Monday, January 3, 2022

Lakewood MUA Will Increase Water Rates by 15%

UPDATE:  This morning, the LTMUA commissioners voted YES  to raise the water rates. Mrs. Anne Fish made the motion. Mr. Sam Flancbaum seconded. All others followed suit. Ray Coles was not in attendance and did not participate. (Submitted)

Public hearing is Tomorrow morning 10:00 am. The MUA  board including Mayor Ray Coles, Bob Singer, Meir Lichtenstein and Mrs. Miller wife of Committeeman Miller will be voting. Anyone seeking to participate in the hearing can dial (469) 965-2492 and use conference ID 778 539 174# . Meetings are usually held at the office 390 New Hampshire Avenue.

The Lakewood Township MUA is increasing water rate fees by 15% over the next 3 years. Half the area of Lakewood, specificly the Eastern section gets water from the MUA other parts are serviced by NJ American water. 
Yated Ne'eman Lakewood section reports the increase is due to construction of 2 new water treatment buildings for $12 million. There will be a public hearing on january 4th by zoom to adopt the proposed water hikes. The board also announced a raise for employees by 6% next year. The board is run by commissioners including Lakewood mayor Ray Coles, Meir Lichtenstein Mrs. Yocheved Miller wife of committeeman Miller, Bob Singer and others. Commissioners on the board get a  $5000 a year plus insurance benefits and pension. see notice of hearing and water increase schedule below  

Lakewood Township Municipal Utilities Authority Notice of Public Hearing for Adoption of Water Rates and Fees for 2022- 2025 

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Lakewood Township Municipal Utilities Authority, pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40:14B-21, will hold a public meeting on January 4, 2022, at 10:00A.M. to adopt a proposed water rate and fee schedule. At that time public comment will be received. Further, in accordance with the Governor’s Executive Order 107 all public meetings

subject to the Open Public Meetings Act will be using communications equipment (telephonic conference call-in connections). Anyone seeking to participate in the hearing can dial (469) 965-2492 and use conference ID 778 539 174# on the date and time noted above. The proposed rate schedule is as follows:

1. Beginning January 4, 2022 residential, commercial, and industrial

water rates will be increased by 7.5%.

2. Beginning January 1, 2023 residential, commercial and industrial

water rates will be increased by an additional 3%.

3. Beginning January 1, 2024 residential, commercial, and industrial

water rates will be increased by an additional 2%.

4. Beginning January 1, 2025 residential, commercial, and industrial

water rates will be increased by an additional 2%.


36 comments:

  1. Any of them represent us the people/taxpayers?
    Let me know...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob Singer is not a resident of Lakewood. Why are we letting him represent us as an MUA commissioner?

    In fact, committeeman Lichtenstein and wife of committeeman Miller live in an area of town serviced by the NJAWC and are also not customers of the MUA. They will not be impacted by their cumulative 15% raise on those that have to pay the bills. Why are they allowed to have any say on raising how much we need to pay them??

    It's no different than a Lakewood resident deciding to raise the utility rates of people living in Howell, which would be a chutzpah. The MUA is a government body. It’s voting commissioners should be picked from only those citizens which it serves!

    Stop the travesty!

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  3. This is way too big of a raise. How many of the impacted residents even know about this? The "commissioners" haven't voted yet. Who do we call to express our concerns about the pay-raises the MUA is giving itself? They should vote for smaller increments in raising our utility rates. 15% sounds too much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Call Menashe Miller to speak to his rebbetzin she is a commissioner
      call Ray coles or send your concern to ask the mayor
      Call Bob Singers office they are very responsive to other issues.

      Delete
    2. Did you read the postDecember 22, 2021 at 1:40 PM

      As the post says, anyone seeking to participate in the hearing can dial (469) 965-2492 and use conference ID 778 539 174# on the date and time noted above.

      Delete
    3. What is 6% of $5,000?

      Delete
  4. This is corrupt the self appointed board is hogged by the same power players in Lakewood and they collect full medical benefits a value of 25 thousand for meeting 12 times a year.
    They have the chutzpah to increase water on the poor citizens of Lakewood.
    We have to throw all the bums out and demand elections to join or sit in the MUA

    ReplyDelete
  5. It will probably still be a lot cheaper than NJAW

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The NJAW is part of a publicly traded company which is supposed to provide large returns to their stock market investors. The MUA on the other hand, is a government body whose sole mission is to provide sewer/water to the residents it serves and cover its overhead costs. That’s a BIG difference. There is NO legitimate comparison. I vote NO to the 15% raise.

