Council Denies First Utilities Rate Proposal

WAITSBURG - A utility rate study that evaluated the cost of operating Waitsburg's sewer and water systems showed the city needs to increase its rates, but the city council said no to a proposal that would have raised rates by $14 a month over two years.

Last Wednesday night, The Waitsburg City Council heard public comment on the utility rate increases.

Not many of the large group of citizens remarked on the rate increases, but the sentiment was that the increases were high elsewhere in sales tax or car tab fees.

City council members said they believe they need to increase fees to cover costs, but they would like a smaller increase that would only take place over one year rather than two, as was proposed by City Administrator Randy Hinchliffe.

The proposal was for a $14 increase spread out over two years with each $3.50 increase occurring in April and October of 2012 and 2013.

Currently, for water the city is currently charging $27.10 a month, with an addition

59 cents per 100 cubic feet for those who use more water than allotted.

As for sewer, the city is still paying on the wastewater treatment plant and sewer line projects. In 2001, the rate was raised to $39 a month and now it is $40.60.

An extra $14 a month, under the proposal, would mean an extra $168 out of residents' pockets over the course of a year.

The money would keep the city's water and sewer systems up and running and would fund replacement and maintenance of sewer lines.

Hinchliffe said the city may not need as much money as this increase would provide if there are warm, hot summers during which residents would use more water and more revenue would be added to the fund. However, there have been wet, mild summers recently and the increase in fees would keep the fund in the black, Hinchliffe said.

Councilman Scott Nettles said he wanted a smaller increase in the fees on a oneyear plan. He said he did not like the city judging its fees on weather forecasting.

"We're betting against the weather," he said. "Even a $5 or $10 (increase) makes the difference in whether someone gets their medication."

Councilman Orville Branson seconded that notion and said he also believed the rate needed to be lowered.

The council unanimously voted to table the discussion of the utilities increases pending a proposal with a lower rate and a one-year increase.