Hooper staff recommend small garbage and stormwater fee increases, urge bids for impact‑fee study

Hooper City finance staff walked council members through proposed enterprise‑fund changes for garbage and stormwater during a budget work session, recommending modest user‑fee increases and further steps to capture development fees for infrastructure.

Garbage: contract and tipping pressures Finance director Cammy summarized current garbage program figures and explained the contract and tipping‑fee environment. She said the city’s current first‑can rate is $13.50, a second can is $9 and recycling $7.50, and staff had modeled combinations that would round to easier billing amounts if contract and landfill tipping fees rise.

- Staff recommendation: increase the first can to $14.85 (rounded to $15), the second can to $9.90 (rounded to $10) and recycling to $8.63 (rounded to $9). Under a proposed rounded schedule the city would be about $28,000 ahead in the coming year in the model presented. - Garbage cans and logistics: staff warned that switching roll‑out systems often requires buying new cans; current market prices mentioned were about $65–$75 per can. Staff said cities that buy cheaper imports sometimes see durability problems.

Stormwater: fees and capital needs Staff recommended raising the stormwater collection fee and said doing so would allow the city to use remaining ARPA funds, interest earnings and ongoing fee revenue for stormwater capital projects. Staff also highlighted the city has not conducted a stormwater impact‑fee study; without a current study state auditors can limit use of collected impact fees.

- Impact‑fee study: staff said an impact‑fee study covering sewer, roads, stormwater and parks was estimated at about $100,000 by one engineering firm; staff recommended issuing the study to bid to secure a market price and the potential to collect road and stormwater impact fees going forward. - Capital list: staff and public‑works personnel provided a prioritized list of small storm‑drain projects; staff said doing two priority repairs in the next year would be reasonable if funds are allocated.

Billing and allocations Staff explained the city has been allocating portions of billing staff time across enterprise funds and recommended continuing to align billing costs to the funds that benefit. Staff also described merchant/credit‑card fees and other pass‑through expenses the city currently bills the utilities for.

What council asked for Council members sought clearer timing on anticipated tipping‑fee increases from the county/contractor and asked staff to prepare fee resolutions only after contract numbers for the coming fiscal year were known. Staff recommended budgeting conservatively now and delaying fee‑resolution effective dates until exact contract increases were received. For stormwater, council members asked for a clearer, itemized capital plan and the bid schedule for the impact‑fee study.

Ending Finance staff will solicit bids for an impact‑fee study, follow up with the city’s garbage contractor about expected tipping increases, and refine proposed fee rates and effective dates once firm contract data is available.