Grantsville approves ordinance to bill irrigation shares; council sets $20 monthly access charge
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Summary
Council voted to adopt Ordinance 2025‑29, authorizing the city to begin billing roughly 1,600 irrigation shares with an ongoing access charge staff described as $20 per month and to manage administrative costs associated with merchant fees and account setup.
Grantsville City Council approved Ordinance 2025‑29 on June 18 to begin city billing and administration of approximately 1,600 irrigation shares and to charge an ongoing irrigation access fee intended to cover administrative and merchant processing costs.
City staff explained the change follows the city taking ownership or control of a large set of secondary water shares. Staff told the council the fee was calculated to cover time spent setting up accounts, education and customer service, merchant fees for online payments and the staff time to reconcile shares and coordinate with the irrigation company. Staff proposed spreading those administrative costs to users rather than cross‑subsidizing them from citywide revenues.
Council discussion addressed implementation details: staff said the fee will be billed monthly for the newly tracked irrigation shares and that the rate adopted is $20 per month; staff noted they prefer monthly billing for operational consistency and to avoid refund complications when properties change hands. Council members asked about communications to homeowners; staff agreed to circulate a detailed letter and hold public outreach to explain the change and the billing schedule.
Several council members framed the charge as a way to protect irrigation water use — encouraging homeowners to use secondary water rather than city potable water — and to preserve the city’s newly acquired water asset. Staff said the city will initially front the assessment in cash-flow as needed and then recoup the amounts through the monthly bills.
After discussion, a council member moved to approve Ordinance 2025‑29; following a second the council voted “Aye” and the motion carried.
Ordinance 2025‑29 will be implemented through the city’s utility billing system; staff said they will send written notices and create a phone line for questions as the program rolls out.