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Village moves to raise sanitary sewer rates by 20% to cover regional treatment upgrades
Summary
Trustees approved a 20% increase in the village's sanitary sewer rates, including a 5% hike to the base fee and larger increases to volume charges, to cover a projected roughly $650,000 annual cost from the regional treatment plant's phosphorus-removal upgrades.
Trustees voted to raise residential sanitary sewer rates by 20% on a voice vote, applying a 5% increase to the base charge and the remainder to volume fees, to cover higher bills expected from the regional wastewater treatment district.
The increase, approved after discussion of options and local budget impacts, is intended to offset a roughly $650,000-per-year increase that Remote Metro Sewers District projects to recover from participating communities as it installs phosphorus-removal upgrades. Michael (staff member) told trustees Remote Metro expects a roughly $20 million capital program and that Weston's share could be about 60% of the increased flow-based charge; that translates into roughly $600,000 a year in additional payments and left the village with a roughly $282,000 operating deficit as of July.
Why this matters: the Remote Metro upgrades respond to state phosphorus-removal requirements that affect multiple communities served by the regional plant. Trustees and staff debated how to apportion the increase between a flat base fee and volume charges so customers who use more water pay a larger share of the new treatment cost. Michael said, "we are currently the third lowest" among neighboring communities using a 12,000-gallon average residential bill; a straight 20% across-the-board increase would move the sample 12,000-gallon bill from $74.40 to $89.28.
Trustees reviewed several options: a straight 20% across-the-board increase; a plan that raises the base rate by 5% and places most of the increase on the volume charge; and a blended option that would raise the base to $34.65 and increase the volume charge to $4.55 per 1,000 gallons (from $3.45). The motion brought to a vote used the blended approach described above.
Discussion and context: board members pressed staff on how Remote Metro sets its annual rates and on flow projections. Michael said Remote Metro bases bills on measured flow: "if we flow a million gallons to them, we get billed for a million gallons." He also said Remote Metro's annual rate-setting can vary year to year based on projected flows and fund balance, which makes longer-term budgeting difficult for member communities. Trustees discussed possible steps to reduce billed flows, including sewer lining and targeting high-contributing dischargers with surcharges for excessive suspended solids or BOD.
The board approved the motion by voice vote; the meeting record does not show an individual roll-call tally. Staff will implement new rates and bring required ordinance language or rate schedules back to the board as needed.
