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Westminster council adopts ordinance to raise water‑meter fees to reflect current costs
Summary
The mayor and common council adopted Ordinance 2025‑O‑8 to amend the city code’s utility fee schedule and raise water‑meter charges to reflect current purchase costs; the council also approved previous meeting minutes and the consent calendar.
The mayor and common council of Westminster adopted Ordinance 2025‑O‑8 after council discussion about recovering the city’s meter purchase costs and moving fee adjustments to a regular fee schedule.
“For your consideration is the adoption of ordinance 20 25‑O‑8 … to increase the fees for water meters to reflect increases in the city costs since the last fee adjustment,” said the staff presenter (recorded as Hassan Moss). Staff told the council that meter fees were last reviewed and amended in February 2008 and that current meter prices exceed code amounts, causing the city to subsidize some meter purchases.
Finance committee members told the council they had reviewed the proposal and recommended adoption to recover costs rather than generate revenue. Councilmember Guerrero (finance committee spokesperson during discussion) and others expressed support for moving the city’s various user fees into an annual fee schedule tied to the budget process so future adjustments can be handled administratively rather than by repeated ordinance changes.
Councilmember Gilbert asked whether the revised charges apply to city residents and customers inside the water district; staff clarified the fee applies to anyone purchasing a new meter (residential, commercial and industrial customers, and properties inside the district but outside city limits). Staff also explained the city intends to move meter fees into a fee schedule adopted by resolution as part of the budget process; doing so will require a further ordinance to convert the current code language into a fee schedule format.
After discussion, a councilmember moved adoption and a second was recorded. The council voted in favor; the president declared Ordinance 2025‑O‑8 adopted. The transcript records the vote as “ayes have it” and does not provide a roll‑call tally in the meeting record.
Votes at a glance
- Adoption of Ordinance 2025‑O‑8 (amending Chapter A175 to adjust water meter fees): approved (motion moved; second recorded; voice vote: ayes have it). Staff said meters had last been updated in the code in February 2008 and that current meter costs exceed amounts listed in the code.
- Approval of minutes for the regular meeting of 07/28/2025: approved (motion by Dave Huff; second by Councilmember Pecoraro; voice vote: ayes have it).
- Approval of the consent calendar (four items): approved (motion moved and second recorded; voice vote: ayes have it).
The ordinance discussion included direction to staff to prepare a subsequent ordinance to migrate meter charges into a centralized fee schedule (to be adopted by resolution as part of the city budget) so future price changes can be updated without separate code amendments.
