Brockton, college officials work toward more favorable agreement for city
Officials from the city and Stonehill College say negotiations to revise the college?s sewer deal, which massively undercharges the rapidly expanding college, are proceeding amicably.
Representatives from the two sides met in late April to begin discussing changes to the contract.
?The negotiations were cordial,? Mayor Linda Balzotti said Wednesday. ?Stonehill is willing to work with the city, and they understand that we?re looking to resolve concerns about the sewer rate and expansion at the college to make sure the city is being properly compensated.?
Balzotti declined to comment on what was discussed at the negotiations as they are ongoing, but she said the likely resolution will be an amended contract. She also did not give a timeframe for a new agreement, but said both sides are committed to moving quickly toward a resolution.
Previously, City Solicitor Phillip Nessralla Jr. said the city would have to wait until 2016 to change the sewage deal, but Balzotti pulled Nessralla, who has close ties to Stonehill College, off the city?s negotiating team.
Stonehill College spokesman Martin McGovern described the April meeting as an ?exploratory conversation? and an ?exchange of ideas? on how to address the sewer issue.
The two sides agreed at that meeting to hold off on further negotiations until after Stonehill?s new president has time to settle in.
The college?s new president, the Rev. John Denning, took over earlier in July. No date is set for the next meeting between the two groups.
City Councilor-at-large Todd Petti, who has pushed for a revised contract, said he would like to see ?major concessions? from the school, located just across the Easton town line.
?Stonehill is benefiting tremendously from using the Brockton sewer system,? Petti said Wednesday, ?and they?re paying the base amount for their bill.?
The Enterprise reviewed the college?s bills for the last two years and found that Stonehill reaped huge savings each year as the result of provisions in the current contract. In 2012, the school saved $153,993, and in 2011, it saved $172,477. The city has lost out on more than $2 million since the contract was altered in 1996.
Stonehill, which charges about $48,000 a year for room, board and tuition, listed its assets as $212,352,158 on its 2011 taxes.
Petti said he would like to see a revised contract that charges Stonehill the highest block rate on the city?s tiered system.
Unlike other large users, the college does not pay a higher block rate for sending sewage to the city?s wastewater plant and has at least 58 separate meters for its 46 buildings, according to the same Enterprise report, which was published in March.
Petti said the college should also pay connection fees for new buildings the college brings online, as well as partial retroactive connection fees for buildings built since the contract was last altered.
Some communities have used higher hook-up fees to make up for lower sewage bills given to some colleges.
The state-run University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth pays the same rate for sewage to the town of Dartmouth as other users, but its hook-up fees are based on usage, according to Dartmouth DPW Director David Hickox.
The current contract does not require Stonehill to get permission from the city to connect additional buildings.
Petti said he would like to see the college compensate Brockton for the 89,630-square-foot science building opened in 2009 as well as two new dormitories, all of which got free access to Brockton?s sewer system.
Morgan True may be reached at mtrue@enterprisenews.com follow him on twitter @truemorgan_ENT.
READ MORE about the Stonehill sewer contract.
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