A rendering of potential changes to Cooley Brook in Laurel Park.
Photo credit: Fuss & O’Neill
LONGMEADOW — The Longmeadow Select Board voted to adopt a 150% increase to the fiscal year 2026 for water and sewer users’ fixed meter rate, bringing it the average amount residents will pay to $72.52 for water and $85.70 for sewer. This will result in a water rate of $6.49 per unit, which is calculated as 100 cubic feet, and a sewer rate of $5.17 per unit. The calculated rates include a discount for blind, senior and veteran residents.
The town’s water and sewer infrastructure is in serious need of upgrades after years of deferred maintenance. Based on this and a Tighe & Bond study recommendation that the Water and Sewer enterprise funds maintain a balance of $1 million for capital expenses, Town Manager Lyn Simmons and Finance Director Ian Coddington proposed a couple of options for restructuring the water and sewer revenue streams.
After the Select Board rejected the possibility of tiered water and sewer rates at its June 3 meeting, Simmons and Finance Director Ian Coddington brought new options to the board on June 16. Coddington offered options for increases of 50%, 100% or 150% to the fixed rate portion of water and sewer bills. Because the same amount of revenue — $5.33 million for FY26 — must be raised regardless of how it is apportioned, an increase in the meter rate lowers the variable water rate, which reflects the amount of water used. The variable water rate was $4.52 per unit, and Coddington said that no matter the level of increase, there would be “some sticker shock” for the highest water users.
A 50% increase to fixed meter rates would have raised the variable water rate by just under 50%, to $6.76 per unit. Doubling the fixed meter rate with a 100% increase would have set the variable water rate at $6.62 per unit, $6.42% higher than in FY25. The options for the 50% and 100% increases in the fixed sewer costs would have resulted in variable sewer rates of $5.57 per unit and $5.36 per unit, respectively.
Select Board member Dan Zwirko said his priority is helping the town’s veterans and seniors. He had asked Simmons and Coddington to recommend a mechanism to discount water and sewer rates for those residents. Simmons said the most straightforward way to do so would be to use the same criteria that already applies to people who already receive a 30% stormwater discount. They are eligible because they meet specific requirements, including being blind, low-income seniors or disabled veterans. Simmons suggested a similar 30% discount on the water and sewer fixed costs.
Select Board member Andrew Lam said he was glad the tiered rates had been taken off the table as most people would see a relatively low benefit compared to the high price others would pay. “The town as a whole is going to be kind of shocked,” he said of the higher rates. He suggested including a letter in the next water bill that explains why the town had to raise rates.
Select Board member Vineeth Hemavathi acknowledged that it would be a large increase, but said the fixed meter rates had been artificially held down over several years, in part by using money from the enterprise funds. He said that after the one-time hike was implemented, incremental increases would need to be made to keep pace with future capital needs.
Select Board Chair Josh Levine noted that fixed rate increases disproportionately affect the low water users. He said it was important to “thread the needle,” generating the required revenue without unduly impacting residents. Because of this, he was in favor of the 100% increase to fixed rates and was the sole vote against the 150% increase.
Cooley Brook
The rehabilitation of Cooley Brook, which passes through Laurel and Bliss parks, has been discussed for several years. In 2020, a group of residents began spearheading efforts to create a new design for Laurel Park. The town then hired The Conway School of Landscape Design, which produced one set of conceptual designs that keep the conventions of a formal park, with a pond, and another that would embrace the natural progression of the water and wooded park areas.
In 2024, using a state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness action grant, the landscape and climate resilience architectural firm Fuss & O’Neill began the second phase of design for rehabilitating Cooley Brook. A three-day workshop and survey revealed that most participants preferred a more natural ecological design for the brook, along with abundant walking trails. Fuss & O’Neill’s design was shaped by resident input and the goals of reducing erosion and flooding, while improving water quality and habitat.
Senior Landscape Architect Andrew Bohne presented the Select Board with the most current designs for Cooley Brook in Laurel Park. Funding for designs for Bliss Park will be sought in the future.
The town’s stormwater system empties into Cooley Brook at nine locations along the brook, which stretches 1.5 miles, from the headwaters in Bliss Park to where it empties into the Connecticut River under Longmeadow Street. Erosion was evident along the length of the brook.
Bohne also said the water quality and sediment was tested for contaminants at several points and results “pinged a couple hot spots” near the dammed area.
Bohne said the key to limiting flooding is to slow down the water that enters the system. Luckily, Longmeadow has an abundance of sand in its soil, which lends itself to natural infiltration of water, he said. He said creating a natural “wetland” in the park will help solve flooding issues. Sediment would naturally build up in the pond, creating a marsh-like wetland, which could be designed to fill with water during heavy storms and slowly sink into the ground, returning the waterway to its stream-like, marshy condition. The design included a “figure-eight” of boardwalks over the wetland, allowing for trails through the park. There could also be opportunities to interact with the wetland via stone steps down to the water’s edge.
Based on the designs so far, the cost of the project was estimated at $3.35 million to $4.29 million. Bohne said the town is more likely to secure from various sources, including state and federal grants, if the project is shovel ready. “We’re going to try to get a patchwork” of grants together,” Simmons said.
Hemavathi said the project could be “transformational for our town.” In August, the next Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grants will be awarded, providing more funding for the project. By summer 2026, the first parts of the project would be ready to be implemented.
