Council sets public hearing on major sewer-rate increase, approves operator contract as treatment plant nears start-up

The Preston City Council voted March 10 to schedule a public hearing April 14 on proposed sewer-rate increases and to hire outside operator services for start-up of the new wastewater treatment plant.

Keller Associates engineer Colter Hollingshead told the council the construction project is roughly "70% complete, 75%, somewhere right in there," and that the city remains on target for substantial completion of much of the plant this fall and final completion in the January–February 2026 time frame. "They're still on target, to be, reaching substantial completion for majority of the treatment plant this fall," Hollingshead said.

Why it matters: The new plant and related debt service are the principal drivers of the recommended rate increases. To secure safe and compliant plant startup and operations the city accepted a contract structure presented by Mountain West/West Waterworks for consulting and then startup/operator services.

What the council acted on - The council voted to set a public hearing for April 14, 2025, to consider raising the typical residential sewer charge from $34 to $65 per month and to increase other service classes by about 91% (the motion as read for the hearing listed $65 residential and a 91% increase across classes). The hearing was required because the change exceeds the 5% threshold that triggers public notice and hearing requirements. - The council also approved moving ahead with Mountain West/West Waterworks to provide consulting and start-up operator services with a start-up monthly rate identified in the proposal as $11,350 per month for the startup phase; the contract structure was described as a consulting engagement that would transition into a start-up monthly agreement and later a one-year operations contract as appropriate.

Council members debated how to pace any rate increase. Councilman Todd Thomas said he preferred a stepped approach rather than one large hike: "I'd rather us take a couple of steps toward it. . . . I'd say we split that 62 in half and take $31 now and $31 again when it becomes operational," he said, arguing smaller staged increases would be less disruptive for households.

Mountain West representatives told the council the start-up cost in their proposal remains the same as the earlier quote and that an accurate recurring operations cost will become clearer once the plant is up and biological and control systems are tuned. "For now, please use that number that was provided as a budget," a Mountain West representative said when discussing the operations estimate; council materials and the public discussion identified the start-up monthly figure as $11,350.

Council and staff also discussed grant and loan timing. City staff and the engineer noted the city has multiple grants and loans supporting construction and that some grant contracts may require funds be committed within a short window; USDA has historically been flexible but staff said they would confirm specific deadlines with grant administrators.

What to expect next: The public hearing on April 14 will include a published notice and a table showing both percentage and dollar changes for each customer class. The council can adopt, increase, decrease or amend the proposed rates after public comment at that hearing. If Mountain West remains engaged, staff said the firm would begin consulting work ahead of August if Keller Associates identifies that need for control and programming work before formal start-up.

Ending: Council members emphasized outreach: staff proposed public tours or an open house once site conditions allow and noted a live feed of the construction is available on the city website until in-person visits can be scheduled.