Thursday, March 30, 2000 Older Editions

Sewer articles down the drain?

By Neil Fater

Looking to avoid a vote that might literally set neighbor against neighbor on the Town Meeting floor, the Board of Selectmen has recommended the withdrawal of three articles seeking to change how residents will pay for the large sewer projects approved last year.

Before a vote Monday night, board members listened to residents who said it's unfair to charge them significantly different betterments than they thought they would get when they approved the projects in 1999.

The vote was unanimous to recommend withdrawing articles 23, 24 and 25.

"There are going to be people who are upset (about withdrawing the articles)," said Selectman Larry Larsen. "But I don't think it's fair to change a horse in midstream."

In the past several months, town officials such as Public Works Director Jack Petkus have spoken of the benefits of changing the way Andover pays for its sewer projects. Petkus said it would be fairer for the town to use the so-called "uniform unit method," which charges everyone with a single house lot the same betterment.

If approved, the three articles would have charged everyone the same flat rate to have a sewer laid in their street. This would have reduced the betterments on about 800 of the 1,300 soon-to-be-sewered homes, say officials.

But because the multi-million-dollar sewer projects were approved last year under a long-standing betterment system that charges people based on a formula related to each lot's frontage and area, other residents who would see their betterments increased by a change were upset. They turned out nearly 200 strong last week for a meeting on the issue.

A handful turned up again at the selectmen's meeting Monday, saying they approved the article last year because they had an estimated betterment cost in hand.

"I wanted the sewer system too, but I wanted it at the amount I was supposed to pay," said Mike Roli, of College Circle. "I said, 'Yes,' to it because I knew what I was supposed to pay."

Selectmen themselves also noted that the idea of charging each homeowner the same amount had been addressed and defeated at 1999 Town Meeting.

"This question has been asked and answered," said Peter McLaughlin, of High Plain Road.

McLaughlin said he could picture this year's Town Meeting being marred by the 500 people whose price would go up, battling with the 800 whose betterments would be reduced.

"I would hate to see a public meeting, a Town Meeting, pitted in that way," he said.

Ed Weil, of Ivy Lane, said he doubted Town Meeting voters would look as favorably on a change in payment as they did on approving the sewer projects themselves.

"When people vote to tax themselves, if you can get 82 percent to agree on anything, that's pretty phenomenal," said Weil, noting last year's support. "You will not get a two-thirds majority to agree at this point."