New bill has business owners seeing red

Wolcott (WTNH) - New bills have business owners seeing red in the town of Wolcott. It could be a foul situation that has those owners counting on News Channel 8.

At Ace of Fades in Wolcott, they take care of their customers whether little or big.

But a new bill is now cutting into their business. Salons in Wolcott are suddenly being charged an extra sewage fee.

"They're billing on water, they think we might use for each station but we're on a meter so how should we have to pay that," Gary Olmstead said.

It's not for the sinks. The sewage company doesn't have to treat for chemicals because of these stop-valves.

They're being charged for how many chairs they have. At their cosmetology School, that's 16 chairs. The cost is $175 for the first chair then $140 for every one after, totalling $2,200 extra a year.

"I mean, these are dry stations, you're not using any water, why are you charging them for it?" Paulette Venditti, an instructor, said.

Instructor Paulette Venditti has been styling hair for 19 years and says she's never seen anything like it.

She says this is a hands-on industry, you have to have a mannequin at a station to train on. So their options are take out chairs and lose students or pay thousands extra. Apparently an arcane law on the books for decades only being enforced now.

"Especially if it went into effect in 1971 and they're bringing it up now, that's 38 years ago," Venditti said.

Wolcott born and bred, these folks say, they want to stay here but can't understand this.

"It's hard enough to survive as it is and then you go throw this on top of it, it really tops it off," Olmstead said.

The mayor has not returned our calls for comment but we will follow up with him and let you know what happens.