      Delete
  6. You bet. MUA customers pay for the quarter what I a NJAw customer pays for a MONTH.

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  7. Any chance the MUA will extend water to the Lucy area off New Hampshire?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can ask the MUA attorney Adam Pfeffer to arrange that for you. He just extended it for two of his clients (One on Burnside Ave. The other on Ridge Ave.) by doing a land swap with NJAWC.

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  8. All of the MUA commissioners got appointed to their positions by the township committee. These are the people who our 5 committeemen appointed to decide our water/sewer utility rates:

    Robert W. Singer
    Samuel Flancbaum
    Raymond Coles
    Craig Theibault
    Anne Fish
    Meir Lichtenstein
    Yocheved Miller

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So only 2 of the 7 commissioners (Mayor Coles and C. Theibault) get their water from the MUA?! The other 5 members don't belong having any say - and certainly not a vote - on issues that do not affect them. It's illegal for our committee to appoint a non-resident to our zoning/planning boards for a reason. This is no different.

      It's no wonder that they want to stiff us on the water bill.

      Delete
    2. What criteria does the Committee use to appoint MUA members?

      By the looks of it, these are crony positions handed out to the highly connected.
      (MM is already a commissioner on the Ocean County Utilities Authority, and he's can't have both jobs, so he had to appoint his wife instead for this.)

      The main question remains. Can someone please answer why the very first requirement for this job isn’t that commissioners at the very least reside in an area serviced by the MUA???

      Delete
    3. No criteria is needed you just have to be well connected. This is how they make money from their positions by creating these jobs with benefits off the public dime.

      The developers also gain by purchasing cheap land and than they could decide to run water lines as the value goes up

      Delete
  9. Inflation caused by an overstimulated economy and some other factors. Unless you can figure out how to roll things back everything will be going up. You can't expect only a house to go up but not wages. Meat but not water etc. Everything will cost more the dime is the new penny if you're lucky.. when tuition goes up babysitting, taxes, it's all going to cost more - maybe start with why are people getting maximum food stamps when there's a sliding scale? If you lost your job you'll get maximum no reason to give it to everyone.. why is Medicaid not throwing people off who are making way above the limit? It's freebies like these that continue feeding into this inflation

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    Replies
    1. Is that why they are raising it now for 2025? Will they lower it if the economy shapes up

      Delete
  10. It is a serious halachic discussion if a women is allowed to sit on a board of authority and vote on something that has ramifications on the public

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    Replies
    1. Did you say Halacha? It doesn't appear that the 3 committeemen take that into consideration..

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    2. Why should they bother they are making up to 30k by doing nothing but show up to some meetings.

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  11. Can all of the plebeians please control themselves this is all part of the "growing pains" and the greater good.
    Is it a fair question to ask what if any experience any of these people have in running public utilities ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The patricians don't deem it necessary for the commoners in society to be overly informed. Consider it gracious on my part to respond to your inquiry by advising you that it is NOT a fair question. Any further questions will be duly ignored. You can now move along with your little life..

      Delete
    2. Commissioner ,
      Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to respond .
      It is truly inspiring to know that you know what is best for us all
      Humbly yours,
      Plebeian

      Delete
  12. SF,board member lives in Marlboro

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    Replies
    1. Wow. This is getting scandalous.

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    2. Don’t tell me what to do if you don’t live here!January 4, 2022 at 6:52 AM

      This should not be any different than allowing an illegal alien to vote in our elections.. If he or she is not residing in the service area, they should be sent back to where they come from. Let them vote in Mexico. Not in Lakewood, NJ.

      Delete
    3. Any relation pray tell to Justin Flancbaum of the MUA?

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  13. r.s. lives in Spring Lake

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  14. All the commissioners voted YES for to raise the water rates. Mrs. Anne Fish made the motion. Mr. Sam Flancbaum seconded. Ray Coles was not in attendance and did not participate.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This morning, the LTMUA commissioners voted YES for to raise the water rates. Mrs. Anne Fish made the motion. Mr. Sam Flancbaum seconded. All others followed suit. Ray Coles was not in attendance and did not participate.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Please everyone remember to check in your brain before you call in .

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mishpacha Magazine is not a disseminator of Torah Hashkafa - V'itchem haSlicha.

    ReplyDelete