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Council approves appointment to sewer user-fee committee under city ordinance requiring annual review
Summary
Council moved to amend the agenda and appoint a citizen to the ordinance-mandated sewer user-fee review committee; staff reviewed the committee’s composition and its role in rate recommendations tied to debt service and grants.
The Crowley council amended its utility committee agenda to add and approve the appointment of Steven Primo as the citizen member on the city’s sewer user-fee study committee, a panel established by city ordinance to review rates annually.
“As per our ordinance, 10‑30, which requires an annual review of the sewer,” explained a staff member reviewing the ordinance’s purpose, “that review affects debt service, bond ratings, [and] your ability to get certain grants… you have to review annually to make sure that your rates reflect that.”
City staff explained the committee composition spelled out in the ordinance: the mayor, the city clerk, the city attorney or staff designee, the city auditor/CPA (statutory reference in the ordinance), the city engineer and one citizen appointee (not a council member). The citizen seat had been held previously by Tracy Young; councilors asked for confirmation that the appointee be a city resident rather than an out-of-town property owner.
The council chair of the utility committee noted the committee has met several times in the past six years to study revenues and expenses and to recommend rate adjustments when warranted. Committee members said their role is advisory: the committee reports to the utility committee and council, and the council then determines rate changes.
Nut graf: The action implements an existing ordinance mechanism intended to ensure the sewer system’s rates remain sufficient for operating expenses and debt service; the citizen appointment restores the required membership so the panel can complete its annual review and advise the council on any needed adjustments.
What happens next: The appointed citizen will join the standing members for the review cycle; staff said the panel will compile a report to the utility committee and then the full council with any recommended rate changes.
