Commission considers billing approach for public fire protection; motion made to charge only metered customers

Marshfield Utilities staff presented three approaches to allocating the public fire protection (PFP) charge following a procedural question from the Public Service Commission about how the fee should be applied under a switch to meter-based billing.

Staff outlined three alternatives: (1) bill the monthly PFP charge only to parcels with water meters (the simplest approach), (2) bill all parcels (including vacant parcels within city limits that lack meters), or (3) bill by parcel with an "adjacent parcel" qualifier so contiguous parcels without individual meters could be grouped and charged as one. Staff said their initial analysis showed about 86 parcels currently without water meters; many of those lack nearby water mains or hydrants and would receive no practical fire-protection benefit.

Several commissioners favored the "metered customers only" approach as straightforward and fair to properties without hydrant access. One commissioner raised concerns about storage facilities or other developed parcels that might not have meters and noted that a future rate case could revisit parcel-based approaches. A motion was made and seconded to recommend approach 1 (charge only customers with water meters). The meeting transcript records the motion and a second and subsequent discussion but does not record a final roll-call vote in the provided excerpts.

Staff said the commission's decision will be presented to the common council as the PSC has requested a formal resolution defining the billing method before the tariff change can proceed.