Athol Selectboard to review sewer contract with Royalston

Athol Town Hall

Athol Town Hall FILE PHOTO

By GREG VINE

For the Athol Daily News

Published: 02-03-2025 4:01 PM

Modified: 02-04-2025 7:59 AM


ATHOL – In October 2020, Athol and Royalston entered into an intermunicipal agreement under which Athol agreed to allow employees of it sewer division to operate Royalston’s sewer treatment plant in exchange for payments from Royalston.

The latest version of this three-year agreement, dated July 1, 2022, is set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year, but work is underway to renew it. In a recent interview, Athol Town Manager Shaun Suhoski said the town’s Selectboard is likely to take up the extension of the agreement at its meeting on Feb. 18.

The agreement calls for Royalston to pay Athol $5,205 per month, followed by “a 2.5% escalation to the monthly fee commencing each July 1” during the remaining two years. “The fee does not include maintenance or repair of the collection system, which is currently, and shall continue to be managed through the Royalston Department of Public Works,” the agreement states.

In anticipation of this renewal, Suhoski told a recent meeting of Royalston’s Selectboard, “The only thing we’re hoping to clarify is, unfortunately, we’re going to have to update the pricing. We anticipate an increase of just under 10% in the first year, and then we’d negotiate a yearly increment you could plan for. My board is meeting (in February) to set our rate structure for the next three years in our water and sewer divisions, so I just want to open your eyes that we’re going to have to adjust the pricing.

“We’re not a profit-making machine, but we want to maintain stability without costing us lots of employee time or resources. So, we’re looking to have a fair agreement that works for you.”

Suhoski went on to clarify that the original intent of the agreement was to have Athol operate the treatment plant and its three lift stations, while Royalston’s DPW would handle maintenance of the collection system. He also suggested a better communication system between the Royalston plant and Athol’s sewer division and would like Royalston to outfit the facility with internet capability.

“Right now there’s no communication there; there’s no internet – I don’t know if there’s a phone line – but we can’t work through our work orders,” he said.

“I think we feel that this has been a pretty good deal with Athol,” said Royalston Selectboard member Bill Chapman. “I think the town would like to see this continue.”

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Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.