Middletown Water Pollution Control Authority Meeting - April 9, 2026
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Middletown Water Pollution Control Authority Meeting - April 9, 2026
The meeting of the Middletown Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) was called to order at 6:30 PM on April 9, 2026. The board addressed a public hearing, two presentations, routine reports, and several action items including goodwill adjustments and a financial hardship request. The meeting was adjourned at 7:54 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Amy Carlberg (141 Julia Terrace, Middletown) spoke about receiving a high water bill ($1,317) due to an inadvertently left-on outdoor hose. She requested forgiveness for the sewer portion since the water did not enter the sewer system. She noted the meter reading indicated more charges would follow. Staff later addressed this under agenda item 5.3.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of March 5, 2026 – Approved unanimously.
- Goodwill Adjustment – 141 Julia Terrace (Item 5.3) – Moved to the top of the agenda. Staff recommended a sewer-only adjustment of $465.64 based on average usage due to a hose malfunction. The motion included a friendly amendment to also capture the next quarterly billing. Passed unanimously.
- Goodwill Adjustment – 570 East Main Street (Item 5.4) – Staff calculated a consumption discrepancy; the customer had paid half. A one-time adjustment of $1,274.09 was approved unanimously per standard policy.
Discussion Items
- Connecticut Water Linebacker Program Presentation – Dunel Dylan, representing Connecticut Water, presented a service line protection plan (Linebacker) for water, wastewater, and in-home plumbing. The program is offered at no cost to the WPCA, with a proposed $10 per enrolled customer annual fee paid to the authority. Coverage costs range from $109 to $243 per year for residential customers. Staff asked about local contractors and coordination with existing operations. No action was taken; the board will review the proposal and a formal agreement.
- Mattabassett District Budget Presentation – Arthur Simonian (Executive Director) and John Dunham (Board Chairman) presented the FY2027 budget overview for the Mattabassett District, which serves Middletown, New Britain, Berlin, and Cromwell. The overall budget increased 17.7% due to significant capital projects (e.g., sewer trunk line planning, tank rehabilitation, odor control). Middletown’s assessment would rise 1.7% (approximately $88,000), partly offset by $2.25 million from reserves and a $55,000 credit for grit removal. The district highlighted a 5.6% operating budget increase, debt service reductions, and ongoing permitting issues with DEEP regarding discharge permit and inflow/infiltration concerns. No vote was taken.
- Fund Balance Report – Director Joseph Casino reported water cash and pool as of March 2026 at $4,061,891 (year-over-year increase of $1.7 million). Sewer cash and pool at $3,815,428 (increase of $707,704).
- Income and Consumption Report – March sewer consumption was 6,453,000 (slightly above average); water consumption was 6,387,000 (significantly higher than the March average of 5,762). Staff noted quarterly billing has stabilized consumption spikes.
- Collection and Delinquent Report – Collections for December-February totaled $374,908. Total delinquent amount is $3,896,381, with $2 million from the first year and decreasing amounts from prior years. Staff is working with the attorney’s office.
- Old Business – Metro Square (Item 4.1) – Tabled; no new information from general counsel.
- Old Business – Draft Shutoff Policy (Item 4.2) – Tabled to allow Mayor to attend the next meeting. Board discussed concerns about tenant protections and conflicting statements from city officials. A revision had been made to delete language on termination of services to tenants, stating the city would not pursue shutoffs for occupants of rental units at this time. Further discussion awaited.
- Old Business – Goodwill Adjustment for 120 Clover Street (Item 4.3) – No action taken; the property owner is filing bankruptcy. Board expressed frustration over communication with attorneys and the foreclosure process.
Key Outcomes
- Goodwill Adjustment – 141 Julia Terrace – Approved unanimously for sewer-only credit, with a commitment to review next quarter’s bill.
- Goodwill Adjustment – 570 East Main Street – Approved unanimously as a one-time adjustment of $1,274.09.
- Financial Hardship Request – 55 Bird Drive (Item 5.5) – After discussion about the lack of a formal hardship policy, a motion was made to wipe out the entire arrears ($3,992.63) as a one-time adjustment. The vote passed 4-1 (Councilman Lapreto opposed, citing lack of policy). The board directed staff to develop a formal hardship policy for future cases.
Meeting Transcript
That's why I was kind of okay. Good evening. This is Brian Robillard, Chief Engineer for the Water and Sewer Department. On behalf of Chairman Brian Gartner, and Director Joseph Casino, welcome to the scheduled meeting of the Middletown Water Pollution Control Authority. This meeting does appear on the city website and is appropriately scheduled on the city calendar. This meeting is open to the public for listening through the provided phone number and access code posted on the agenda. All public comments that were submitted to the directors prior to the meeting will be read into the public record. I mean it will be recorded and then posted on the city of Middletown website. All speakers should identify themselves before speaking. Thank you. And now I'll turn this meeting over to Chairman Gardner. In a moment. Did you want to try calling in to the Webex Councilman? Oh yeah, this is good. You want to try calling in to the um uh the WebEx. Well, we couldn't hear we probably uh needed to elevate you um on WebEx to a uh uh to a panelist. So if you want to try to call in again, Brian is with the computer now and uh he should be able to facilitate that. Is he calling user two? Are you still actively on the phone or no? Can you unmute call or two? Uh this is our I'm not sure if you talk about me. I I think I was my video just shut off for some reason. Uh John Dunham, I'm with Matt Abbassett district as well. Both our current call-in users are um other folks. Yeah, um, Calcman, if you want to try calling in Brian's with the computer, and he should be able to elevate you so you'll be able to um have two-way audio. We'll be able to speak to you and you'll be able to hear us. Um I mean you still have it up. Uh Brian, you don't see Councilman Lapreto as a call-in user, do you? There's a call-in user, I'll make him a panelist if you like. If you want to try, yeah. If he's still there, do you want to try to switch over to that other call and see if it's still active? So he's whoever calling user two is uh uh the WebEx or the call in. Well, whatever you were trying to do. Yeah, so um, I think our best bet, Councilman, uh, would be for you to call back in, use the information on the agenda, and then Brian can make it so you'll be able to hear both ways. You're very welcome. All right, so uh councilman Will Fragers will be joining us. Um Brian, I'm sure you heard if you could all be the one he does so and um we will start the business while we uh work through the technical difficulties. So my apologies on the delay. We will call the meeting to order at 6 30 for the event. And our first item of business this evening is our public hearing. So I will open the public portion of the meeting. If there's any members of the public that wish to be heard at this time, uh this is your opportunity. Please state your name and address for the record. And you have five minutes. Hi, that's me. My name is Amy Carlberg. Uh Island 141 Julia Terrace in Middletown. Um, I just purchased a condo over the summer, which is exciting. Um, I'm a first-time home homeowner and I work here in Middletown as well. Um, I received my water bill in the mail, which was very high.
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