EAST PROVIDENCE — Residents faced with sticker shock when they opened their most recent quarterly water and sewer bill unleashed some of their fury on the East Providence City Council during its meeting Tuesday night, Nov. 18.
A rare packed house greeted the Council for the last meeting of its current term, and about 99 percent of those there weren’t pleased with the significant increases in their bills, specifically the dramatically inflated sewer usage charges.
In a preemptive move, Councilmen Helder Cunha and Tommy Rose each expressed their dismay over the increases.
“I was appalled when I opened up my bill. I’m going to be working to do something about this Mr. Cunha said.
He added, “A bill of this stature really puts an affect on people’s livelihoods.”
Said Mr. Rose of the rapid rise in bills, “This is above and beyond…This is extraordinary.”
Among the many troubling stories recounted about the bills, one of the most poignant came from former State Representative Ed Lynch and Nancy Lavallee. Mr. Lynch and Mrs. Lavallee told the story of her 93-year-old mother whose bill from the same time period last year to this grew from a mere $57.46 to an astounding $1,569.49.
“For a 93-year-old to have to pay a bill like that for the water is just disgusting. I’m furious. We’re all furious,” Mrs. Lavallee said. “I’m furious that the city didn’t do something about it and get out there instead of sending her a letter to check your toilets, check your sprinkler system and make sure nothing is leaking. There’s more to it than that.”
In response to all concerns, both Mr. Rose and Mr. Cunha vowed to shortly hold a special Council meeting on the matter with all of the appropriate parties present, including representatives from United Water which operates the sewer system.