BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer
HOWELL — The next sewer bill delivered to the 5,000 residential customers of the municipal sewer utility will contain a 5 percent rate reduction that the Township Council recently approved.
The council, with the exception of Mayor Timothy J. Konopka, approved the rollback in rates last month. The sewer rate was about $161 per quarter. A resident who was paying that amount will now pay approximately $153.
The Republican majority on the council said the rate reduction was warranted due to what they deemed an excessive sewer utility surplus account. They said the large surplus indicated that ratepayers were being charged too much.
Konopka said he opposed the rate reduction because any surplus amount generated should be banked for future emergency repairs or other related costs generated by the utility.
The sewer surplus now stands at $1.2 million.
The ordinance instituting the rate reduction was developed following a cost analysis completed by township finance officer Jeffrey Filiatreault. He determined that the sewer department generates an average annual surplus of $770,000.
In other business at a recent meeting, the council moved forward to provide funding for a traffic light to be installed at the intersection of Newtons Corner and Lakewood-Allenwood roads. At present the intersection is served by a four-way stop sign.
Township Manager Bruce Davis said he is “cautiously optimistic” that the installation of the traffic light will occur this year.
Filiatreault said officials hope to award a contract for the project in the near future.
Councilman Juan Malave was the only member of the council to vote against installing a traffic light at the intersection saying, “It (Newtons Corner Road) will become Route 18, like in New Brunswick.”
Councilman Peter Tobasco disagreed saying, “It will be a traffic control device that will help everybody.”