Owner of Most of Downtown Marlborough Warns of Bankruptcy Due to Sewer

• Black vacates office without consulting his replacement
• Largest property taxpayer in Marlborough warns of possible bankruptcy due to sewer
• Selectmen elect concerned with town employees promising things they have no power to do
• Cathi Gaudinksi: “It’s a new era in town now.”

Last night’s BOF meeting was mostly Attorney Robert Elliot addressing the board.  Elliot is the largest property taxpayer in Marlborough, and owns many properties in town, including the Dunkin Donuts plaza, and the adjacent plaza where the now defunct Marlborough Tavern and Marlborough Market lie vacant.

Before the meeting started, causal conversation with members of the board included First Selectman Elect Cathi Gaudinski stating that she was looking forward to her new position.  She will take office on Monday, November 14th.  Cathi stated that she had not spoken to exiting First Selectman Bill Black yet.  She went to town hall earlier in the day, but was told that Black had left Town Hall by 11:00 am, and had left his keys there and his office was mostly empty.  A computer specialist was there doing something with Black’s computer, which the board believed was setting up new email addresses.   Cathi spent her time at town hall signing papers in preparation for the transition.

It appears to me that Black is gone for good at this point.  He left his keys, and Friday is a holiday, so I expect that’s the end of him.  In typical Bill Black fashion, he didn’t have the courtesy to advise his replacement on the current affairs of his office.  Everything has to be a mystery, or a twisting of the facts with Black.  That’s okay.  Cathi, Dick, and I’m sure Mike are smart.  They’ll be able to figure out what’s going on.  Good riddance, William (that is your real name, BTW).

The BOF meeting officially started a little late.  In attendance were alternate Pasquale Amodeo for Cliff Dennis, Evelyn Godbout, Dick Shea, and Cathi Gaudinski.  Robert Elliot, myself, and Ken Hjulstrom were initially the only public members.

The BOF moved quickly down the agenda to Robert Elliot.  Elliot opened, stating that Town Planner Peter Hughes recommend that he come before the BOF. Elliot stated that he has attended many WPCA meetings and his cries have fallen on deaf hears.  He said that Hughes told him that the BOF can restructure the sewer funding, and that’s why he was there.

Elliot then opened with, “The sewer has been devastating to the businesses in town.  They cannot afford these sewer charges.  In fact, not a single tenant has paid me toward the sewer.”  Elliot proceed, stating that he has begged the WPCA to use water meters to measure flow, instead of the EDU measurement.  “The EDUs assigned by the WPCA to the businesses in town bear no resemblance to the actual usage,” he said.

Elliot then cited the defunct Marlborough Tavern’s $25,000 sewer benefit assessment for this year alone, stating, “That is why they left. “  He then stated that he has recently had to refinance his retirement assets to pay the town $139,000 in taxes and sewer fees.  $79,000 alone was for the sewer expenses.

Elliot stated that he recently had  a new tenant ready for the vacant Tavern.  This prospect has a business in Glastonbury and pays $1,000 a year for their total sewer charges.  This prospect wanted Elliot to pay for all the Marlborough sewer fees, and build an addition.  Elliot said that he’s not able to cover all of those costs and has lost the prospective tenant.

He continued, stating that he has lost 13 tenants since the sewer was built.  His wife is actively recruiting new tenants and they have replaced some.  Elliot said  that he believes (I do not know what he believes) has heard that the Marlborough Bakery is next and will be moving out of town.

Bluntly, said Elliot ,”I will have to file bankruptcy if this continues and something is not done.“  He said that Hughes told him that of the 7 lawsuits, there was an agreement to settle for 25% less than the assessment (this is not true for the residential properties — I have no information on whether this is true for any of the commercial appellants.)  “Perhaps something like that can be done with my situation,” he said.

Elliot said  that with businesses leaving, and other business replacing them, the EDU calculations are no longer applicable.  He said that the former gym, which is now a dance studio and an office, was assessed 10 EDUs by the WPCA.  The new tenants have no showers and would use no where near the amount of sewer capacity as the gym.  Elliot stated that Hughes agreed and would change the EDUs to 2.5.

“But he didn’t, ” continued Elliot, “so I asked him about it and he said he would change it next year.”  Elliot said that a full year of 10 EDUs times $400 per EDU is “a nice chunk of change.”

BOF member Dick Shea interjected, stating that Hughes has no authority to make that change.  That would be the responsibility of the WPCA.  Elliot countered, stating that Hughes has been the sole agent of the WPCA.  No one else has responded to him.

Elliot closed, stating that he was here on behalf of the business owners, and not here on his own behalf.  “It’s a serious, serious situation and these plazas will be empty soon if something is not done.”

As Elliot concluded, Gaudinski thank him for coming before the board and appreciated the seriousness of the situation, however, the Board of Finance is not the right board to address these concerns, and she was unclear why Hughes told Elliot to do so.  She thinks that the new administration will need to get together with the WPCA and discuss these issues.

Pasquale Amodeo stated that he was one of the appellants against the WPCA, and said there was no 25% settlement reached on his case, or any of the other residential cases (I’ve covered this in great depth in a previous post.)  Gaudinski stated that it may have been one of the commercial suits that had reached a settlement, but there was no way of knowing at the moment.

Elliot then spoke again, stating that the huge sums of money requested by the WPCA is destroying the town, and he hopes the new administration can do something about this serious problem.  He then thanked the board for their time, and left.

Dick Shea said that he was concerned with town staff stating the things they could do, but did not have the power to do.  Evelyn Godbout was concerned that the Board of Finance has no real power to do anything regarding the sewer, but the Board of Selectmen may have the power to better address this issue with the WPCA.

Gaudinski said, “Things need to be unraveled at Town Hall.”

Dick Shea commented that he was astounded by the misinformation given to the townspeople by town hall employees and the WPCA, regarding all aspects of the sewer.

“Conversation between the boards, including the Board of Selectmen is needed, and that has been missing,” said Gaudinski.  Godbout said, “That has been sorely lacking in town.”

Gaudinski stated, “That’s going to change. It’s a new era in town now.”

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