North Ogden staff say average monthly utility bill may rise about $4.50; sewer and solid waste cited as main drivers

John, a staff member, told the Citizen Budget Committee that an initial review of utility fees indicates a likely increase of about $4.50 per month, driven primarily by higher sewer and solid-waste costs and smaller increases in water and storm fees.

That matters because the proposed change would affect most households in North Ogden. Staff said the council will receive a detailed per-utility breakdown before the council’s fee-schedule discussion and final budget decision.

John said the largest components of the projected $4.50 average increase are a sewer pass-through and trash contract costs. He described a sewer increase of about $2.30 per month tied to higher charges from outside providers and said the solid-waste contract with Republic Services includes a 4% annual cap tied to a local CPI measure; fuel surcharges and rising county tipping fees also factor into the increase. “The majority of the increases are in your sewer and your solid waste,” John said.

Staff explained the city separates each utility into base and usage components. Base fees cover fixed infrastructure and administrative costs (meters, capital replacement set‑asides, inspection time), while usage fees reflect consumption or measured demand (water flow, number of trash cans). For stormwater—where flow isn’t measured—staff said the fee is charged as an internal, council‑controlled rate rather than a usage charge.

Officials noted some charges are pure pass-throughs from regional providers. John cited Weber Basin/Weber Sewer District increases as an example: when external districts raise rates to the cities, North Ogden can either use fund balance or pass the cost to account holders. Staff said the city has about 7,200 billed accounts and that connection fees pay one‑time infrastructure costs (meters, inspection) rather than ongoing operating expenses.

The committee discussed the policy choice of what base rates should cover versus usage fees. Staff urged the group to clarify the “philosophy” for base vs usage (for example, whether pump-related costs or pressure-reduction‑valve work should be charged through usage or base) so council and residents can understand why a rate change is proposed. John also described a meter‑replacement cycle and a multi‑year capital plan (meters typically useful about 15 years) and highlighted ongoing pipeline relining programs that can extend concrete pipe life.

Staff said the council will see itemized dollar impacts by utility at an upcoming work session in two weeks and will receive the fee‑schedule amendment prior to final budget adoption. The committee asked staff to send the working numbers to committee members before the council work session so members can review the per-utility breakdown.