Rathdrum adopts updated fee schedule, approves new water‑rate tiers and vendor credit‑card fees

The Rathdrum City Council adopted a resolution updating the city fee schedule and approved an ordinance amending city code to clarify commercial irrigation billing for single‑meter properties.

City staff described the fee changes during a public hearing that drew no public speakers on the item. Leon, a city staff member who presented the fee update, said the changes include adjustments to beer, wine and liquor licensing fees, a new tiered structure for residential water usage, new commercial irrigation charging methods for meters that serve both business and irrigation, and an administrative change tied to the city’s third‑party payment processor.

Key changes described in the presentation (staff figures and attributions): - Wine license: staff said the on‑premise wine fee will move to $200 (from $100) and the off‑premise wine fee to $200 (from $150), as required by state law language cited by staff. - Residential water tiers: Leon summarized the new tiered usage structure designed from a cost‑of‑service analysis. He said the proposed monthly charge at 5,000 gallons would be $15.55 (the presentation noted that the current charge at typical winter usage was higher) and that many winter users will see a lower bill under the new structure. Example comparisons presented by staff: at 10,000 gallons the proposed bill would be $18.90 compared with the current $20.55; at 20,000 gallons the proposed estimate was $26.05 versus a prior $27.05. Leon noted the city had not used a tiered structure previously and that the change reflects higher summer irrigation demand. - Irrigation and mixed‑use meters: the council considered an ordinance that directs how to apportion irrigation use for properties with a single meter serving both commercial and irrigation demands; staff said the ordinance treats winter usage as the commercial baseline and bills excess summer usage at the irrigation rate. - Credit‑card processing vendor: staff said the city will move from the current vendor (InvoiceCloud) to a different vendor (BS&A as presented) that charges 2.95% plus $0.50 per transaction; InvoiceCloud’s current charge was described as about 3.25% with a $3 minimum. Leon clarified these are third‑party vendor fees and not a new municipal service charge.

Council voted to adopt the resolution updating the fee schedule; staff said the adopted fee increases would take effect May 1. The council also approved (by motion) adoption of ordinance language that clarifies irrigation billing and the requirement that new commercial properties install separate irrigation meters where appropriate; the council moved and passed the ordinance on its readings as recorded in the minutes.

Votes at a glance (administrative items approved by council during the meeting): - Resolution adopting updated fee schedule — outcome: approved (motion and second recorded; roll call vote recorded in meeting minutes). Fees to become effective May 1 per staff presentation. - Ordinance amending city code section 8‑1‑9 (water/sewer) to set rules for irrigation billing and require separate meters for new commercial development — outcome: approved (motion carried; publication instructions to follow per council action). - Adoption of other administrative items at the same meeting: the council authorized a memorandum of understanding with Post Falls on a shared sewer force‑main / reconstruction project, and set the FY26 budget public hearing for Aug. 27, 2025. Those motions were approved by council as recorded in the minutes.

What council and staff said about impacts: staff said the water tier changes are designed to reflect seasonal irrigation demand so that winter users generally see reduced bills while high summer irrigation users may pay more under the new tiers. Staff also emphasized that vendor processing fees are charged by the private vendor; customers may avoid those costs by paying by check, cash or submitting ACH through the city’s internal ACH option.