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Marshfield council adopts meter-size method, limits public fire protection charges to metered customers
Summary
The Common Council approved Resolution 2025-08 to change the public fire protection charge from an assessed-value basis to an equivalent meter-size method and to bill only customers with water meters, following guidance from the Public Service Commission and the utility commission.
The Marshfield Common Council voted Jan. 28 to adopt Resolution 2025-08, changing the public fire protection (PFP) charge from a property-assessed-value method to a meter-size equivalent method and applying the charge only to customers with water meters, Marshfield Utilities General Manager Nicholas said.
"Importantly, to know is that these costs are not connected or do not support any of the operations of the fire department," Nicholas said, explaining that PFP covers infrastructure and maintenance costs for the water utility that enable high-volume water supply during fires, such as mains, wells, treatment and hydrants.
Nicholas presented three options for charging non-general-service customers (properties without water meters): (1) bill only customers that have water meters (the recommended option); (2) bill all parcels with access to the water system, including vacant lots and structures without meters; or (3) consolidate adjacent parcels owned by the same person and bill by consolidated parcel. He said the Public Service Commission has limited the city's options and warned that charging only parcels with structures could be discriminatory.
Using two examples, Nicholas said Daniels subdivision (11 vacant parcels owned by the city) would incur no new charge under the recommended option, while Marshfield Airport parcels would continue to be charged according to existing meter sizes. He said option 2 would add roughly $17,000 annually for city-owned parcels and create significant administrative burden.
The utility commission endorsed option 1 at its Jan. 20 meeting, Nicholas said. The council approved Resolution 2025-08 on a motion by Alderman Tompkins, second by Alderman Giles; recorded votes included Mrs. Spiros and Mr. Bridal voting in the affirmative and the motion passed.
The resolution replaces the assessed-value method previously used and sets a fixed monthly charge tied to meter size for general service customers with meters; it also specifies that customers without meters will not be billed under the adopted approach.
