Common Council Special Meeting – Water Rate Hearing – May 4, 2026
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Common Council Special Meeting – Water Rate Hearing – May 4, 2026
This was a public hearing held by the Middletown Common Council to discuss the proposed water billing schedule, water use charges, and meter charges for fiscal year 2026-2027. The meeting occurred on May 4, 2026, at 6:45 p.m. in the Common Council Chamber and remotely via WebEx. No members of the public offered testimony. The meeting concluded with the hearing being adjourned; no vote on the proposed rates was taken during this session.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public in the chamber or online provided comments or questions regarding the water rate proposal.
Discussion Items
- Councilman Vincent Lafredo invited Joseph (director of water and sewer) to present the proposed water rate changes.
- The director stated that the overall increase in water rates is 0.3%, extremely close to zero. The proposed rate is $467 per hundred cubic feet. Meter charges remain unchanged from the previous year.
- Brief procedural discussion occurred regarding when a vote would take place—initially referenced for the May 13, 2026 regular meeting, but then clarified that a resolution might be considered that evening. Ultimately, the hearing was adjourned without a vote.
Key Outcomes
- The public hearing was adjourned after receiving no public input.
- No vote or final decision was reached on the proposed water rates or meter charges. The council will consider a formal resolution at a later date (likely the regular meeting on May 13, 2026).
Meeting Transcript
All right, thank you. We would all rise, please. And Councilwoman Spatola, if you can lead us in the pledge, please. I pledge appeal to the flag of the United States. United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for allcome everyone to part two before our regular meeting. And let's uh have our council clerk read the call of the meeting, please. The chief of police of the city of Middletown greetings. By authority of the state of Connecticut, you are hereby commanded to summon and notify Vincent J. Lafredo, Jeanette Blackwell, Darnell Ford, Grady Faulkner Jr., Kelly Sweeney, Anthony Mangiofico, Linda Salafia, Anthony Eschenaro Sr. Jonathan Polino, Leslie Spitola, Shine Fulton, Ava M. Hart, members of the Common Council of the City of Middletown to attend a special meeting of said common council for the purpose of conducting a public hearing for property owners located in Middletown who are or may be connected to the city water system. Said meeting shall be a hybrid meeting to be held in the council chamber of a municipal building in said city and remotely via WebEx at Join a Meeting, event 2342-286-2562 on Monday, May 4th, 2026 at 6.45 p.m. Hereof fail not, but make due service in return to the clerk of said city three hours prior to the time of fixed meeting. City of Middletown, April 9th, 2026, attested by Honorable Eugene Pinocchio Mayor. City of Middletown, April 30th, 2026. I hereby certify that I have delivered an attested copy of the foregoing order and attached agenda of the common council meeting to each and every council member named above via electronic mail, attested by Chief of Police Eric M. Costa. Thank you. And just as a reminder, the purpose of our second meeting is a public hearing on water billing schedule, water use and meter charges and purposes to allow our anyone who has any concerns or questions about that to uh present to the council. So anyone and we'll go back from chamber to online. Anyone in the chamber would like to address the council on uh water billing schedule, water use, and meter charges at this time he's gonna speak to me after that then he's gonna speak to it. He's gonna be the deputy okay. And anyone online no hands raised online. All right. So I don't um I don't see anyone uh coming up to the podium. So councilman Lafrito is gonna read the the the charges into the record, please. Thank you, Your Honor. Uh I'm gonna ask uh for the director of water and sewer to come forward. Good evening. Good evening. Thank you for being here, Joe. Um so just uh quick if you could give an overview uh so the members of the public understand. I think we've had some discussion, you know, as we debated and reviewed the budget, and now this evening we are going to be pass considering passing a resolution that will do what uh so this resolution will codify the uh water rates. We did the uh the press release with it was posted in time. Um and basically the water rates were as close to zero as we could keep them for an increase. It was 0.3 percent increase overall. So we're looking at a $467 rate per hundred cubic feet. And the uh meter charges remain the same. So the last year's meter charges weren't changed at all. Okay, uh thank you very much. You're welcome. All right. Uh and that will be uh we will be voting on that uh at our May 13th meeting. We're gonna vote tonight. There's a resolution tonight. Well think we vote tonight. We do vote tonight. Uh the agenda. Oh, okay. Got it.
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