MRRSA Sewer Connection Fee Increase Delayed By Howell Council

HOWELL, NJ - A fee increase to connect a sewer line to the Manasquan River Regional Sewerage Authority (MRRSA) system will be delayed by two months, according to a Sept. 15 meeting of the Howell Township Council.

The fee for residents and area businesses to connect to the MRRSA system will jump from $1,970 to $2,231, according to the documents from the Sept. 15 meeting. But while the connection fee increase was initially scheduled for Oct. 1, members of the council recently passed a resolution calling on the MRRSA commissioners to delay the increase until March 1, 2021.

Watch the Howell Township Council meeting below:

“Contrary to the various relief measures undertaken by other governmental entities, the Manasquan River Regional Sewerage Authority (“MRRSA”) voted on July 15, 2020 to increase connection fees effective October 1, 2020,” the resolution reads.

“This increase was vehemently opposed by the Howell Township MRRSA representatives, who argued that this was not the appropriate time to increase fees, because not only are we in the midst of unprecedented and extremely difficult economic times but also that the increase fees will have a severe negative impact on Howell residential units that are expected to connect to sewer as part of the Freewood Acres Sewer Project”.

The council’s resolution was then passed to MRRSA commissioners, who subsequently voted to postpone the fee increase to Dec. 1, according to CentralJersey.com.

The MRRSA serves five municipalities: Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell and Wall Township. It serves more than 100,000 residences and commercial properties in the county.

“A connection fee increase at this time will have an undeniable and severe negative impact throughout the Township of Howell and will also negatively impact the Township’s ability to connect units under its Court-approved affordable housing settlement,” the resolution continued.

The MRRSA fee increase will impact homeowners in the Freewood Acres neighborhood, where a new sewer system is being installed. Freewood Acres residents will be required to connect to the new system.

“There are 650 homes [in Freewood Acres], all of which at some point are going to have to hook up,” Township Attorney Joseph Clark said. “Now it is going to be more costly … we are encouraging everybody in Freewood Acres to hook up now.”

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