Acting on recommendations from a consultant, Cambridge councillors voted Tuesday to upgrade old water meters, allow for monthly equal billing plans and collect 25 cents from each water bill to build up a reserve fund for low-income residents.
“There were a lot of good things that were in that report,” said Coun. Jan Liggett
The consultant’s report was the result of a full audit of the city’s water service, called for after a number of residents reported unexplained high water bills.
Councillors said they’d seen single bills as high as $2,700 – and one person in the audience Tuesday night had a figure that trumped that.
Tyrell Sellner said he’d been handed a $5,700 bill dated Jan. 31.
“The city’s done nothing to help me. They’re telling me that I’m stuck with this bill,” he said.
Sellner said he liked the measures voted on by council – especially one allowing for an appeal process for anyone with an unusually high bill – and hoped there would be a resolution to his issue.
Less happy were a number of landlords in the audience, who had been hoping not to be held responsible for water usage at their properties.
Currently, if a tenant doesn’t pay their bill, the outstanding balance may be added to the landlord’s property taxes.
“For small landlords, this is unfeasible,” said Kayla Andrade.
”We were looking to see landlords finally off the hook. It was actually a big smack in the face.”
Andrade said she plans to raise the issue with other levels of government.
