Hanover Select Board Weighs Water, Ambulance Rate Increases

Select Board explores ways to cover rising costs while minimizing impact on residents

HANOVER, MA - June 3, 2024 - The Hanover Select Board convened on Monday evening to discuss potential rate increases for both water and ambulance services for the upcoming fiscal year 2025. The board emphasized that these rate adjustments are necessary to cover the rising costs of providing essential services to the community. Matt DeMeo, a summer intern with the town, presented three water rate scenarios to the board, each varying in how they would distribute the burden of rate increases across different tiers of water users. Board members expressed an inclination towards Scenario 3, which aims to incentivize water conservation by minimizing the impact on lower-tier users while placing a greater burden on higher-tier users, who typically consume larger volumes of water. The board acknowledged the need to be mindful of the financial burden on residents, particularly with upcoming budget discussions.

The board also reviewed a presentation on ambulance rates, highlighting the increasing costs of providing emergency medical services (EMS). The presentation noted that while collection amounts have increased year after year, the percentage of Medicare and Medicaid transports has also risen, impacting the overall revenue. The board discussed the possibility of aligning Hanover's ambulance rates with the Comstar Top 50, which represents the average of the top 50 customers of the town's ambulance billing company. However, concerns were raised about the potential impact on residents who rely on Medicare and Medicaid.

A significant portion of the discussion centered on the impact of the Benchmark Senior Living facility on Route 53 on EMS call volume. The facility has generated a higher-than-anticipated number of calls, many of which do not result in transport and therefore cannot be billed. Board members and Fire Chief Jason Cavallaro discussed the challenges of billing for non-transport calls and explored potential solutions, such as implementing a special assessment or surcharge on facilities that generate a disproportionate number of calls. The board also suggested inviting representatives from Benchmark to a future meeting to discuss the issue further.

The Select Board will continue to deliberate on the proposed water and ambulance rate increases and plans to adopt new rates at their June 17th meeting, effective July 1st. The board also intends to engage in further discussions with Benchmark Senior Living to address the impact of their facility on EMS services.