Rangeley Sewer Commission votes to raise flat rate to $55, user fee to $8.50 per 100 cubic feet

The Rangeley Sewer Commission voted to increase the flat sewer rate to $55 from $50 and to raise the user rate to $8.50 per 100 cubic feet from $8 for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, and to apply a 3% annual increase thereafter.

A staff member reading the commission’s proposal said, “The Sewer Commission has set rate increase public hearings for April 8 and May 13 today. They're proposing a step increase per the recommendation of the fiscal sustainability plan in rate study by Wright-Pierce. The proposal is to increase fiscal year 25, 26 flat rates to $55 from $50 and the user rate to increase $8.50 per 100 cubic feet from $8. These larger increases will be followed by an annual 3% increase to maintain fiscal sustainability.”

Commissioners moved and seconded a motion to adopt the increase “for fiscal year 25 26 as stated before,” and a vote was taken. The transcript does not record a roll-call tally in the meeting minutes; commissioners recorded that a vote occurred and proceeded with routine business.

The change follows a fiscal sustainability recommendation from a rate study by engineering firm Wright-Pierce. A staff member indicated that the commission has prepared a mailer to notify customers of the change.

The commission also approved the previous meeting minutes for April 8 and set its next regular meeting for July 8, 2025; the annual town meeting was set for June 10, 2025.

The commission did not specify in the meeting record how long the step increase schedule will continue beyond the two-year period or whether any exemptions or hardship provisions apply; those details were not specified in the transcript.