sent out about 16,300 excise bills, 7,038 real estate tax bills and 210 personal property bills.

A survey by Baldini's office shows that the following communities have raised their demand fees from $5 to $10: Amherst, Concord, Holliston, Hinsdale, Milford and Oxford.

Trash fees stable for next year

Trash fees stable for next year

By STEPHEN C. HILL
Staff Writer

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Fees for household trash collection will remain the same in 2009, but changes are coming, according to a report by the town's Solid Waste Advisory Committee.

The Selectboard voted Tuesday to keep fees at $39 per person per household for the coming year, but according to the committee's report, those fees could rise to $107 if the South Hadley landfill on Industrial Drive closes as scheduled at the end of 2010.

The anticipated fee increase would reflect the increased cost of disposing of trash once the landfill closes. Currently, the town's agreement with Interstate Waste Services, which runs the town-owned landfill, allows for most of the trash generated in town to be disposed of at no cost.

The committee recommends that biweekly curbside pickup continue but that a pay-as-you-throw program be instituted by the end of 2009. Charging more for those who toss more trash will serve two purposes, said John Higgins, committee chairman. It would be a more equitable system and encourage more recycling, which saves money and the environment, he said.

A technical assistance grant has been received from the state Department of Environmental Protection for 80 hours of help in formulating a waste reduction or pay-as-you-throw program.

An application to operate a transfer station at the current recycling center adjacent to the landfill is another committee recommendation. Once the landfill closes, the recycling center will not be able to collect bulk waste items or trash unless a transfer station permit is issued by the DEP.

Arlene Miller, a municipal assistance coordinator for the DEP who helped the committee, said a transfer station application should be straightforward but take 18 to 24 months nonetheless.

Both the transfer station application and waste reduction program will be explored by his department, said Jim Reidy, public works superintendent, but the closing of the landfill is not a certainty. The town is negotiating with Interstate Waste Services for a 21-acre expansion of the site.

"There is a possibility it could happen," Reidy said.

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Delay on Texon building OK'd

The Selectboard signed off on a delay in the disposition of the old Texon building on Canal Street but anticipates the development of two riverfront parks by the Holyoke Gas & Electric Department to begin next year.

The old mill building is owned by the Holyoke utility. As part of the federal Energy Regulatory Commission process of re-licensing the Holyoke Dam, it is required to sell the building to a developer or demolish it. A Holyoke developer with experience rehabilitating and converting old mills into multi-use buildings has expressed interest, said Town Planner Richard Harris, but the current credit crunch will delay the project a couple of years.

The Selectboard agreed to allow demolition to be delayed until November 2011, as long as a new owner takes title to the vacant, dilapidated 1900 building, which has more than 100,000 square feet of floor space and sits on 14 acres at the base of the dam, by June 30, 2011.

Meanwhile, HG&E will begin construction Lower Riverside Park below the building, which will have trails and picnic areas and Gatehouse Park upstream of the old dam. Both parks will include informational installations about the historic canal, the earliest commercial canal in the country.

Along with the town's redevelopment of the Beachgrounds Park, the parks represent more than $1 million in recreational investments on the riverfront, Harris said.